Chapter 3
Giotto pushed open the door that seems to lead into a bedroom. Upon entering the room, his eyes immediately lay upon the woman that was lying on a queen-sized bed. Her face pale and she was drenched in sweat showing her discomfort.
"Has she showed any sign of waking up?" Giotto asked another person standing inside the room.
"No. Not yet. She appear to be agitated a while ago but calm down not long after," Knuckle answer.
Giotto nodded and his eyes drift again to Naara's face, "But why is her face so pale?"
"It might be due to exhaustion and sudden shock to new places," Knuckle hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Giotto…do you think she-"
Giotto held his hand up, stopping Knuckle from saying any further, "I don't want to make any assumption before we confirm anything."
"But, she seems to know Vongola," Knuckle voice out his concern. His voice solemn.
Giotto's frown, "It's seems that our guest might be more than what she appears to be. We might have to be more cautious." His expression darkens even further upon remembering his earlier meeting with the woman. He doesn't know why, but his intuition does not flare up and his instinct tells him that he can trust the woman. Telling him that the woman lying on the bed may be a stranger but not dangerous. Not to him nor his friends.
line breaks*
"Ugh..." a grunt sounds from the bed.
Naara tries to open her eyes, quickly shutting it close again when the light was blinding her.
"Are you okay?" a male voice sound from her right side. The voice sounds a bit cold though not unkind.
"…."
Naara tries to sit but quickly lay back down with a wince when there is a quick and sharp throbbing pain at the back of her head.
"Easy now, we don't want to worsen your concussion," said the man from before. Naara can feel a large and warm hand supporting her back, gently guiding her back to lean on a pillow, which must have been move by the man before her.
"……" Naara open and close her eyes, grunting once again when no sounds came out. Pressing her right palm on her eyes, she tried to calm herself down. After a while, she removes her palm from her eyes and raising her head. Blinking once and twice , trying to adjust her eyes through the blinding light. Now she can see, a morning rays shine through the open window from her left, providing her with some sense of warmth and peace.
Naara noticed some movements in the corner of her eyes, probably made by the man who talked to her just now. "Here, you might feel better with a glass of water," a hand holding a glass of water appeared in front of her eyes. Naara's eyes track the hands up to a tanned, white-haired guy, smiling gently at her though she can see caution in his eyes.
Not one to deny someone's kindness, Naara took the glass from the stranger's hand and thank him with a slight of her head, and with no further prompt, she sips the water before drinking it in gulps. Finally noticing the thirst in her throat.
Naara hand back the now empty glass in her hand back to the smiling man when he extends his hand for it. Once again, Naara thanked him for his hospitality with a nod, once again. She blinked her eyes up to the man who was still looking at her. Asking questions in silent.
The man chuckles a bit upon seeing her expression, "Now I see why Giotto says what he said." Naara tilts her head, one eyebrow slightly raised, not understanding.
The man's smile never left his lips, "Never mind. Do you feel better now?" Putting down the glass on a table beside the bed, the man took a seat on a nearby chair. Naara nods her head once again, while at the same time, touching her neck.
"Do you feel any pain in your throat?" the man asks. Naara shakes her head, no. She opens and close her mouth, hoping the man will understand her meaning. "Do you need something? Here, this might help," the man hands out a pen and paper toward Naara. She blinks once again before taking both pen and paper, hesitatingly.
"Is there something wrong," the man asks once again, his tone gentle. Naara hesitates before writing a line down on the paper.
What happen?
The man stops for a bit after reading the written two words, before looking back up at Naara, "Do you not remember what happen? Can you tell me what you do remember?"
Once again, Naara writes down on the paper before showing it to the man in front of her.
I remember meeting you and Mr Giotto in a room that looks like an office. Mr Giotto was introducing you to me.
The white-haired man smiled gently, nodding his head, "Yes that did happen. Anything else?"
The hand holding the pen trembled slightly before continuing their movement on the piece of paper.
I remember you said I was hurt in my head and that was the reason why I cannot speak. And it will be temporary.
"That's correct. Do you remember anything else?" the man prompt
Naara opens her mouth once again, hand ready to write once again though no words flow from the pen. She shakes her head as answer.
The man nods her head, understanding. "That's okay, Ms Naara. Sometimes it happens. You have a panic attack during out talk in the study. In which after Giotto try to calm you down, you fainted and then we brought you here so that you could take a rest and recover," the white-haired man explained slowly, a smile never leaving his lips.
Naara listened to the man explanation with some confusion. Panic attacks? When did she ever have a panic attack? Never in her 23 years of life, did she ever have panic attacks and now what? Meeting two extremely handsome and out of this world men and she lose her breath? Well, that does sound possible now that she thinks about it. But seriously, fainting? What a damsel in distress.
