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4 - Treasure

She wished to return inside and close the door behind her. However, when her gaze met his, she appeared hypnotized and reached for the beer he had offered her. As she opened the beer can, her hand trembled. She knew she couldn't trust anyone, yet she was relieved in those moments, especially of the man she knew by the name Theon. She drank the beer quickly, but Theon stopped her and reminded her that it was not water. She nodded, her face flushed. If only they knew how uncomfortable she was.

She finally finished a can and gathered the courage to bid them goodbye. She needed to rest in order to consider her options for the future. She hurriedly run to her cabin. Her soul felt euphoric because she had never drunk alcohol before.

She fell asleep almost quickly after collapsing on the cabin's bed. She only awoke in the middle of the night when her stomach growled. It was already midnight when she looked at the clock on the wall. She stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. Make sure that Theon is sleeping at this time.

The yacht was big, but she noticed Theon sitting in front, gazed at the dazzling moonlight.

She observed that Mordeccai, the Attorney, was nowhere to be found. Theon was alone, and there were numerous empty bottles close to him. As she observed him, she felt abruptly melancholy. Despite the fact that she had only recently met him, she felt as if they had met before and she could sense his agony.

She chose to follow him by gazing at the moon. She is a selenophile, meaning she loves to watch the moon and, perhaps because she is alone like the moon, she wants to observe the moon at night.

She sat a comfortable distance away from the man, her mouth agape. She fixed her gaze on the moon.

"You awake." He didn't glance at her when he said that. He just stared at the lovely moonlight, and Jackylyn felt like she was the one who was aching for him for reasons she didn't understand. She waited a few moments before attempting to break the silence.

"I recalled my mother's words, 'The sun sees your beauty. The moon sees your soul,' and she was right. The moon is the only one who can see us and notice our deepest pain…" She smiled bitterly as she remembered her late Mother, who was the only one who valued her as her sun went down.

"Your Mom was right," he sighed for a few moments before speaking. "I'm glad you have someone like her."

"She's already dead, but I'll be forever thankful," she smiled as she returned his eyes.

He gazed at her, slightly shocked by what she said. He locked his sights on her, and she could see the sadness and sympathy in his eyes.

"But I know Mom is happy wherever she is now," she said, "sorry for meddling, but can I ask why you're so sad right now?"

He chuckled and returned his gaze to the moon. "Everyone is dealing with sadness, Jacky."

She chose to remain silent since his response made her feel ashamed.

"However, instead of being happy, I chose it. If there's anyone to blame for my current sadness, it's me."

She bit her lower lip, every word he said piercing her heart. She knew they were strangers, but she was hurt, even though she shouldn't have been. She wanted to tap his shoulder, but she refrained.

She had nothing to say, and whatever she was going to say was lost in the air when he stood up and abruptly removed his upper garment, then jumped into the sea, startling her. She leapt to her feet and stared at the man in horror.

"Theon!"

She panicked because she couldn't swim and didn't know whether to go down into the water or grab a lifesaver. When she saw a life saver, she quickly grabbed it and jumped into the water while holding the object on her shoulder, worrying about Theon's safety.

"Theon!" When she was in the water and felt the cold on her skin for the first time, she repeated calling its name, just considering her life now with the life saver.

She looked everywhere but couldn't find the man, and she started to have a nervous breakdown. It might have drowned! She called out its name again and again, but no Theon appeared, and she started to to panicked.

When she felt his body fall beneath the water, she paddled her foot on the bottom. Someone yanked her foot under the water, and she froze in panic, thinking it was a shark she had seen once in a movie.

"Hey, Jackylyn!" She saw the man she was looking for stood in front of her.

Despite the fact that a life saver was blocking her, she hugged the man. She was in tears. She swiftly let go, recalling that they were not really close and that ahe had nothing to do with him.

"Jacky?"

"I-I'm worried about you; I-I thought you had drowned."

