Vows and Bullets-Chapter 139: Last Week of August (Part 2)

Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this next week! 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I sincerely apologize, beloved agents, my hand hasn’t healed yet T_T. I’m taking medication and following doctor’s advise so hopefully I can get back to writing soon.

[UPDATE: Good news! My hands have healed now and I’m catching up on writing my missed Chapters. My apologies for all the delays. I will replace this Chapter with the real one soon, don’t worry, and upload a new one for the next day. I really apologize once again.]

In the meantime, please enjoy the continuation of the story below titled "The King’s Beloved". This is the revised version I am planning to submit for paperback publication. Hopefully, I get a chance someday.

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(Part 2 - Continuation...)

The boy, shocked from all that just happened, could not utter anything and just look back at her with horror so apparent on his face. His body trembled, and his lips went dry until he ended up crying his eyes out.

"Waaaaa-hu-hu-hu! M-mommy! Hu-hu-hu!" Alas, he wailed so loud to the point that everyone around could hear him.

"Oh no! It’s okay little one, you’re safe," she patted his head and embraced him, trying her best to calm him down. "It’s alright. Don’t cry."

"What the hell ’ya doin?! Why is there a child here?!" the driver of the car that almost hit them shouted from his seat with his face turned red in anger.

Rania mouthed, "I’m sorry," to which the guy shook his head and took off. Then, the child’s mother, who had just noticed them, came running towards them.

"My goodness! My baby!" she screamed as tears fell from her eyes. She glanced at Rania, wanting to express her thanks, but her worry overtook her, so she embraced her child first and comforted him. "A-Are you alright? I’ve been looking all over for you! I told you not to leave my side, and then I see you almost hit by a car?!"

"I-I’m sorry, sniff, I’m really sorry. Hu-hu-hu."

"Sshhh. It’s okay. What matters is you’re safe. Just please, don’t ever do that again."

Seeing as they were both okay and reunited, Rania stood up and slowly snuck out of the scene. She didn’t wait to be thanked for the good deed or receive praise—after all, she didn’t save the boy to receive a reward or anything. She was just happy that he was okay. Plus, if it weren’t for Rose telling her about the boy, she wouldn’t even notice he was there. If there’s anyone who should receive thanks, it should be her, was what she thought.

"You helped me again," Rania said in her mind. "You guided me into saving the child. I sure wouldn’t want to see a poor child get hit by a car in front of me."

"I merely asked you to save him. You’re the one who chose to do it."

"It’s the right thing to do. But still, thank you."

Rose chuckled. "In that case, it’s my pleasure."

By the time that the mother and child remembered to thank Rania, she was no longer there, leaving them with bewildered faces and slight dizziness from spinning their heads around trying to look for her. Little did they know that she was already walking straight to the coffee shop where she was supposed to go in the first place. If there were three things she couldn’t live without, that would be food, coffee, and most importantly, books. Luckily enough, the coffee shop near their company had it all—Starr’s Café.

As soon as she opened the door of the shop, the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans welcomed her, making her pause for a short moment just to smell the lovely fragrance. Once satisfied, she continued inside this rather luxurious café with a sophisticated interior.

There were modern yet comfortable chairs and tables neatly arranged throughout the shop. Beside each table stood racks of new magazines and books anyone could just grab and read as they pleased. Chic tumblers, mugs, miniature coffee barrels, and other coffee-related products could be seen on display near the counter where the baristas stood. There were also crystal chandeliers carefully hung by the ceiling, magnifying the beauty of the whole place. And to top it all off was the view of an enchanting fountain just outside the shop that could be seen through the glass walls. Its waters danced back and forth to the rhythm of the music being played, giving a little entertainment to everyone who saw it, especially Rania. She loved looking at fountains—that’s why as soon as she came in, she glanced over to her favorite spot near the fountain, checking if the seat was empty. To her luck, it was, so she went straight to the counter to order.

After paying, she walked towards her favorite seat, but unfortunately, another customer arrived a second after her, about to sit down. Noticing her, Rania simply smiled and let her have the seat. She then turned around to look for another and found a vacant spot in the middle of the shop. While waiting for her order, she saw her favorite book on the rack beside her table and immediately grabbed it—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

Would you look at that, she thought. In exchange for giving up my seat, I get to enjoy my favorite book from childhood. How lucky!

And so, Rania started reading. A few moments later, her order arrived, and she took her sweet time enjoying every sip of the coffee and every bite of the delicious cake. Engrossed with what she was reading, she didn’t notice that her phone had been vibrating. She only realized it when it touched the back of her hand since she kept them on the table, ready to flip pages once she was done with the current one she was on. Seeing the name Zeid Ardor flashed on her phone’s screen, her lips curled into a smile. She then placed a metal bookmark on top of the book—something she always carried in her bag—and picked up the phone.

"Hi babe!" a cheerful-sounding man greeted her from the other line.

Rania smiled upon hearing his voice. "Hello, babe," she greeted him back. "You sound happy. What’s up?"

"Nothing much. You know, the usual. It’s just uhh—do you have anything scheduled for tomorrow afternoon?"

Rania raised her eyebrows. That’s random. Usually, he would ask first how I am and how my day is going. Nevertheless, she checked her calendar to answer his question.

"Hmm... I do have a free slot after five. Why? Is there something wrong?"

"None at all! Let’s just saaay... I want to take you somewhere."

"Oh, that’s nice of you. I’m in! But where are we going?"

Zeid chuckled. "Now that’s a secret. Just wait for me there tomorrow, and I’ll come to pick you up."

"O-kay?" Rania reluctantly agreed.

"Ha-ha-ha! Don’t worry, you’re gonna love it."

"Really? As long as it’s not some noisy place—"

"It’s not. I promise. Well, it might get noisy, but it can be contained."

"That’s not very reassuring," she teased.

"Oh, come on. Pleeease?"

"Ha-ha-ha! Fine. Just come whenever. I miss you."

A faint squeal could be heard from the other line. He’s definitely fanboying, she thought.

"Awww... I miss you, too. I love you, babe."

Rania’s cheeks blushed. A little bit embarrassed, she lowered her eyes and bit her lips as she replied, "I love you, too. But, if you’re planning on driving by yourself tomorrow, I beg you, don’t drive recklessly, please!"

"Ha-ha-ha! Yes, ma’am."

"See you tomorrow."

"See you, too. Muuuuah!"

After the brief call, Rania couldn’t remove the smile on her face as she put her phone down on the table. She shook her head twice and tried to get back on the story she was reading, but Zeid completely took over her mind. It had been two weeks since she last saw her boyfriend because of all the business matters they had to attend to. Either that or their break schedules just didn’t align. Because of that, she waited eagerly for time to pass and for tomorrow to come.

Soon enough, it was near dusk, and it was time for Rania to go back home. She tidied her office desk, picked her bag, and went straight to the elevator down to the parking lot where her car was. Driving around the town with her music turned on, she stopped by a gift shop and came out carrying a bunch of wrapped boxes inside a paper bag. She carefully put them on the back seat then drove some more until she reached a flower shop where she came out carrying a bouquet of rose, lily, and iris flowers. She continued driving again until, at last, she reached the place where she planned to go—the local church and orphanage, and also the place where she spent most of her childhood.

Aside from her ability to hear unknown voices, Rania was also a little special in terms of family. You see, when she was just a mere child, around three years of age, she lost her parents in a car accident. Her parents had always been obedient when it came to laws, especially traffic codes but unfortunately, the driver of the car that hit theirs wasn’t.