362: Don’t show that face.

Don’t show that face.

The bread they shared wasn't enough to fill the children's stomachs, but it was enough for them to get by for now. The girl finished it almost in a blink of an eye while the boy eventually finished it. After that, the girl sat beside him in the dark. Her back was against the wall, legs extended and spread lazily, lamenting inwardly. 

The boy stayed quiet, glancing at the girl beside him. 

"Sorry," he said after a prolonged silence, warranting the girl's attention. "It seemed that bread was your snack."

"It is. I purposely didn't eat it because I want to take it home."

Home. 

Dominic didn't say a word as he stared at the young girl. The latter's brow rose, waiting for what he was going to say.

"Where do you live?" he asked, only noticing her phoenix eyes now that his eyes got comfortable with the dimness. 

"Far," she shrugged. "I live on this small island. People can only get in via boat or a chopper."

The girl smiled back at him again. "We're only here because I told my dad I want to eat the bread he took home the other month."

"So you lived abroad?"

"Mhm."

"And you're only here to buy some bread?"

"Yep!"

"Then why did you end up here?"

"I told you." This time, the girl frowned. "I was playing hide and seek with my dad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We were around the area, and he was a bit busy. I saw this abandoned warehouse, and I thought it would be fun to hunt some ghosts." The girl chuckled at the thought before it was replaced with a deep frown. "But when I came in here, there's no ghost, but people. I'm so disappointed."

Dominic opened and closed his mouth for a moment, rendered speechless at the summary of her story. It was unbelievable. Even if both of them were children, one could tell it was a lie. 

Or was it?

"You don't believe me?" she frowned at the look on his face. "I don't understand. Are you dumb?"

"Huh?"

"How can you not believe me?" she asked out of plain curiosity.

For sure, this bafflement stemmed from not meeting any children her age. Thus, the girl automatically believed he should believe her since there wasn't any out of the ordinary in her story. 

"I'm sorry. It's just so hard to believe." Dominic sighed, stretching his knees that he had kept bent since the beginning. "By the way, how did you know someone was coming?"

"Hmm?"

He set his eyes back on her. "When the man came with this food, you hid behind the door."

"He was making too much noise." She shrugged. "I should be the one asking. How did you not know someone was coming?"

Both children thought the other one was strange. And that baffled them. 

"Anyway, are you planning to stay here?" she asked after a moment. "Staying here is boring. Let's go out and play!"

How could she think of playing even now?

"Don't you really know those guys outside?" he asked. "I can't just go out or I'll get hurt."

"They won't hurt you." The girl cocked her head to the side. "I don't think they're so heartless as to beat a child to death. If anything, they'll just put a hole in that head so you won't feel any pain."

"..."

"What?" she blinked. "You don't believe me again?"

"They won't kill me."

"How did you say so?"

"It's kidnap for ransom." Dominic sighed again, unsure if she even understood the meaning of his remarks. "They are asking for my parent's money for my life."

"They won't give you back alive."

Dominic set his attention back to the girl, only to see her shaking her head.

"If they planned to return you alive, the mastermind shouldn't have shown his face to you," she explained, causing deep lines to appear in between his brows. 

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I haven't seen the mastermind."

"He came in here."

"That man who brought this food?"

"No." the girl shook her head once again. "The man before him. I heard him telling the guys to silence you once they receive money. He's still outside. Do you want to see him?"

Dominic instinctively held his breath as he fixed his dilated eyes on the girl beside him. By the looks of it, the girl didn't seem she has an idea of Dominic's relationship with the man who came in before the one who brought the food. 

There was only one person who came into this room, aside from the other guy and her. 

Leon Zhu.

"What's that look on your face?" the girl frowned, her eyes gleaming with concern. "I don't like the look on your face."

"There's only one person who came in here, aside from the person who brought this food." Dominic peeled his gaze from her and set them on the tray before him. "My uncle."

"Your uncle kidnapped you?"

"No."

"Huh?" the girl cocked her head to the side. "You're confusing."

"He won't do that." Dominic shook his head as he faced the girl squarely. "My uncle will never do that to me!"

Bitterness and denial dominated his face, balling his little hands into a tight fist. The girl pursed her lips as she studied his expression, raising her hands to cup his face.

"Don't show that face, I said." Her lips curved down deeply as tears suddenly shone in her eyes. "I don't like it. It breaks my heart!"

"Then stop lying!" Dominic brushed her hand away from him, holding back the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. "My uncle won't hurt me! Take back what you said."

The girl awkwardly retrieved her hand, holding her wrist, eyes still on him. Her lips parted to say a few words of comfort, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She wasn't lying, after all. 

"Maybe I'm wrong," she gave in. "Do you want to check?"

Dominic's breath hitched, gazing down at the hand that she offered to him.

"I'll apologize if I was wrong," she reassured, watching him raise his head. "Come."

The girl nodded at him, waiting for him to take her hand. When the boy didn't, she snatched his hand and pulled him up, dragging him toward the door to take a peek outside.  0

"Look, we can see them from here," she whispered, looking back at Dominic. She quickly stepped aside, pushing him to take her spot so he could see through the tiny gap between the door and the jamb. 

Dominic's eyes flickered, catching a few figures standing not far away from where he stood. The men seemed they were discussing something, or maybe arguing. Seeing that none of them resembled his uncle, relief swelled in his heart.

'I knew it,' he thought. 'This girl was wrong. My uncle will never...'

However, the relief in his heart was short-lived as the man standing with his back facing Dominic's direction moved. When the man did, he unblocked Dominic's view from seeing the man sitting on a wooden chair, smirking. 

"Uncle," he murmured, watching Leon smirk and chuckle, dragging a cigarette in between as if he was simply hanging out with his friends.

Without him knowing, a tear instantly ran down his cheek, staring at Leon with wide eyes. The girl who was standing beside him pressed her lips, looking at him with pity as he finally realized she wasn't lying. Still, looking at him now, she thought lying sounded ideal. 

"I'm…" the girl trailed off when she heard noises outside. 

"Hera!" 

As soon as that piercingly loud voice reached the people outside, the girl, Hera, panicked. She pushed the boy away from the door before she slammed it closed. 

"Hey!" she called in a panic, jumping in front of him. 

The boy was still in a daze, so she cupped his cheek to bring him back to reality. His eyes slowly veered to her, still in shock at the discovery of his uncle's involvement in his kidnapping. 

"Don't make that face, I said!" she hissed, leaping at him and hugging him. "It's okay! My dad is here, so we should hide! He'll kill those guys for you, so don't cry anymore! I'll make sure you will go home, so don't cry, okay!?"

Dominic stood still, hearing the girl's yelling, but didn't react. The next thing he knew was the blaring sound of guns and some other loud noises such as loud grunts and yells outside. All he could remember was the girl taking his hand and dragging him to the corner where she sat him down.

Looking up at her, the girl flashed him a smile as she squatted down in front of him. She then covered his ears, huffing a deep breath, and humming so loud as her flimsy attempt to save him from the sound of death outside. 

— END OF PROLOGUE —

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