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“Daniel... Daniel...where is he?... Where am I?” Natalie hyperventilates while fighting off the stranger who was trying his best to calm her down.

“Hey, calm down, it’s alright,”

But she kept on muttering, “Daniel! Wait, am I dead?... Oh no... He’s going to find me and capture me...!” She rambled on and on until the nurses came in and sent her to sleep once again.

Natalie couldn’t count the number of times she slipped in and out of consciousness, but when she returned back to the living, her hands were tightly clutched by someone, a stranger and she released it at once as if it was poison.

Was she kidnapped again? That was the first thought that came to her mind until she looked around and found out that it was a hospital room. So, she wasn’t dead? Natalie didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared by that news.

She tried to move but a sharp pain across her stomach made her moan in pain and that woke the stranger by her side.

“You’re awake,” He reached for her hand once again, but she flinched from him instead and he didn’t push her.

“I’m sorry,” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “It’s just that you kept holding on to my hand throughout the night and I kind of got used to it. Silly, right?”

.....

The stranger laughed, but when he didn’t elicit the same response from her, he muttered under his breath, “I would shut up now.”

Natalie regarded him cautiously, her gaze traveling up and down his body. He was handsome and young, she was definitely older than him. She wondered where she got to know him or how and when her memories came up negative, fear like no other gripped her. Is this another of Daniel’s soldiers sent to watch over her?

As if sensing her fear, he immediately introduced himself, “Hi, my name is Eric. Harmless Eric.” He pointed out, “My father and I found you after you fell off that boat or whatever else happened in there,” His face was crunched at the last part telling Natalie he didn’t know the details.

But then, could she really trust him? For all she knows, this might be another tactic from Daniel to make her lower her defenses, only to take her when she least expects it. Not that she could do much in her present condition.

“Is that why I’m not dead? You saved me?” Natalie’s voice was husky from her parched throat.

“Oh, the truth is...” He scratched his jaw, “You were actually a tiny bit closer to shaking hands with death, but then, the good Samaritan was walking by,” He chuckled, thinking that what he did was heroic and deserved applause.

“Why..?” She croaked.

“Huh?” He was confused. What was she talking about?

“Why did you save me?! You should have just let me die there!” She freaked out, clutching onto his hair, and began to pull at it.

“Hey?! Have you lost your fucking mind! Let me go!” He tried to release her hands on his scalp but she held on tight.

“You should have just let me die! It would have been much better! Why did you bring me back into this world, what is the worth?!” She wailed loudly, taking out all of her frustration on him.

“Please, just calm down and we would just sort this out!” He begged her. Aww, his poor hair! He was going to go bald at this rate.

Unfortunately, never in history has anyone been told to calm down and have actually calmed down. It took the intervention of the doctor and nurses on duty that day to save Eric’s scalp while Natalie was tagged unstable.

She became depressed and withdrawn, and Natalie wouldn’t respond to anyone. But then, Eric wouldn’t give up on her. He made sure to visit her every day even though his father had written her off and wanted her to remain at the psychiatric hospital. That was the least he could do for the woman – he owed her nothing.

Every day seemed the same until the day Eric came with all of his brothers to see the mystery woman whom he wouldn’t shut up about. However, Natalie’s gaze was clued on the youngest she came to know as Elijah.

With that innocent face, he reminded her of her daughter. And just like that, her urge to live was renewed. As long as Daniel lived, her daughter was not safe. What would be the use if she died now? Wasn’t it her dream to escape Daniel and be with her family? Only in this case, Natalie couldn’t be with her child.

It took her months and determination, but Natalie recovered and came to trust Eric and his family. At least, unlike Daniel who was obsessed with her, none of them liked her in that way and it was refreshing.

Natalie couldn’t go back to her old either, everyone believed that she was gone and it was for good. Eric helped her and tracked down Edward and he was doing well with their baby girl. She couldn’t ruin their perfect life now.

Daniel saw her die in front of him, but her body never turned up, which means he had a feeling deep down inside of him that she wasn’t gone and wouldn’t stop searching. However, with the Draven family, she was safe. They would protect her and keep her away from Daniel as far as she looked after Eric and his brothers.

It was the best job that Natalie couldn’t deny – the best thing that had actually happened to her in a while now. She could leave the past behind and carve a new future – a future without Daniel.

And Natalie took it.

She had a life you know and it was time to live it.

_______

The end of the past.