Naara was in distress and a bit embarrassed when a portion of her memory return, proving that yes, she did faint in the study. But she can't remember the reason why. She refused to believe the reason for her fainting was because of men. Well, of course, both men are handsome, muscular and had a face as they were sculpted personally by the God Himself, but it does not mean they were the reason for her fainting, right? Right?
"Ms Naara? Are you okay?" the man- no Knuckle, yes, she remembers his name now- asks gently. Though still embarrassed and feeling wanting to burrow her head in a deep ground without ever resurfacing, she nods her head, albeit hesitantly.
Knuckle nods and smile gently, before frowning slightly, "Now Ms Naara, if it's possible, there is some question I would like to ask, though if you were uncomfortable with it, we may do it another day,"
There is a foreboding sensation in her heart, though she can't understand why. She was not a criminal and she have not done anything wrong before, well scratch that, she never did anything illegal. Though did lying on her background to get a scholarship considered illegal?...whatever.
Naara nods her head, pen back in her hand, signaling she was ready to answer any question he asks her.
Knuckle smiled when he sees her reaction. Hesitant, afraid but still wiling to comply. Perhaps she truly is innocent in this and was dragged by someone else. His eyes darken at the thought of an innocent young woman being dragged into their world because of someone else malicious intent. He prepared to ask a question when the door open suddenly.
"Wait, Knuckle. You're not thinking of interrogating her by yourself, right?" a rough and growly voice was heard. A man with fiery red head walk-in. His expression calm, one eyebrow raised.
"G? What are you doing here? And no-I'm not interrogating her. I'm just going to ask her a few questions," Knuckle replied, he also stands up, facing the red-head man.
The other man just scoffed, before walking to them in three large strides. A chair was dragged to the bedside, beside the one Knuckle previously occupied. The red-head sits down roughly, crossing his leg and stare down at the woman in front of him. " We agreed that you are too kind and soft for your own good and I will accompany you during the interrogation to prevent any scheming," his eyes narrowed a bit on the last word.
Naara can feel a sharp pain from being glared at when the red-haired man talks. Geez. Handsome but what a temper. Why is he looking at me like he wants to murdered me? Have we ever met before? What? Try to glare at me one more time and see if I don't gauge your eyes out. Naara grumbled in her heart. Of course, every threat can only be done in one own's privacy.
The red-haired man raised one eyebrow upon seeing Naara's expression. Her heart felt a bit uncomfortable upon seeing that. The man looks like he can read every single of her thought. No no no. If he really can read her thought, she will not be alive by now.
"The reason why you are still alive are not because I cannot read your mind, but because we need something from you," Naara whipped her head so fast, it remains a question how it doesn't break yet. Her face paled hearing what the man just said.
The red-haired man smirked, and Naara's face paled even further, if that is possible.
"Knock it off, G! Don't scare her like that," Knuckle hit the red-haired man shoulder lightly before turning to Naara once again. "Don't mind him, Ms Naara, G just playing with you," Knuckle smile, trying to reassure the pale woman.
G?
Naara wrote a single letter on the paper, before showing it to both men, head tilting.
"Yes, the name G. Got a problem with that?" If laser can be shot from the eyes, Naara is sure the man in front of her are capable of that impossible feat. She quickly shakes head repeatedly.
Knuckle once again hit the red-haired man shoulder, "G! I'm sorry, Ms Naara. Let me introduce you. This is G, one of my and Giotto's friend. He will also be here for the questioning. Though if you are not comfortable with it, just say and he will leave,"
"Wha-? That's not-!" Knuckle raised a hand, stopping whatever word G wants to say. "If Ms Naara is not comfortable with G, he will leave," the smile on Knuckle's face is a bit dangerous. Naara feels a slight shiver running through her spine when she looks at the smile.
G frowned, though he is not saying anything. Naara looks between the two men back and forth before deciding.
Its okay. He can stay if its mean proving my innocence.
Both men look a bit stunned reading the word Naara wrote. G narrowed his eyes and ask with a smirk, "Not so innocent, after all, eh?"
Naara just blinked and wrote once again.
I'm not stupid to know what's going on. Both of you seems cautious of me and the only thing I can think of is that you think I'm a trespasser. Not surprising, considering how Mr Giotto looks when he first saw me.
Silence.
"Ha ha ha! I like this woman!" a boisterous laugh was heard throughout the room. "Well, now that makes it easier for us."
"G, I don't think-" Knuckle said, hesitating.
"What? She said it herself. She knows what happening. Now we can interrogate her as plan. Hope you didn't chicken out, young lady," the red-haired smirks. Naara felt he resembled a bit like the devil when he smirked like that. Or maybe he is the devil. Now what did I got myself into?