XIMENA'S POV. I stood with my back against the huge doorframe, gasping for breath after I made my way back to my room. "How! How is this possible?" I muttered incoherently, my gaze blank as tears rolled down my face in streams. The image of my once-perfect father, shattered to pieces. "No, I must have heard wrong," I muttered, wiping the tears off my face, as I tried to convince myself that there was no way my father was a drug lord. My ravings seemed to serve no purpose, as there was no way I could deny what I had heard. It wasn't hearsay, it was the cold, hard truth. I couldn't fathom how in the span of a day, I could lose both my mother and father. "What am I going to do?" I cried out in anguish as I hugged my knees for comfort. "I-I have to get away from here," I muttered as I needed a form of escape. I needed to get away so I could process things, maybe find a solution of sorts. With a resolute expression on my face, I don't even bother changing as I quickly but quietly make my way down the stairs and out to the garage. I quickly spotted my car, thanks to its vibrant red sheen, but before I could sigh in relief, I came to a terrible realization. "Shit, I don't have my keys," I let out in frustration, as I fumbled around my pockets but to no avail. Holding back the tears that threatened to spill, my figure trembled slightly as I heard a cold shout, "Who's there?" "Shit!" I cursed, as I knew I couldn't get caught no matter what. I wasn't sure if my father would hurt me, but I wasn't exactly in the mood to find out. I quickly ran away from the direction of the voice as my thoughts spun. I had always wondered why we had so much security, now it all made sense. I ran as fast as my legs could take me, but it was inevitable that I would be no match for a trained professional. It didn't take long for me to feel him creeping up on me. I stiffened as I ducked into the nearest bush. My lungs worked in overdrive as I tried my best to suppress my breathing. My heart leaped to my throat as I heard the sound of footsteps getting closer. I stiffened as there seemed to be more footsteps than I remembered. I could hear the sound of my heart thumping against my chest as the footsteps came to a halt in front of the bush I was inside. I couldn't care less about the fact that I was accumulating bruises with every minute I spent there. All I wanted to do was get away safely. "Where's the intruder?" an authoritative voice resounded as he addressed someone. "We lost him boss," another cold voice replied. "Keep searching while I go report to the master," And with that, the footsteps dispersed. I waited for a few seconds, before I finally found it safe enough to breathe again. "Haa!" I let out, as I drew in large breaths of air. Suppressing a coughing fit that threatened to come out. "Seems like I haven't been exposed for now," I muttered, as I was glad things seemed to currently be in my favor. But I wasn't going to stick around until they weren't. I had to get out of the estate as fast as I could. "Did you hear that?" A cold voice suddenly rang out, causing my pupils to constrict as I felt dangerous coming towards me with every second that passed. My body froze as sweat trickled down my forehead. The wind at night was especially chilly, but it was nothing compared to the chill that filled my chest. I could hear rustling sounds outside the bush, and just as I was about to fight to my last breath, my heart leaped to my throat as a large hand suddenly made its way over my mouth. A slightly magnetic but somewhat familiar voice whispered into my ear, "Don't move," My breath halted in my throat as the owner of the voice pulled me deeper into the bushes. My eyes reddened at the thought of everything I had gone through that day. And now it seemed like I was going to get kidnapped or worse. I closed my eyes as tears trickled down my face. I let the owner of the voice take me away. I wasn't lugged like a sack of potatoes like I had expected, but I felt myself sunk into the arms of my kidnapper, as I was carried in a bridal-style position. I didn't have the strength to move, so I let myself be carried. The exhaustion from running around all day, coupled with the fact that I had still not eaten, gradually dawned on my body. It was obvious the adrenaline rush I had gotten had faded away. My eyelids fluttered slightly as I felt myself about to give in to the exhaustion. "You can open your eyes now," the voice called out in a light tone, a light chuckle accompanying his words, rousing my sleepy self. "I will when you put me down," I replied carefully, as I could sense my kidnapper didn't have any bad intentions towards me. "Oh, my apologies," he replied almost instantaneously, as he let me down carefully. His large hand was still placed on the small of my back, as he made sure to support me in the event that my knees gave out. "Careful," he said, as he allowed my small frame to lean on him. I was filled with relief as I felt my feet finally touching solid ground. "Thank you," I muttered, rubbing my eyes softly as I tried to get accustomed to the light. It wasn't too much of a hassle, as the lighting of the shack we took refuge in wasn't exactly the best, so I could barely ascertain his features. He looked to be a boy with a fragile physique that seemed to be still growing into itself. His hair was a messy tangle of dirty blond locks. But it was his eyes that truly set him apart - vibrant hazel orbs that sparkled with innocence and curiosity. They shone like emeralds in the dim lighting of the shack. Despite his scrawny build, there was something undeniably compelling about him. "You're not what I expected," I said truthfully, as I no longer sized him up. "I'm sorry, young miss," he let out sheepishly, as he scratched his hair awkwardly. I was truly confused as he seemed so different from the owner of the calm, yet powerful, magnetic voice that took me out of my predicament. "Wait, you know who I am?" I asked, taking a step back as I stared at him warily. He didn't say anything as he just stared at me silently. I suddenly felt my cheeks burn as I went on to say, "You don't have to answer that." I had only just realized what a stupid question that was. "Can I ask why you're hiding from the guards?" he said suddenly. His question suddenly brought my situation into hindsight as I felt my head turn woozy. Everything I had to experience in the past few hours. My mother's apparent death, my father's secret identity, and the fact that my perfect family was ruined forever. My body trembled visibly as tears streamed down my face. "Shit! I'm so sorry," the scrawny kid let out, as he pulled me into his warm embrace. His hands wrapped around me as he let my head rest on his chest. "It's fine, I'm here, you're safe," he says comfortingly, causing me to bawl my eyes out as I hug him back. It felt like I suddenly had a place to let go of all my frustration, all the negativity that plagued my mind. "I need to get out of here," I cried out, the plea in my tone evident as I stared into his vibrant hazel eyes. His eyes flickered with hesitation, but it was only for a brief moment, as they suddenly became resolute. "I'll do it," he said, taking my face into his palm as he stared straight into my verdant green eyes. The slight disbelief in my heart dissipated by his simple, resolute gaze. He was going to help me, and he meant it. "I know a tunnel that leads right out of the estate. You just have to follow my lead," he goes on to say, as he had a look of contemplation on his face. It was all so surreal that I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Why? Why are you helping me?" I asked, the confusion in my tone evident as I looked up at him. He was silent as he just stared at me, as though his hazel orbs held all the answers. And indeed they did. We locked eyes and everything suddenly became clear. The passion and warmth blazing in his hazel orbs invasively roamed my features, causing me to break away. "Thank you," I muttered in an inaudible tone as I failed to notice the reddening of my cheeks.
