He took My Heart
I took another step back only to find myself cornered.
I looked once more into the dark eyes of my predator. Nothing. His face is expressionless as he approached. His voice is monotonous and indifferent as he said, "It's over"
I'm not scared, not in that sense. I'm not scared because I know I'm going to die. I'm not scared because in front of me is a true professional. I'm not scared of him. I'm scared of death itself because… I can never tell him… that I fell for him.
"You little brat!" my father furiously grabbed my neck with his big hands and started strangling me. "How dare you! Humiliating me in front of the whole company!"
I gagged. "Fa-ther! S-stop!" Tears ran down my face.
This isn't my father. This man in front of me is a monster. Because my father will never hurt me. He always cared for me, made me happy. The family business which flourished into a huge and successful company was purely dedicated to me and the whole family. But everything changed when mother and big brother were killed. I didn't do anything… Exactly. I didn't do anything.
It was in the middle of the night. Father was in another country, meeting with possible business allies. I was very young and I slept with mom that night. She heard something and woke me up. Along with big brother, she hid the two of us in a cabinet. Big brother was years older than I am. We stayed in the dark. I was scared but he said, "Don't worry, Mira, everything's going to be fine." And smiled. I felt happy and secure but then we both heard a loud crash so he rushed out of the cabinet and told me to stay. Obedient as I was, I stayed. I waited. I waited for big brother and mom to open the doors and say, "All right, Mira, let's go back to sleep and meet with your father tomorrow." But no. None of them came. Instead, I fell asleep and was woken up when some police officers opened the cabinet in the morning. Father arrived. At first, he was happy but time passed and he got more stressed out about the business and definitely unhappy that a girl would inherit it.
He wanted to marry me off to the richest company heir as soon as possible. So a meeting took place wherein he also showed off some of the company's best traits. Since I've also been studying the company policies and many other stuff about the company, especially its finances and all that, I saw many flaws and pointed them out, at the same time, suggesting some remedies, hoping this would make my father proud of me but he took it wrongly. At first, he didn't seem to mind but when we got home, things took a turn for the worst.
"This is the last time you've ever ruined my plans!" He exclaimed, tightening his grip and lifting me from the ground.
It was so painful. I tried pulling his hands away but he's too strong. I clawed at his arms but I was getting weaker.
Mom, big brother… help me…
Something took father's attention. He looked to his right and his facial expression changed, from anger... to fear.
He suddenly let go of me and I fell to my knees. I clutched my chest and gasped for air as father stuttered and moved away, taking steps backward.
"Y-you! Who are you?! How did you get in here?!" I heard him yell.
There was no answer but I can hear father suddenly turn and run. I looked and all of a sudden, in front of me, is a tall and lean guy, about the same age as I am, 18. Between his thumb and two fingers was a human heart. Quickly, I looked to my right and saw my father lying on the ground, dead. A crimson hue dyed the part of the floor where he lies. I looked at the guy standing before me. The monster's heart has stopped beating. I wasn't scared. I felt saved.
The guy looked back at me with his dark eyes. His has short dark hair and was wearing a rather casual outfit. You won't easily suspect him to be a killer.
"Who… are you?" I sighed in awe. Oddly enough, he seemed… what? Godly? I never even heard him approach. Maybe I was too dizzy due to lack of air, even now my mind is dreary.
"Someone hired to assassinate your father." He answered, his voice indifferent, as though it was a perfect normal conversation.
"And me?"
He stared for a while, put the heart down on the floor, in front of me, and turned and left. My gaze followed him and I found myself gasping for air once more but slowly this time. He disappeared into the night and I stared at the human heart before me.
A god of death was in front of me and it's not my father's heart that he took. It was mine.
I finished signing the last piece of paperwork for the day and sighed. I put the pen down and rotated the chair by a hundred and eighty degrees, facing the big windows and looked at the sky dyed a magnificent reddish orange.
