Selena's hands trembled as she clutched the car door handle, her eyes fixed on the vehicle as if it might devour her whole. Liam's gentle voice coached her out of the house, his words a soothing balm to her frazzled nerves.
"Come on, Selena, you got this. Just a few steps. I'm right here with you." Liam's hand rubbed slow circles on her back, his touch warm and reassuring. Selena's anxiety was compounded by the tiny life growing inside her. She was already an emotional wreck, and the pregnancy hormones weren't helping.
As they reached the car, Selena's anxiety spiked. She felt like she was being swallowed whole by the vehicle's dark interior. Liam helped her into the passenger seat, tucking a soft blanket around her shoulders.
"Hey, it's okay. You're safe. Just hide under the blanket and breathe, okay?" Liam's voice was a gentle whisper, his eyes locked on hers with compassion. "It is only going to be 20 minutes, it will go by in a flash."
Selena nodded, feeling a tiny sense of comfort as she burrowed under the blanket. The soft fabric enveloped her like a cocoon, shielding her from the outside world. As the car pulled away from the curb, Selena felt Liam's hand find hers under the blanket, his fingers intertwining with hers in a reassuring grasp.
The city streets blurred together outside the window, a blaze of lights and sounds that Selena tuned out, focusing instead on the steady beat of Liam's heart. The gentle pressure of his hand on hers. She felt like she was going to shatter, but with Liam by her side, she might just make it through this after all. And with their unborn child growing inside her, Selena knew she had to be strong – for all of them.
Liam's frown deepened as he felt Selena's body shaking beneath the blanket. He could sense her fear and anxiety, and it sparked a burning anger within him. How could Park Jun Pyo and Park Gulduk live with themselves for putting their family through this? Did Park Gulduk not love his daughter? Did they lack money or power? It was senseless. The thought of those men causing harm to the people he loved was infuriating.
But what really fueled Liam's rage was the knowledge that humanity as a whole had suffered because of one man's inadequacy. Park Jun Pyo's selfish desires and lust for power had set off a chain reaction of events that had put the entire world in danger in his past life. He trusted Selena enough to agree with her, and it seemed so clear.
It was a stark reminder that the actions of one person could have far-reaching consequences, affecting countless innocent lives.
Liam's mind wandered back to his past life, when he had frantically raced against time to save as many lives as possible. The memories of the deaths he had witnessed still haunted him, and the weight of his failure to prevent them hung heavy on his conscience. Park Jun Pyo was possibly responsible for the deaths of billions in his past life. What was his death toll here?
He couldn't shake off the feeling of rage from his past life that Park Jun Pyo, Park Gulduk, and McKenna Lowrie had conspired together to orchestrate the downfall of the Lowrie and Park families. He was suspicious in his last life of McKenna when the A.A failed to heal her and unlock her ability at all. Park Jun Pyo was her only family left alive after Amelia died, and the Madam Seer was not close to her at all.
In his past life, Liam had suspected that McKenna had inherited the Lowrie property after the family's demise. It had seemed convenient, almost too perfect, that McKenna had been the sole beneficiary of the Lowrie family's wealth. Monty had his share through the family, but Jonathan had built a successful and vast empire using his and his wife's abilities before they died. Meanwhile, Park Jun Pyo had gained control of the Noe family's vast wealth and property after Noe Eun Ho, Park Gulduk, and Noe Jin-ae's suspicious deaths.
Liam's instincts had screamed that something was off, but he had never uncovered any concrete evidence to prove his suspicions back then. The culprit was meticulous. The lack of proof had left him with a gnawing sense of uncertainty, and he couldn't help but be frightened that his in-laws would be very offended by this and skeptical. He had to fall in line back then. Thankfully, things were much different now.
He worried for the very emotionally fragile woman in his arms. This was the worst it had ever been. She was frightened to even be a passenger in a car in transit. "It is okay, Selena, it will be over soon," he said. They were close to Lowrie's home, the gates opened, and the car pulled into the estate.
The car glided smoothly into the garage, the soft hum of the engine echoing off the walls. As they came to a stop, Selena peeked out from under the blanket, her eyes taking in the familiar surroundings. The garage was a sprawling space, with room for multiple cars and a sleek, modern design that seemed to gleam in the soft light. The garage door sealed shut as soon as the vehicle cleared the door. Jonathan was a careful man.
