Play a Deadly Game
Play a Deadly Game
In her moment of weakness, Ririna found herself dumbfounded from the revelations against her own grandfather. Why would he do such a thing?
Were there any logical reasons why her grandfather tried to meddle in her affairs?
"Have you ever wondered why Elder Han never took you out of the orphanage?" Eli voiced out the question bugging Ririna for years.
Ririna chewed her lower lip in frustration and tried hard to come up with any possible reasons or answers to her husband's question. Even if her parents divorced, she'd always wondered why her father and Elder Han didn't pull her out from that pit of hell called the orphanage.
She'd waited for them to come and see her, but even the slightest of their presences didn't grace her.
"I have no idea…" she replied. Her husband could see denial in her eyes.
What else could she say aside from her confusion brought by which was the truth and which was not?
Eli turned on his laptop, and his fingers flew at amazing speed over the keyboard. A file was loaded and flashed on the screen. He stopped and turned the device to let Ririna see what it was.
"Look at this. I ran a background check on you when I took you out of the orphanage. See this?" Eli pointed to a section where her parents' profile was indicated. "It was said that your parents signed a mutual agreement that your father will release all of his obligations on you."
"What? Why would they do that?"
They were her parents. She was their own blood. Her mother took charge of her custody while her father gave up his rights.
Did they really hate each other that they came up with this kind of agreement?
"That's not all," Eli added. "Your mother filed a restraining order against your grandfather even before she married your father."
"Did it say what the reason for that restraining order was?"
"No. Nothing was indicated in the report. I assume it was something personal that Elder Han and your mother didn't want to reveal to the public. Surprisingly, I found out that your uncle wasn't even a real member of the Han family."
Eli abruptly realized the leap of thoughts her unpredictable mind was making.
"Your uncle doesn't know anything. I assure you he's not involved in this one."
"Are you saying that my uncle is adopted?"
"Yes. Only your mother had the Han blood running on her veins."
"But that doesn't mean that he isn't aware of what was happening to my gramps and my mother."
Eli didn't respond and thought for a moment.
"I'll run another investigation on him if you aren't sure."
"You obviously know that something was up ever since you rescued me in that place."
"Not really. I was just curious when I found out that you have living relatives, and yet no one came after you."
Ririna glanced at him quickly, her eyes trying to find the truth on his face.
"I guess you are right," she conceded, "What should we do now?"
She stared at him for another minute, and then something within her relaxed.
"What's wrong?" Eli asked.
"Everything. I've been worried enough about Skyler and now this… I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was handling the situation better, but now, this information messes up everything that I know and dares to threaten what I believe."
Eli contemplated, with his eyes fixated on the screen.
"We will sort this out. Everything will be okay soon. We just need to find the right answers and finish this game as soon as possible. I cannot say you've done the right thing, but the answers we needed would soon reveal themselves. We must take advantage of it."
"Exactly. And now, this stuff about my grandfather comes up." Ririna waved a hand in the direction of the laptop and the files on the desk. "Do you think there's something more on it?"
"Maybe." Eli shrugged his shoulders, not able to fully answer his wife.
Ririna didn't say a word, but it was clear she was getting restless. Eli thought that maybe her hormones were starting to kick in again. Oh, a woman's hormones were really a nightmare for men like him.
His wife shifted position on her seat, crossing her ankle onto the other. Her fingers tapped the arm of her chair in frustration. Then, after a deep sigh, she shot to her feet and stalked across the large window of the room and saw Rion and Skyler busy with their paintings while Jiro and Mika were busy playing on the garden.
"What about Skyler?" Ririna crossed her arms under her chest, her attention still on her son.
"He will be fine. You trust Rion, and I know that Sky will listen to him. Just give him time to adjust. Skyler is a smart boy, and he loves you."
"But my grandfather…"
Eli got to his feet and went to stand behind his wife. He followed the direction of her gaze and saw their son turning his head to answer Rion.
"We don't know yet if the rumors are true; we will verify it first. You think too much, Ririna. Let me take care of everything. He might have done something in the past, but we don't know what his motive is now."
"I'm sorry." Ririna turned around to meet his eyes. Tears glittered on her long eyelashes. "If I had known that he was somehow connected to this game, I shouldn't have let Sky meet him."
"Don't blame yourself. You have done your best for Skyler all these years without my assistance."
"I'm a fool. I should have noticed the red flag as soon as he invited me the moment I came back from abroad. Come to think of it, I never recalled informing me about my arrival; and he wanted to take away Sky from you."
Ririna blinked away her tears.
"I'll protect you and Skyler, but I need you to cooperate with me. I want your full trust and attention." He knew that Ririna asked for a lot of reassurance from him, but she also had to know that he needed her trust and loyalty.
"I know you're doing your best. You're a good husband and a father, Eli," Ririna whispered, "I know you will be. People might think of you differently, but I trust you."
Eli caught her chin and made her look up to him.
"You and I are married now. Whatever your problem is, I shall do my best to help you. You are my wife, and no one can mess up with my woman without repercussions."
"I guess you're right…" Ririna sighed for the umpteenth time.
"I am right."
Eli bent his head and brushed his lips lightly against hers. His kiss made her forget her worries, and the tension on her body slowly diminished.
"What are we going to do?" Ririna threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Eli could feel her sadness. He then wondered if Ririna would ever cry for him. For the man who was willing to go to hell just to save her.
"It's going to be alright. I want you to meet someone." Eli said as he placed another kiss on the top of her head.
Ririna hummed her silent question. Eli knew he didn't have all the answers she needed right now, but he knew who could give it. Her own mother.
"She knows the answer. We will give her a visit tomorrow once you're feeling better." He couldn't keep the secret for too long, or else his wife might hate him for keeping her in the dark.
"Alright." She easily agreed to him, thinking that he was talking about his mother. Ririna burrowed against his chest. She could feel her body getting tired once again. This pregnancy was really different from the first one she had before.
"I'll take care of everything."
"You always do. I trust you," she whispered, "but try not to make me worry too much, please? I cannot lose you, too."
Eli smiled at her words. The feelings that they had for each other were mutual. He could not lose her; that was why he couldn't allow anyone to harm her again.
"The last thing I want to do is to break your trust or make you worry, Ririna."
He lifted his wife into his arms and carried her to the door. Ririna snuggled against him, her eyes drooping in exhaustion. She was really sleepy, and she was glad that her husband tended to her needs. He was spoiling her too much. Her eyes closed as he strode into their bedroom and didn't protest when he put her down on the bed.
Tomorrow, she would get the answers. She had to know what really happened seventeen years ago and why she was forced to play a deadly game.