I tried to open my eyes, and I saw Quinn.

Quinn!

Oh, I want to hug him... But why does my body not moving at all?

Please, I want to hold him! I screamed inside my head.

Quinn is looking at me. But there is sadness in his eyes while staring at me. Sometimes he opens his mouth but I cannot hear a thing.

Quinn, I am here. Can you hear me? Please, hold me. I beg inside my head once again, but he seems doesn't hear me.

Then I woke up.

And I woke up in the same room.

In the same room, I don't want to go back again. I am still here; I told myself. And I sighed.

I dragged my body to get off from the bed. I have to prepare for supper. I wanted to go somewhere after then. And so, I used the cooking book Levi gave me.

I choose the easiest way. After then, I set up the food on the table and left. In cases, it will rain later, I wore a hoodie already. I have to make sure that Quinn would not recognize me. Maybe there are chances we cross the path and I will mess up this lifetime. I need to avoid doing that.

But as days pa.s.sed which I haven't noticed, I never saw him again. Strange. But then, I presume he is in Italy. The book mentioning him going back and forth in Paris and Italy. Should I go to Hungary and look for Lady Isabella?

But what reason should I tell Uncle Martin? Besides, I didn't know what Lady Isabella looked like?

I sighed as I seated on this cold staircase of this Palace staring at the Eiffel Tower. These stairs. This is the steps where I lost consciousness and that is the beginning of this s.h.i.+fting bodies, or soul. I don't know what to call this anyway.

'Quinn... I missed you already. How many days I must wait until we will be together again?'

I was looking down at the book I am reading when tears fall on the paper. I can not hold. And, so I pretend that I was crying because of the book I am reading.

I think these are new facts for me. If you can't hold your tears when you were in a crowded place, a book is a great help to hide your real emotion. But make sure it is a kind of book with has drama genre and not a book of comedy.

It surprised me when a handkerchief handed to me. Who might it be? It tempted me to look up but why I am scared?

I was looking at the hand and my chest throbs.

This can't be!

Now tears flooded my cheeks. This hand is like Quinn. It was him?

Quinn... my heart longing for him.

I took the handkerchief. The scent was even the same as my Quinn. The Cologne he was using is the same! He is definitely the same Quinn. Even though he is not my Quinn, but the difference is: I was not living in this life but someone like me who belongs to him.

And he belonged to her and not me.

No. This is not right. I should not think too much of the Quinn from this time. It only makes me missing Quinn that I began wis.h.i.+ng he is my Quinn. I could hear my sobs that even getting louder. I was glad when suddenly a heavy rain now pouring down the sky. I was happy the sky was siding me.

However, I never imagine that the Quinn from this life would hug me; as I never perceive to have this kind of encounter, nor a chance to be close to him once again. And he even hugged me tightly while he patted my back.

I wonder if not for this rain, could he recognize my voice?

And feeling his warm embrace, I don't want him to let go of me. Why is he here? He should not be here. It will only make me missing my Quinn even more.

I suddenly stood on my feet. "Thank you."

I thanked him with a higher pitch of a tone to hide my real voice.

I run the steps as fast as I could away from him before I completely lost control of my emotions. It began betraying me. So I needed to take a distance from him.

* * *

Present Life

Quinn sighed for twentieth times. His meeting with his executives just ended, but his mind only occupies about losing Ca.s.sandra again. He clenches his knuckles. Why does Ca.s.sandra keep disappearing?

How can he stop this? Who can explain to him why this is happening to them? Even how much he ponders everything but no answers he comes up with.

Something is wrong, that must be. He needs to talk to this Lady Isabella who lives for three hundred years already.

His phone rings. Blaire already notified him of a call, and he immediately answered his phone.

"Brother, how is she?"

"She's doing fine, Blaire. But I got worried. Been two days already but Ca.s.sandra hadn't shown up again. Hopefully, she is all right."

"Brother… how was Uncle Derek's preparation?"

"The rest of the doctors will arrive today. I will attend the presentation tonight."

"That's good. Hope everything went well, brother."

"I pray for, Blaire."

After another minute of talking with Blaire, Quinn ended the call but then dialed the Crow Mansion's phone number.

"h.e.l.lo, Butler Son? Yes, it is me. Can I talk to Mama Hannah," he lowered his voice. After a minute of waiting, Hannah is now speaking in the other line.

"Quinn?"

"Mama, did you receive the photos?"

"Yes, Quinn. Thank you. Am glad she is doing fine. We still need to take care of her body."

"Yes. I understand, Mama."

"Mama. I called today to inform you and Papa Landon. There is a presentation for the machine system that I plan to build soon to use during our time travel. I think it is better that you both would be there."

"Okay, Quinn. Thank you. We would love to be there. I want to know the procedure."

"See you later, Mama." Quinn hangs up the phone, and he calls next is his Uncle Nicholas.

After making all the calls, he stood from the couch and walked toward the window. He saw Ca.s.sandra was strolling the garden. He wishes it was the real Ca.s.sandra. He already misses her badly.

After having intimate moments with her and expressing their vows, she still disappears. He sighed once again. Now he found himself following her light steps. Ca.s.sandra felt his presence, and so he makes a sudden turn that causes her stumbles on the pathway that made her fall. But thanks to Quinn, he quickly catches her.

Her big round brown eyes stare with astonishment. But she quickly took a distance after he helped her stand on her feet. Is she avoiding being touched by him? Because he felt how her body jolted being holding her.