I woke up to the sound of Lily's gentle voice. "Bloom, Master's leaving."
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, sitting up in bed. "What time is it?" I asked, my voice groggy.
"It's early, Miss," Lily replied. "He's leaving now."
I threw off the covers and rushed to the window, pulling back the curtains to gaze out at the driveway. Vincent was already getting into the car, Adriel standing beside him.
As I watched, Vincent looked up, his eyes meeting mine through the window. For a moment, we just stared at each other, and I felt a pang of sadness. Then, he turned and got into the car, disappearing from view.
I stood there for a moment, feeling a little lost and alone.
It was then the inevitable fact hit me, I had completely changed. I wasn't the same Blossom that firstly arrived at Canada, since Vincent came into the picture I changed drastically.
I started feeling emotions I've never felt before, I started doing things I've never done...
I lost my father, I'm united with my siblings.
I think I got stronger too, hehehe.
I wiped off the tear on my cheek.
He changed me. An unavoidable change.
***
Later that morning, as I was sitting in the living room with Lily, Ryder appeared in the doorway. "Good morning," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Good morning," I replied, smiling at him. Lily nodded in greeting, her hands busy with her needlework.
Ryder walked over to us, his expression serious. "I need to let you know that your sister Blue will be arriving soon," he said.
I felt a jolt of surprise, and then my eyes widened in embarrassment. I had completely forgotten that I had asked Vincent to bring Blue here. I had been so caught up in everything else that it had slipped my mind.
Lily looked at me with a knowing expression, and I could tell she was trying not to smile. "I'll make sure to get her room ready," she said, setting aside her needlework.
I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and anticipation. I was so excited to see her.
Ryder nodded, his expression still serious. "I'll make sure to have someone meet her at the door," he said.
I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Ryder. He was always so efficient and organized.
As Ryder turned to leave, I called out to him. "Ryder?"
He turned back to me, his eyebrows raised in question.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease. Ryder's expression had been serious, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Ryder's expression softened, and he smiled. "Everything's fine," he said. "Just the usual security precautions."
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.
As Ryder turned and left, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Something was fishy.
I turned to Lily, who was watching me with a concerned expression. "Lily, do you think everything's okay?" I asked her.
Lily's expression turned thoughtful. "I'm sure it's fine," she said. "But I did find something interesting earlier."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?" I asked.
Lily hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I was dusting the library earlier, and I found a hidden room," she said.
My eyes widened in surprise. "A hidden room?" I repeated.
Lily nodded. "Yes. It's behind a bookshelf. I didn't have time to explore it, but I thought you might be interested."
I felt a surge of curiosity and excitement. A hidden room? What could be inside?
Just then, we heard the sound of footsteps outside. "That must be Blue," Lily said, smiling.
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief and excitement. My sister was here.
Lily went to greet Blue, and I followed her to the entrance hall. Blue looked a bit tired but otherwise okay.
"Hey, sis," she said, smiling at me.
I hugged her tightly. "Hey, Blue. I'm so glad you're here."
"Whoa this place is hugeee!, It's even better than I thought, I'm going to stay with you forever sis." Blue exclaimed.
"Yeah sure, whatever you want. Quick reminder though, it's not mine." I said.
"Yeah I know, but it'll soon be yours right?" She said, sounding more of a statement than a question.
Lily and I glanced at ourselves and then burst out into laughter.
After Blue settled in, we had lunch together. Then, I remembered the hidden room.
"Blue, I need to show you something," I said, my eyes sparkling with excitement.
Blue raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked.
I grinned mischievously. "Follow me."
I led Blue to the library, Lily following behind us. "Lily found a hidden room," I explained. "It's behind a bookshelf."
Blue's eyes widened in surprise. "A hidden room?"
As we entered the hidden room, Blue's eyes scanned the space with interest. "This is quite a collection," she said, nodding towards the shelves of rare books and artifacts.
I followed her gaze, taking in the intricate carvings on the wooden panels and the faint scent of old leather. "It's like a private archive," I said.
Lily wandered over to a nearby shelf, running her fingers over the spines of the books. "Some of these volumes are extremely rare," she said, her voice low and thoughtful.