He fell silent and fixed his gaze on her. She lowered her head once again. Despite the fact that it was night and the sky was black, she knew he had noticed her scarlet cheek.

"Why?"

She raised her head and met his eyes. "Huh?"

"Because you don't know how to swim, you've brought a life preserver with you. Why did you chose to jump in the ocean despite your inability to swim?"

"I was startled when you jumped out of nowhere. Because you didn't get up soon away, I worried you might drown." She bit her lower lip. The air brought with it a serene cold. She couldn't stop herself from trembling.

"Take a look, Jacky. Water is my bestfriend."

She was unable to respond. She frozen in cold.

"You're starting to get chilled. Let's get out of here."

Theon help her get out from the water. She simply flushed and returned to the cabin to shower and dress. She was dressed in a white tee and shabby jeans when she decided not to go out again. She was ashamed for herself.

SHE awoke early the next day, and the aroma of freshly cooked food greeted her as she exited the cabin. Her stomach began to grumble, and she was able to trace the source of the smell. She could now see the man preparing something to eat. He was wearing nothing but beach short and apron. She was swallowed up by the scene she saw. She had to remind herself that Theon was married and that she's only staying her for a small time. She tried to persuade herself all is just temporary.

"You've wake up from your deep sleep. Good. Let's eat now," he said, not looking at her.

She gave a slight nod of approval. She's still thinking about how she'll repay the man now that she's in debt to him.

He was good in the kitchen, and the dishes he prepared in front of her were delicious. Milk was also waiting for her, and she blushed once more at the thought of how well he now treats her.

While also preparing the coffee, he said, "Please fill your stomach, I know you're hungry. I'll be returning to Manila tomorrow, and we'll be splitting up."

She stopped and stared at the man for a few moments. He sat down in front of her, removing his apron and holding the coffee mug in one hand. Theon greeted her with a friendly smile and invited her to begin her meal. She only nodded and kept a close eye on his attractive features, particularly his blue eyes.

"Jacky, what's the matter?" He said, catching her attention.

Her eyes were drawn away from him. "N-nothing, I'm sorry."

He just nodded and ate as she promised she'd never look at him again. Her attention was drawn to the food, which she declared to be absolutely delicious.

"Can you tell me why your wrist is scarred?"

She fixed her eyes on her wrist. Why? Because she planned to kill herself with a knife before, but she awoke in the hospital and has carried a 5 guard with her ever since. Someone was watching her even as she slept. So, now that she'd gotten away, she wasn't going to waste it.

"It's nothing. I just fell from the tree." She became uneasy.

He shrugged before taking a sip of his coffee. He seemed to still want to ask, but he preferred to remain silent and observe her. She volunteered to wash the dishes after they finished their lunch, but Theon refused and let her rest.

She gazed at the endless scene of the water for barely a few minutes before deciding to enter the cabin. She could see herself in the life-size mirror there from here. She looked in the mirror and realized how miserable her life was right now. Her eyebags were constantly bothering her, and they were getting bigger every day. Her lips were both dry like a soil in desert. Her skin was also extremely pale like a dead one. She stands 5'6" tall and weighs 105 pounds. She exhaled deeply and was forced to smile infront of the mirror.

She took her bag and checked to see whether she had forgotten anything vital. She also counted her money when her gaze fell on the photo frame, she was saddened. She carefully examined the frame as she slowly picked it up. This is the only photo she has with her mother. She was hugging her on the picture.

Because the others were burned, this was the only picture she kept. Everything, even her memories with her mother. She had no idea where her Mother had been laid to rest.

She had no interaction with the world she had known before when she was abducted by armed guys. Everything is limited, and her grandfather created her another world, which she is accustomed to living in, until one day, like a princess, she runs away from her own palace, which her grandfather created specifically for her.

"Don't worry, Mom, I've got this. Even without you, I can handle it. I swear I can go away and escape," she said sadly as she slid the picture frame back into her bag, the only item she could call her treasure.

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