Sarah was preparing breakfast when Marlon came to the kitchen.
"Hello Sarah, hmmm something smells nice." Marlon entered the kitchen sniffing the air.
Sarah ignored him as she continued to set the table.
"Who is Robert?" Marlon suddenly asked grabbing the cup of coffee Sarah brewed for him.
"You are just a bodyguard but yet you are so nosy." Sarah sounded as if she was scolding him.
"I am not just his bodyguard, I'm also his buddy and his best friend." He protested. "Ace is the true bodyguard so please tell me who Robert is or I will die of curiosity." He continued in a light tone.
"Unbelievable, I can't believe you graduated from a military school, you gossip monger." Sarah scolded him for real and Marlon just chuckled.
"Robert is Erik's personal driver since he was five. He looked up to Robert like a father. Sometimes Robert attended school activities during Family Day because his Mom was always busy and his Dad was with his second family. Erik was very close to Robert. Robert was handsome. If he was dressed properly, he can pass as Erik's father. So in short, Erik treated Robert as his father." Sarah narrated as she continued to busy herself preparing the table.
"Six years ago, Erik got into trouble. You know the story right?" Sarah briefly glanced at him. Marlon shook his head.
"Robert saved him but it cost him his life. Erik was devastated when Robert died. He spent a few days in the province to attend his funeral." Sarah concluded her story.
"What a tragedy. No wonder he looked so gloomy while looking intently at that woman." He sighed.
"Yes. The woman has some resemblance to her father."
A scream coming from the guest room jolted them.
Sarah hurried over followed by Marlon and then Erik who came from the room adjacent to where Aryana was also joined them. He just came from his shower and was wearing only a bathrobe.
Arayana was sobbing. Her knees were clutched closely to her chest.
"Are you alright?" Sarah asked her in a worried voice.
Aryana realized she was not alone.
"I … I just had a nightmare …. I'm sorry.. " she stuttered amidst her sobs.
Sarah sat on the bed and hugged her as a mother would do to her daughter.
"Don't cry. It is alright now." She coached her gently.
"Where am I? What happened to Alex?" She looked around and was confused. She remembered before passing out last night, she asked Erik's help.
"You were unconscious last night so Sir Erik brought you here," Sarah explained.
"I…" she stammered then her gaze darted to the door and saw Erik and another man looking at her with concern in their eyes. She looked down feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to do. She thought that hatred will overcome her the moment she meet him again. She was traumatized that she felt none of the hatred she used to harbor for him. Instead, she was grateful.
Erik approached the bed in a few strides.
"Are you Aryana Jones?" He asked tentatively looking gently at her.
Slowly she looked up and gazed at him with her bright beautiful eyes that were still a little red from the crying.
"Yes Sir Erik …" She whispered softly. "Robert was my father." Her voice quivered a bit at the mention of her father's name. She hated him. But he saved her and she should thank him for that.
"Thank you for saving me. You remembered me?"
She scanned her surroundings and noted the elegance of the room. She still did not know where she was at the moment.
Marlon went to the bed and shamelessly introduced himself.
"Hi, I am Marlon. I was the one who knocked out that bastard." He said showing his mesmerizing smile.
Erik cast him a look that said shut up.
"Of course, I remembered you, Aryana, especially with that face of yours. How can I not? " Erik said and there was a fleeting look of sadness in his eyes.
Aryana blushed. She turned away and was looking around for something when Sarah handed her the sling bag. She thanked Sarah and took out her mobile phone.
It rang, the moment she switched it on. It was Denise her cousin.
"Where the hell are you? What did you do to Alex? Why was he so angry? He said he is not paying for the group's vacation." She fired a barrage of questions at her. Her voice was so loud that everybody in the room heard her even if she was not on speaker.
"Are you not going to ask what happened to me, Denise?" She answered coldly. "He attempted to rape me," Aryana answered with apparent anger in her voice.
There was silence in the room and at the other end of the line.
"He did not succeed, right? And besides, he was drunk. Come back here quickly and make peace with him. Or you can go home on your own!" Denise shouted in a threatening voice.
"I can't believe you. You want me to apologize to him after what he has done?" Aryana answered trying to control her emotions. She was burning with anger making her face flushed.
"Well… you know this is an expensive resort. I cannot afford it. Alex offered to pay for my share and yours as well with the condition that you come along and be his date. But you offended him just on the first night. Be practical Aryana. Alex is rich and doesn't look bad either…."
"Stop it!" Aryana did not want to listen anymore. She hung up and turned off her cell phone. She was so angry she was not aware that she was crying.
Sarah coughed and pretended not to hear anything.
"That's enough young lady. Why don't you freshen up and then we can have breakfast." She helped Aryana to her feet and guided her to the bathroom.
"The towel is on the rack. Toiletries are also inside. I'll get clean clothes for you and leave them on the bed." She closed the bathroom gently.