Blue walked over to a nearby display case, examining the artifacts inside with a critical eye.
As we explored the room further, we discovered that it was actually a safe room, designed with security features to protect its occupants. And within the safe room, we found another door that led to a small storage room.
The storage room was filled with old trunks, boxes, and strange artifacts. Lily's eyes widened as she scanned the room. "Oh my goodness," she said. "These are Vincent's things."
She walked over to a nearby shelf, picking up a small, intricately carved dagger. "I remember this," she said, a faraway look in her eyes. "Vincent's father gave it to him when he was a teenager."
Blue's eyes sparkled with interest. "What's the story behind it?" she asked.
Lily's eyes clouded over, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Vincent's father was a collector of rare and unusual items. He gave Vincent this dagger as a symbol of his heritage. But Vincent never liked to talk about it. He said it reminded him of his father's... obsessions."
I stood there listening attentively as this was the first time Lily willingly talked about Vincent's past.
And I was eager to know about it.
Lily's eyes seemed to glaze over as she continued her story. "Vincent's father was a hard man to please. He was always pushing Vincent to be better, to achieve more. But Vincent was different. He didn't want to be a part of the family business, he wanted to build his own."
Lily continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Vincent's father was furious when he found out that Vincent didn't want to be a part of the business. They had a huge argument, and Vincent ended up leaving home."
Blue's eyes widened in surprise. "He left home?" she repeated.
Lily nodded. "Yes. Vincent was determined to make a new life for himself, one that didn't involve the family business. But his father... he didn't take it well."
Lily's eyes seemed to cloud over, as if memories were flooding back. "Vincent's father... he did some terrible things. He tried to ruin Vincent's reputation, to make it impossible for him to start a new life."
Blue's eyes narrowed. "What kind of things?" she asked, her voice firm.
Lily hesitated, as if unsure how much to reveal. "He spread rumors, lies... he even tried to sabotage Vincent's business dealings."
I felt a surge of anger on Vincent's behalf. How could his own father do such things?
Lily's voice dropped to a whisper. "But Vincent... he's a strong person. He didn't let his father's actions break him."
Blue nodded, a look of admiration on her face. "I can see that," she said. "Vincent's... he's not like anyone I've ever met."
I smiled a little knowing that Blue had never met him, and was just deep into the story.
Lily smiled, a small, sad smile. "Yes... Vincent's one of a kind."
Lily's voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes clouding over with a deep sadness. "He's been broken, Bloom," she said, her words piercing my heart like a dagger. "His father broke him, shattered his soul, from the age of eleven. Since then he always had a mask on "
Lily's eyes locked onto mine, filled with a deep understanding. "I'm guessing you're very familiar with it, Bloom," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. I understood the significance of the mask, the weight of the pain it represented. The shield to his true self and emotions.
Lily's gaze seemed to bore into my soul, as if searching for something. "I guess you're wondering why I'm opening up now," she stated, her voice laced with a hint of vulnerability.
I nodded again, my heart pounding in my chest.
Lily took a deep breath, her words spilling out like a confession. "In all my years of working for him, I've never seen him with a woman, never seen him show interest. It was always business, always the pursuit of power and wealth. But when he brought you... everything changed."
Her eyes seemed to shine with tears as she spoke. "He changed, Bloom. Before, he was all darkness, a shadow of a man. But now... now he seems a bit grey, like he's coming back to life."
My heart swelled with emotion as I listened to Lily's words. I felt a deep sadness wash over me, regret for judging Vincent, for misunderstanding him.
Lily's voice cracked as she spoke, her words barely above a whisper. "I know he doesn't know how to express himself, how to let go of the pain. But I see the way he looks at you, Bloom. I see the way he cares for you, protects you."
She took a step closer, her eyes pleading. "Please, Bloom, take care of him. He needs you, needs your love and your light to heal the darkness within."
As Lily spoke, I felt a dam break within me. I realized the depth of Vincent's pain, the weight of his sorrow. I felt a deep connection to him, a sense of understanding that went beyond words.