Elyana
"Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!"
A deep, menacing growl pierced through her ears, stirring her up from her slumber.
Normally, she slept like a log, but at that moment, even a pin drop would probably wake her up.
"Hissss!"
A sharper, more aggressive animal cry resonated around her.
Fierce. Alarming. More intense.
"Stop that..." She shouted, clearly unperturbed.
Not even a bit concerned by the possibility of danger, her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket and pulled it over her head, hoping to block out the noise.
"Grrr! Hissssss!"
Unfortunately, the tumultuous disturbance continued.
She grabbed one of her pillows and threw it into the air, directing it to the commotion without even bothering to open her eyes.
"Can't you see? I'm trying to get some sleep here."
Annoyed. Irritated.
Then, alas, silence.
"That's better."
Well, at least it lasted for a few seconds.
"Prrr! Pur-pur-pur!"
This time, a low, rhythmic rumbling echoed near her ears. Persistent. Seemingly determined to disrupt her peace.
"Mr. Whiskers..." She muttered exasperatedly. "I know..." acknowledging the soft, silky ball of fur that circled her on the bed. "I know it's time to wake up." Reluctantly opening her eyes to her white feline companion.
Swiping the blanket away from her face, her pet immediately greeted her with a warm "Meooowww!" and a few flickers of its tongue on her cheek.
"What was the ruckus all about?" She asked. "It sounded as if someone wanted to take your favorite toy." Teasing Mr. Whiskers about the earlier brawl.
"Meow!"
If only she could understand what her cat was saying. It would be nice if she could actually talk to someone who actually talked back.
"Ok. I'm up." She surrendered, stretching her arms above her head. "You win!" Sluggishly pushing her body off the bed before temptation lured her back to oblivion.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air that lingered from the morning dew, she gradually noticed the bright light that poured into her room through the open windows, carrying a promise of a new day.
It was a truly sunny day, with barely any clouds floating in the big, blue sky. Perfect for a picnic in the park, basking on the beach, or sailing on a yacht.
Nope! She wouldn't be doing any of that.
"Meowww!" Mr. Whiskers made a longer, drawn-out drawl, clearly seeking her attention.
With gentle strokes, she caressed her furry Siberian friend's head with affection. "Thanks, Mr. Whiskers. But I don't feel like celebrating."
Not even the radiant sun could brighten her dampened spirit.
Not today. Not last year. Not since her mother died.
"Come on, Mr. Whiskers. Let us get your tummy fed." She said, wearing a tight smile and expelling a long sigh. Then, her fingers pinched her cat's fat cheeks before patting it on the head.
A few moments later, as the coffee brewed, the bacon sizzled in the pan, and her adorable cat enjoyed its breakfast, she heard voices, followed by footsteps.
Immediately, she sprinted into the hallway and only stopped when she reached the foyer.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Surprised, she asked, finding her father and his assistant by the door, carrying a suitcase.
Unaware that her father had any plans, she thought they could do something together. Or at least visit her mother's grave.
"Elyana." Her father, James Pryce, held his finger before her. He silently told her to wait while he finished a phone call and discussed something with his assistant. "Arrange the meeting with Mr. Connor immediately and send this contract to the legal team for verification." Rattling his instructions with that strict, commanding voice.
"Right away, Mr. Pryce." Tony, her father's assistant, "slush" driver, "slush" bodyguard, said. "If there is nothing else, I'll be waiting for you outside." He nodded in her direction as a curt greeting before he moved toward the door.
As usual, Tony gave her a sympathetic look, but didn't say anything. Just like her, he knew when to keep his mouth shut.
"You're not leaving again?" She wanted it to sound like a fact, as if she had been ordering her father to stay, but it ended up as a question as she stared into her father's eyes. "But you just came back a few days ago."
What did she expect? She should be used to it by now. The man standing before her was not exactly running for "Father of the Year". He was not suddenly going to change his mind just because of her.
Still, she hoped he would make an exception today.