Selena pulled the blanket off her head, her eyes adjusted to the light, and then darted around scanning the garage, relieved they were there. She hated the way she felt. She sighed in relief.
Liam got out of the car, his eyes scanning the area before he came around to Selena's side to help her out. As they stepped into the garage, enveloping them in a sense of security and seclusion. The door opened, and her parents rushed in. He did not mind them coddling now, but she would need to face her fears to get better.
Eun Ho rushed to Selena's side, enveloping her in a warm hug. "My little Moon, I'm so sorry you're going through this. You're safe now, okay? Vigilance is good; it saves lives. It will get easier to cope with it."
Selena smiled at her mother. She was 24 years old now, but she still fretted over her like she was a baby. Selena did not have the heart to stop her. After all, they had only known each other for barely 10 years now. They had lost so much time together.
Jonathan stood beside them, his eyes filled with concern. "Selena, sweetie, we need to talk about something. As you know, our family's position comes with certain... risks. I am sorry I did not tell you right away. You should have known before your gifts were unlocked. I should have prepared you, like I did Jonah and McKenna, for this. There's always going to be someone who wants to hurt us, simply because of who we are."
Eun Ho nodded in agreement, her voice cracking with emotion. "But we can't let fear control our lives, Selena. We have to learn to live with it, to be aware of our surroundings, and take necessary precautions. But we can't let it paralyze us."
Eun Ho smiled, her eyes filled with love. "When I lost my brother, I was lost too. It was the day you were born. I tried everything to keep him away that day, but he still came, and when I moved away, that is when it happened. A car bomb went off inside the garage of the building, he still died, and you were still born premature." Eun Ho paused, her emotions briefly getting to her.
Eun Ho gently patted her daughter's back, and continued, "There are things we cannot change; the universe puts these things into action. They surprise us; sometimes they are cruel. The point is, if you accept the fact that bad things will happen whether you worry about them or not. If you only worry, then you will miss all of the good things that happen."
As they talked, Liam watched, his eyes filled with emotion. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones, to feel vulnerable and alone. But he also knew the power of love and family, and he was grateful to be here alive again.
Selena sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I know, Mom. It does not make it better, even if it is the status quo to you. Why is it just us? Why not Edward, Monty, or Elham. Why does this not happen to the Ou and Muhammad families?"
Eun Ho's grip on Selena's hand tightened. Her brow furrowed, and she scowled. "Because we are stronger and more powerful than the rest of them?"
Selena looked her mother in the eyes, "Mom, think about it. " Selena moistened her lips nervously as she continued. This was taking a lot of nerve to build up to. How did one tell their own mother that her dad wanted her dead?
Selena gently parted from her mother's embrace, and said, "Monty might only have the gifts of male heirs, but he is quite accurate and astute, bearing the awakened gifts of three families; if was a female, he would outshine me." Selena paused. Selena's heels clicked as she walked and pointed to the family pictures in the room. She needed to clue her mom in and stop this nonsense of living as a target.
"Uncle Edward has the same gift as Father, and Elham is also a strong seer; she just chooses not to use all of her talents. Why are they not shot at? Someone has pointed their sights on our family." Selena continued.
Jonathan placed a hand on Selena's shoulder, his voice filled with conviction. "Selena, we know all this, but the trails…they always end up cold."
Selena looked up at her parents, her eyes shining with tears. "Maybe you are looking in the wrong direction, or trusting the wrong people to help us."
Jonathan looked at his daughter, his eyes insecure. "What do you mean?"
Selena's eyes locked onto her parents, her expression serious. "We should probably continue this somewhere in this house where there are no vassals monitoring? Mom, Dad, can we talk in the office for a minute?"
Eun Ho and Jonathan exchanged a concerned glance, but nodded in unison. "Of course, sweetie," Eun Ho said, smoothing out her dress nervously; her palms had started to sweat. Did they have some sort of blind spot?
The four of them - Selena, Liam, Eun Ho, and Jonathan - filed into the office, the door closing softly behind them. The room was dimly lit, and the only sound was the soft hum of the computer on the desk.