It'll Come Naturally

"Mum, I say we just ignore him. I don't think he really has the real evidence he claims to possess," Vance suggested. He was blinded by greed, refusing to see anything but the money.

"You shut up! Don't talk nonsense if you don't know anything," Sheena rebuked immediately as she glared at him. Couldn't he even tell if the voice played by the recording pen was his mother's? "How about this? Let's actually try to think of a way to get the recording pen from him," Cyrus whispered this time. Just like his brother, he needed this money too, so he didn't want to lose this chance either.

"Do you honestly think he's as stupid as you guys? He wouldn't dare show up alone if he wasn't prepared," Hannah replied, rolling her eyes, dumbfounded by her husband's idiocy. She felt intense regret that she had been so blind that she chose such a stupid man to marry.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Alright. I've made my decision. Let Tiana out," Sheena said solemnly after moments of deliberation. She finally accepted Rain's offer. If that was what it took to get rid of the evidence, then they would give her to him. Besides, he didn't say anything about denying them the opportunity of kidnapping Tiana again.

"Mum, is that really what you decided? Are you sure you're done thinking about it? She is worth a lot!" Vance said. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was so close to getting the money, he was unwilling to give it up so easily. All he could do was to remind his mother of Tiana's immense value.

"What's wrong? You don't listen to me now?" Sheena spat angrily as she glared at her son. Agreeing to her decision went against every fiber of his being. Was the money more important than following his mother?

"How come, Mum? Of course I'll listen to you. I'll run upstairs and," Vance sighed. "..let Tiana out," Vance continued. He then started to climb the staircase in the middle of the room. He was loathe to let go of the money that easily, especially when he was so close to getting his hands on it. He was just one step away from sending Tiana to get hitched with the old man. However, he didn't dare disobey with his mother's decision this time.

Standing some distance from them, Rain was looking at them coldly as they discussed how to deal with him, loudly enough for him to hear. Despite this, he felt completely relaxed and took this in stride. He knew they weren't that stupid to refuse his terms. Meanwhile, Tiana was locked in the room for almost two days without eating or drinking anything. She looked like a mess, and she was too weak to move. The first thing that Vance noticed was the stale air in the room. He saw his sister, lying beside the bed motionless and sobbing. When Tiana saw Vance approach, the light in her eyes returned.

"Vance, does Mum finally see reason and agree to let me go?" Tiana asked hopefully. She had refused to eat or drink anything during her captivity. She did this out of protest. She knew that to fight for her own happiness, she had to absolutely refuse to give in to marrying that old man.

"Oh yeah! Look how happy you are now," Vance answered indifferently. He felt extremely disappointed and depressed. He knew that when he let go of Tiana, he would lose the only chance to get all that money effortlessly. He could only fake a smile on his face, and he couldn't bring himself to be happy for her sister.

"I knew it! I knew Mum wouldn't discard me like that. She wouldn't sell me to that old man. She can't force me to marry him," Tiana said happily and excitedly. If she could jump for joy, she would have. A smile finally bloomed on her face for the first time since she was locked inside the room. It seemed that her hunger strike finally worked.

"Hum! Let's get out of here now, the smell is making me sick," Vance said without any emotion in his tone. He just couldn't share the happiness that his sister was feeling, because her freedom and happiness only amplified his misery.

"Sure!" Tiana replied. She knew Vance wasn't happy. She just decided not to think too much about it. She was beyond excited now. But as she tried to pick herself up, she fell down. After two days of no energy intake, she was too weak that she couldn't support her own weight.

"See! I told you. You should have eaten something," Vance said to his sister after seeing her attempting to stand up to no avail. He could have said more. He could have blamed her for everything that was happening to his family now, but he didn't. When everything had been all said and done, she was still his sister. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. He walked to the prone Tiana and held her in his arms to carry her downstairs.

"Thank you, Vance," Tiana said gratefully with a smile as her brother picked her up. But what she didn't know was that the brother she was thanking was also the same brother who would sell her for marriage in a heartbeat. Even now, with his sister in his arms, he felt bad not because they treated her harshly, but because they were about to lose the opportunity to exchange her for the money he needed. What a cruel irony it was for Tiana to learn!

Vance replied with a faint smile. A hollow smile. He didn't know what to say. So without any more verbal communication with Tiana, he took her downstairs in silence. Tiana was surprised to see Rain downstairs. She never expected to see Rain in this house, so she thought she was seeing things since she was so weak and delirious.

"Tiana, are you alright?" Rain asked anxiously. His eyes filled with concern when he saw her being carried by Vance. He felt that something terrible must have happened to her. Why was she brought down by her brother? Why couldn't she walk by herself? 'This can't be, ' Rain thought. Tiana was the little princess of this family. Was she abused? How could they treat her like this?

"Rain? It's you! It's really you!" Tiana exclaimed in a burst of happiness when she realized this wasn't an illusion. She was so happy that her eyes started welling up. Tears began to flow down her face. She didn't even think why Rain would be here in the house he detested so much.00000