"I'm sorry, Elyana, but I have to." Stern as always, unyielding to the point that she started to believe that her father had completely stopped caring.
His embrace was gentle as he gathered her in his arms, but it lacked warmth. It was as if he were only going through the motions, nothing more— an obligatory reflex.
But he was not always like this. There was a time that he actually cared. Perhaps not as much as other fathers did, but he did try to make time for her as much as his busy schedule allowed.
"But... Dad!" Her hands tightened around her father's waist, hoping she might convince him to change his mind.
Even this once.
Even just for today.
"Elyana, you know this is important. You know I'm doing all this for you." James firmly said as he unclasped her arms around him and stepped back.
The same lines. The same excuses.
It was all bullshit.
It was not for her. It was for him.
"I didn't ask for this. I only want..." But the words died in her throat as her father shook his head and finally pulled away. His expression was nothing but dismay. It was as if she had failed him.
Since her mother's death, her father had barely stayed in the house or spent time with her. He had buried himself in his work, ignoring her cries for attention.
She tried to understand. If it was hard for her to lose a mother, it must be more painful for her father to lose the love of his life.
"But I miss you, Dad." She was just a child when she lost her mother. "I miss Mom." Although she still had a father, it always felt as if she were alone.
Of course, there were staff working around the mansion, but no one lasted long enough for her to make a connection.
Eventually, she had gotten used to being on her own until Mr. Whiskers came into her life— the only one who kept her company all those lonely days and nights.
"Don't you even think about her?" Her plea carried a tinge of disappointment as her father turned around and walked away.
Again, her heart sank as tears welled up in the corner of her eyes.
"Don't you even miss Mom?" With lips trembling and voice shaking, she asked her father.
Her words meant to taunt her father's guilt, but her father's response was another dismissive shrug.
Typically, she would let it go. She would watch her father drive away until he disappeared in the distance. Then, she would lock herself in her room and cry herself to sleep.
Not this time.
"How could you be so cold? Do you even remember that today is her death anniversary?" She asked, her voice cracking from the intensity of her emotions.
It had been more than a decade since her mother left her, but it still felt like it happened just yesterday.
Perhaps because she never had closure. She had never accepted the fact that she was gone.
In part, she had always blamed herself for it. Although they said it was not her fault.
"Did you even love her? Did you even care?" Her words were laced with accusation and doubt. Her eyes reflected her hurt and anger.
In her mind, she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. She could picture her father ignoring her as he usually did. Then, she would be alone again.
Sometimes, she wondered if her father blamed her for her mother's death. After all, if not for her, she would never have been in danger in the first place.
But her father never said anything. Actually, he had never expressed what was going through his mind or how he felt. He just turned cold and silent. Then leave.
Until—
Her father stopped. Then, he turned around. His expression changed as if something had snapped.
"Of course, I did. I love her."
For the first time, she witnessed her father lose his composure. This time, his face displayed an emotion she recognized easily.
James appeared vulnerable.
"But she's dead. Your mother is dead." He said as his voice broke down in a hoarse cry. "I know that. There isn't a moment that I don't think about her. She's everything to me."
Suddenly, all those years of pain burst into the open, revealing to her what her father had been keeping inside. Tears that she thought she would never see in his eyes gushed down on his cheeks like a waterfall.
For a brief moment, she saw her father again. The one that she lost when her mother died, as he enveloped her in his arms. Sharing with her the same pain she felt by losing her.
"And he killed her." Her father was gone in an instant as he wiped the tears away from his eyes.
In turn, the distant father stood before her, with those cold, stoic features that she had learned to dislike.
"That beast killed your mother." The fury in his eyes was palpable as the words rumbled out of his chest.
His outburst completely stunned her. She didn't expect the intensity of his hatred toward the animal that killed her mother.
"He?" Still, one word stuck in her mind as she searched her father's eyes for answers.
"What beast? Who are you talking about?" She asked. Confused. "I thought a wild animal killed Mom. A wolf?"
As far as she could remember, it was an animal that attacked her mother.
The Big Bad Wolf, as her father used to call it.