Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 694 The Endless Loneliness And Profound Hope (Part Four0

This time she did not push him away. Instead, she felt a sense of relief set in just being in his company, even though he was just a dog, yet she knew it was better than drowning in loneliness. Her eyes stared blankly in the infinite space before her, hollow and barren, as if she was a separate, isolated being, and everything else in the world had nothing to do with her, everything was estranged from her... Slowly, she smiled in a self-pitying manner. She mocked herself on how she ended up in such a situation where even a dog's company cheered her up. How lonely and sad it was to have no one around with whom she could open up to? She felt a pressing need to cry, complain, and run away.

She sat motionlessly for some time until her ears caught the sound of melodious violin playing. Molly took her phone out from her pocket. It was a call from Eric.

After taking a moment to collect herself, she answered, "Eric." Her voice was weak and trembling.

Eric felt his heartbreak upon hearing her voice. "Little Molly, are you sick?" he asked sincerely.

Molly paused for a moment to avoid breaking down, and then she said, "Yes, I am."

Eric was worried and also annoyed. "How is Brian taking care of you?" he cried querulously. Over the past few days, he was occupied by flying back and forth from visiting various people across different countries. In fact, his schedule was so hectic and crazy he almost lost count of the day when he had a break. And today, upon getting a moment's respite from his busy routine, he went out to buy the music box that he accidentally stumbled upon earlier. He fell in love with that music box at first sight and planned to buy it for Molly even though he could not step then to fetch it. He called Molly the minute he returned with the music box in his hand, hoping to surprise her and also wanted to hear her voice as it had been too long since they met. However, he did not expect to be greeted in such a weak and

morose tone.

"Oh please don't blame him, it is not his fault. I mindlessly caught a cold at night. I should have been careful. Bri is busy, but he has been taking good care of me whenever he is home," she explained and made excuses for him. She did not want to get him involved in her relationship with Brian anymore as it would only hurt him deeply. She decided that one day in the near future, she would get out of here, she would leave Brian and everything from here behind and start living her life afresh as a new chapter. Not wanting to talk about Brian for another moment, she changed the topic deliberately. "So Eric, where are you right now?" she inquired curiously.

"Well I am in Green Island," he replied after a few moments. Easily swayed by Molly's attempt to change the tense topic, his mind slowly drifted to his original thought of pleasing her with his present and became blissfully unaware of her obvious tension. "Molly, I have a very beautiful and delicate music box in my hand right now. I bought it for you because I am sure you will love it as much as I did," he said in an excited and optimistic tone.

Her eyes became moist at once upon hearing him. She lifted her head lightly and firmly yet swiftly flashed her thick lashes just hoping to stop her tears from trickling down. After a while, she sounded surprised and excited as she cried out, "Really?"

"Yes, the moment I saw it, I thought of you." Saying that, Eric opened the music box. To her wonder, it was the music of 'A Mark of Summer'.

The familiar and profound melody of the music intrigued her and stirred her soul. Just unable to hold back her misery any longer, her tears began to flow down her cheeks and blurred her sight. Yet with all those overwhelming feelings, she did not make any sound. Sensing the stiffness in her body, the Black Wolf sprung up at once. But before he could even bark, Molly hurriedly held out her hand and appeased him by patting on his head. As if relieved from his worry, he sat back again but stared up at Molly with solicitous eyes as she continued talking on the phone.

On the other end of the phone, Eric was flaunting the present and continued to be unaware of her pain. "A Mark of Summer': an exclusive commemorative music box under the protection of the copyright of the company," he read the statement embedded on the bottom of the box in a delightful manner and said, "The company made only one set of this music box. It is absolutely unique and it has shells on the cover which you will like. So tell me that you like it already," he demanded like a child. Molly hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, to avoid letting him hear her sobbing.

After getting no response, Eric called her out by her name. "Little Molly?" he asked in bewilderment, thinking that maybe she was not so thrilled as he initially thought. "What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing. I am simply just too moved by this sweet gesture..." she stammered as she wiped her tears with her sleeve. Then, to distract him away from her tears, she pretended to be angry and said, "But are you so bored? Or is no one supervising your work because you are away? I can't believe that you had the time to go out to buy this thing." Then after a pause, she softened her approach and continued, "Well then, as you have already bought it for me, I will accept it, and if I get a chance, I will make you a tomato-egg noodle in return when you return. Now how does that exchange sound to you?"

Eric's face instantly lit up with a wonderful, joyful smile. He closed the music box and said in a querulous tone, "What do you mean by the words of if you get a chance? Or you don't want to do at all?"

"Of course I do," Molly assured him optimistically. She rubbed her eyes to clear off the blur from her eyes and said, "But you will have to get past your cousin first." It was true. With everything that was going on at the moment, I was very likely that she would be still held in this place even when he was back, or maybe she would have left, completely away from their world.

"Young Master, I just received an invitation from the mayor. He wants to have dinner with you at the Wilton Hotel tonight,"

came Lenny's voice addressing Eric at the other end. Realizing that they should end their chat, Molly softly said, "You go carry on with your work. I will see you soon..."

Unwillingly, Eric assented. But before she hung up her phone, he reminded, "I only have two other countries left to visit. And after that, I will return. Don't forget the noodles you owe me."

"I will cast it in my mind," she promised. They then said their goodbyes before hanging up. Tears came rushing out of her eyes. There was a growing divide in her mind between the eagerness of running away from her current situation and regret of having to give up on all those people she loved.

In a bid to calm herself down, she panted heavily for a moment after she ended her conversation with Eric. As if her sorrowful mood influenced the Black Wolf, he lay powerlessly on the ground with his chin against the grass, looking gloomily at his front.

The whole afternoon, she sat there with the canine. They did not seem to be concerned about time. After all, time was the only thing that she was left with in abundance after being held in this place. The westering sun cast a colorful, charming light over the manor and created beautiful scenery along with the stillness of her and the dog.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She took a deep breath before answering, "Little Cutie, what is up?" she asked.

"Molly..." came Little Cutie's heavy and incoherent voice. She resumed, her voice trembling, "When I went to the cake room, I saw Spark being dragged into a commercial car forcefully by some men. And I heard them mentioning Brian's name. Anyway, they all looked so vicious and crude. I am so terrified.

What if something bad happens to Spark?"00000