I fidgeted with my fingers on the couch as I waited patiently for Vlad to return. After a few minutes he came back with his coffee.
He placed his cup of coffee down on the table and handed me mine.
"Thank you.." I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper as I took my cup from him, taking a sip.
Vlad settled down beside me, taking a deep breath. "You didn't take your medicine, did you?" He asked, his voice dead serious.
"I..I did! I took it immediately after waking up." I stammered.
"You didn't take it, did you..?" He asked, struggling to stay calm.
I paused, "Um.." Scratching my head, I gave him an awkward laugh, "Maybe I didn't..?"
Vlad groaned, dragging a hand down his face, "Annette Ellsworth!" He shouted.
I flinched as he shouted my name, "I'm sorry.. it tasted disgusting.." I mumbled, my voice quiet as I didn't wanna anger him more.
Upon seeing me flinch, Vlad's eyes softened. He sighed and came closer, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, "I'm sorry, Annette. Don't apologize, I didn't mean to shout. I'm sorry for yelling at you."
I silently nodded, accepting his apology. It was definitely my fault, I couldn't blame him, he was just being protective.
"Now, tell me. What did you see there, Annette? You looked like you saw a ghost." Vlad asked, his eyes steady at me.
I hesitated, the fear still clinging to me. Taking a deep breath, I began. "I saw you. You were.. strangling me. And in your hands, you had a syringe."
Vlad froze, his eyes widening as he heard what I saw. He cleared his throat and looked away. "That's..interesting."
"Do you know anything about it? You seem pretty shocked." I asked Vlad, hoping for an answer, judging by his reaction.
"I..don't," He replied, his voice uncertain.
"I'm just shocked that you saw me trying to kill you." His fingers curled around mine, his voice becoming softer, almost pleading. "You know I'd never do something like that to you… right?"
I nodded, "Still, it felt so real..and his touch..it was way too real. I really felt like someone was strangling me." i continued further.
Vlad came closer, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "It will happen if you don't take your medication like I told you to, okay?" He said softly, his voice a mix of concern and warning.
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time.." I said quietly, guilt creeping into my voice. My mind buzzed with questions, and out of curiosity, I decided to ask him. "But why does it happen, Vlad? Why did it feel so real?"
Vlad considered my question for a moment before responding. "Past trauma, most likely. You've..had a rough past. It's better not to remember it."
His words caught me off guard. Was he talking about my family? The nurse in the hospital said he's the only one I have. Maybe this is the chance I get to know about my parents?
"Do you know my parents, Vlad?" I gazed into his eyes, hoping for a straight answer.
Vlad froze at my question, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "Why on earth would you wanna know that? That's not necessary."
His answer didn't sit right with me, but it also made me suspicious. Why did he wanna keep my past a secret from me?
I looked at him with pleading eyes, my hands clasped together. "Please..I really wanna know.." I murmured, hoping to sway him.
Vlad exhaled deeply, his resolve wavering. He turned away, avoiding my gaze. "They died a long time ago, that's all you need to know." He said, his voice quieter than before.
"Oh..I see.." I mumbled, disappointment creeping into my voice. A hollow feeling settled in my chest as I wondered— was there more to it? I wonder what it's like to have parents at all..
Noticing the sadness in my expression, Vlad ruffled through my hair, his touch light and comforting. A playful smile tugged at his lips as he tried to comfort me. "Don't worry, you have me. And I'll make sure I'm all that you'll ever need." He said reassuringly.
A small smile tugged at my lips as his words sank in. I nodded, my voice soft, "I know.. thank you."
Before the warmth of the moment could settle, a young butler rushed in, his voice cutting through the air—
"Master! Someone's here to see you!" the young butler called out to Vlad.
Vlad let out a quiet groan of disappointment and stood up. He slipped his hands in his pockets before turning to look at me. "That must be my client. I'll be going, hm?" Vlad muttered.
"Okay, see you." I said, trying to hide the disappointment in my tone, as I watched Vlad leave the room in a hurry.
I was about to get up, when suddenly, my phone buzzed, signaling a notification. Curious, I picked it up and opened the message from the number, that read—
"Hello, Annette..I'm sorry about what happened, I just heard. I tried really hard to get your number, I don't know what I did wrong that you had to block me. Can we please meet up? We have a lot to catch on to.."
sent: Just now.
A strange unease settled in my stomach. The message…it felt off. Perhaps it was just a random man trying to hit on me? I was about to put my phone down, until I noticed the account user's name.
'CheeseGrater9000'
I frowned, my fingers tightening around the phone.
"Who on earth names their child after a cheese grater..?" I muttered, clicking on our past conversations.
I scrolled to the top, my eyes widening, "Woah.. We've talked a lot in the past.. Who even is this woman?" I muttered under my breath, a sense of disbelief washing over me. Maybe this was important..?
A thought crossed my mind. Should I tell Vlad about this..? But I immediately shook my head. "No, he's way too busy to be bothered with something like this…"
The decision was clear. I was gonna meet this woman. And while I'm at it, I might as well ask her if she knew anything about me. Things Vlad couldn't—wouldn't—answer.