It's been years since my father's death. I am now 24 years old and the CEO of my father's company. The company has been much more successful these six years under my authority. I even found out that we had a lot of debts and was able to pay them all within three years. My skill attracted a lot of attention and thus, suitors from different countries and companies kept lining up only to end up getting rejected.
Knock knock
"Yes?"
"Mr. Gerald sent you these chrysanthemums, ma'am." My secretary said, coming in the room with a bouquet of roses.
I sighed.
"Place them over there." I pointed the vase with wilting flowers which were sent the other day by the same person.
My secretary nodded and replaced the flowers. Once she's done, she left.
I looked at the flowers. "He doesn't know when to give up. I already told him… No. Whatever he does, it's a no. It will always be a no."
I turned back to the window and it was already dark. I looked at the vivid reflection on the window. Light brown hair, emerald green eyes, pink lips, a good figure and what? Nothing. Just an ordinary girl who constantly yearns to see her beloved savior.
I approached the window and touched the cold glass with my hand.
I want to see you again… I never even got your name…
I've been trying to search about him for years. I once had a lead but it involves getting into illegal deals so I declined and stopped for good.
I walked back to my desk and gathered my stuff. It's time for me to leave. I took my bag and slung it over my shoulders. To the elevator, down to the ground floor
"Good bye, Ms. Mira."
"Good bye."
"Good night, ma'am"
"Good night."
Out of the building and into the car. I drove home which is a few kilometers away from the building. I parked the car into the garage and went inside the house. It's a simple house, the same house where my father died, where my family died. Now I live alone. The whole place was dark as always and deep inside me is a creeping loneliness.
With memory of every detail of the house, I walked through the darkness, the living room, up the stairs to my moonlit bedroom. I was about to turn on the lights when I felt a presence behind me. Surprised, I turned around and took a few steps backward.
"Who are you?" I demanded as he I can't see his face in the dark.
A feeling of familiarity somehow swept through me. The figure's aura just seemed familiar.
The figure stepped out of the dark and into the moon's illumination and my eyes widened to see a man at the same age as me with expressionless dark eyes, dark hair and pale skin. Between his fingers were pins and silently and slowly, he walked closer.
"It's you…" I sighed in awe as I regarded him, absorbing every detail as my eyes and heart can't get enough. It pounded so hard against my chest that it felt like it was going to jump out. I knew that after all these year, he's grown stronger, more skillful. I didn't just admire him. I worshipped him and I ached for him.
He just stared at me like before, his face remaining expressionless. And I stared back, eye-to-eye.
The room was silent for a while until he took another silent step and said, "You're not scared… like your father once was."
Step back.
"How do you know?" I more likely wanted to say, 'you remember me…'
Step forward.
"I can always sense the fear emanating from my target's flesh."
Step back.
"I see. So who sent you after me?"
Step forward.
"You're free to guess."
Step back.
"… Gerald. Gerald Gleam from the rivaling company." I answered more confidently than I thought.
Step forward.
"…"
Step back.
"I knew it. The chrysanthemums were symbolic enough."
Step forward.
Step back.
I took another step back only to find myself cornered.
I looked once more into the dark eyes of my predator. Nothing. His face is expressionless as he approached. His voice is monotonous and indifferent as he said, "It's over"
I'm not scared, not in that sense. I'm not scared because I know I'm going to die. I'm not scared because in front of me is a true professional. I'm not scared of him. I'm scared of death itself because… I can never tell him… that I fell for him.
He took another step towards me and aimed with his pins.
I just smiled at him. Our time together was short and could be considered cold and professional... but… for me, it's a treasure. Surprising enough, I suddenly lunged myself at him, not giving him time to react at all. I kissed him and at the same time, killing myself for the moment our bodies touched, it can't be helped that I clash with the roundhead pins aimed directly at my chest. He didn't wrap his arms around me or anything but it's fine. At least, let me be selfish for once. Let me be happy once more.
I felt myself grow cold and numb. But the warmth on my lips remained. The darkness took over and I slipped away.
I was just an ordinary girl but I had extraordinary feelings. It ate me up but I don't care… because in the end, it was all worth it.
