Million Dollar Man (COMPLETED)

62. Warrior Princess dressed in Dior

DOUBLE UPDTAE. PREPARE FOR SOME ANGST.

Mark glanced at the rear view mirror and frowned when he didn't find the Bentley that was tailing him for the last thirty minutes now. He pulled up on a curb and rolled his windows down just to make sure he got it right.

How weird, he thought. Just thirty minutes ago a black Bentley had showed up in front of Mark in the freeway, blocking the boy's attempts at overtaking. When Mark was finally able to do so, he noticed the black car tail him. Whenever he turned streets, the Bentley would do so as well. He didn't think much of it at first but he then realized it could be Lian's mother's doing.

How else could she have known about Lian moving in with Zei? The only people who knew were Lian and Mark themselves, the boys, Zei and Tammy. Mark was positive none of them would've spilled, they knew better than to tell anyone about it. Unless... Mark's eyes widened in realization.

The Bentley who has been following him, the stalking... Now Mark was sure it was Lian's mother.

Shit, he mentally groaned as he turned the corner. He was nearing the penthouse now but with this potential danger, it was best if he got away from this Bentley first before meeting Lian. He didn't want to be the one to lead them straight to her.

Mark turned streets and drove to narrow alleys, glancing every now and then to the rear view mirror to check if he was still followed.

Now with the Bentley gone, Mark was left with even more questions. Why did the Bentley suddenly disappear? Why would they tail him only to leave him alone thirty minutes later? It didn't make sense at all.

Mark drove to the penthouse confused as ever. He only had one thing in mind in the midst of all this chaos. He needed to get to Lian. He needed to tell her about the person behind the stalking.

So he rang on the doorbell and rocked on his heels, expecting to see Lian greet him with a kiss on the cheek just like how she normally greets him. But as the door opened, he was only met by a crestfallen Zei.

Mark came a little too late.

***

Lian was startled to wake up to her room in LA. Sunlight came through the draped glass windows and the sound of the ocean hitting the shore filled her ears. Everything lay exactly where it was almost a year ago.

It's as if I never even left, she thought.

Lian shuffled around her bed for her phone to check the time but realized she didn't have it. She arrived in her home with her phone confiscated and her heart left behind. She came back a prisoner. Heck, even prisoners got it better than her. At least they were allowed to have at least one phone call a day and your girl wasn't allowed to touch a damn phone. Even her laptop got taken away.

All she needed was to send one text message to Krystal and Amber, and preferably a call from Mark. But life wouldn't be life life if it gave you everything you wanted.

She remembered the conversation she had with her mom back in the plane and the tears that she tried so desperately to hold back as she sat beside the person who caused her all this misery.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Her mother had asked, sharp and blunt. "I'm quite disappointed in you, darling. I pegged you much to be smarter than this."

Lian just patiently waited for her to finish. "Where's dad?"

"He's on a business trip in Vietnam. He's staying there for a couple of weeks."