Cherish Love

ANNE ALEXANDRIA CHLOE's POV

We are now walking down the staircase again. I don't know what floor we are right now but I hope that we'll get to the first floor as soon as possible because I feel so tired already… After all that happened today. I just sighed and was stopped from walking when I saw the guy who appeared from nowhere stops from walking as well as he gently puts down the guy who kidnapped me on the floor before he also sat beside him.

"Let's take a rest for a while." I heard he said that made me just nod and walk on his side and sat there. I saw him turned to look at me but I just avoided his gaze as I lay my back on the wall… Thank goodness, I can finally rest for a while.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I heard he asked that made me returned my attention to him.

"Yes, I'm fine..." I said as I nodded my head. I'm actually perfectly fine aside from feeling so tired right now but now that I'm looking closely to him. He has an injury on his left hand.

"You're injured? Where did you get that?" I asked as I gently held his left wrist. Oh my. It's swelling and it's also bleeding.

"Ah this? When this crazy guy suddenly hits me with that metal thing but was lucky enough to dodge it though I was wrong to block that using my hand but I'm fine… Don't worry about this." He said as if nothing happens to him. I just seriously looked at his smiling face before I get my handkerchief in my shorts pocket.

"But it's bleeding. It might get infected if you just let it open like that." I said as I gently cover it and wrapped it around his wrist.

"Thanks." I heard he said that made me turn to look at him again. He is smiling right now. Now that I think about it… He is also handsome but not as handsome as my Christian. I just shrugged my shoulders before I leaned on the wall again.

"By the way..." I said as I heard him answered.

"Hmmm…?" He said and when I look at him, I saw him leaning on the wall while looking straight.

"How did you know that someone is being abducted here?" I asked because until now, it makes me confused on how did he get here all of a sudden...

"Well… I'm walking to relieve some stress when I suddenly passed by here and heard you screamed." He simply said while I'm still looking at him. He doesn't look like he is lying to me. I just nod my head before I averted my attention.

"Is that so?" I said. Good thing that I really screamed a while ago because if I continued to stay silent that time then he someone might have not come to rescue me…

"Mister..." I said while still looking at my surroundings. This is actually my first time being in an abandoned building and I never expected that it's really scary to be here because there's nothing you can see here and it's also so quiet but on the other hand… I feel safe because I'm with this person.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Thank you for coming to save me." I said sincerely that made him turned to look at me and when I looked at him also. I saw him surprisingly looking at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. Why do I feel like he wasn't expecting me to say this to him?

"No. I was just surprised by what you have said." He said that made me arched my brows. Oh really?

"Then should I retract on what i have said?" I asked that made him shook his head immediately.

"No. I'm just kidding. Hahaha!" He said that made me smile. To be honest, I'm really grateful that someone like him actually comes and save me. I'm so thankful to him...

"By the way, I'm Ethan." He suddenly said that made me returned my attention to him as I saw him offering his hands.

"Chloe." I said as we both have a handshake.

"By the way, who's this person again?" He asked before he turned to look at the guy who kidnaps me. I just shook my head.

"I don't know. This is also the first time I've seen him." I said that made him just nod as we both looked at him. I know that our family is well known all over the country but...why did he kidnapped me? For what reason?

"Really? But you told me that he also helped you, right?" Ethan asked that made me just nod.

"Yes."

"I wonder why he did that…" Ethan suddenly said as he turned to look as he crossed his arms on his c.h.e.s.t.

"I also think the same way…" I said. Ethan is right. He was the one who kidnapped me but why did he suddenly saved me a while ago? Is it because he already regrets what he had done to me?

"Should we report him?" Ethan asked that made me shake my head.

"No. I want to personally ask him about that." I said and saw him looked at me seriously.

"Are you sure?" He asked and I just nodded at him.

"Yes." I said before we stayed silent. I don't know why but I suddenly felt like I said something wrong to him just now because he suddenly becomes quiet. What's wrong with this guy? I just shrugged my shoulders as I continue to stay silent and take a rest. I think I'm starting to overthinking again.

"It's Shin…" That voice… Ethan and I's attention was once again returned to the guy who kidnapped me and saw him weakly sitting beside Ethan while his eyes are half open. Who's Shin?

"Shin?" I asked. Who's Shin? I was about to ask again when Ethan suddenly speaks.

"Who's Shin?" I heard Ethan asked seriously.

"The person behind this…" The guy who kidnapped me said in a very low voice. W-what!?

"Shin? Who is Shin and why did he do this to me?" I asked. Who is Shin? And what did I do wrong to him for him to make my life miserable as this!? I was about to ask him again when this guy suddenly closed his eyes.

"Hey, wake up!" Ethan said while tapping his cheeks and slightly shake him but still, he didn't move or even speak. W-what's happening?

"I-is he still alive?" I asked as I started to get nervous. Is he still alive? I-is he okay? I saw Ethan check his pulse before he seriously looked at me.

"He's still alive. I think he just fell asleep because of exhaustion but now that he is already like this… I don't think I can still carry him. After all, we are all tired and injured." Ethan said while looking at us. Eh?

"Huh? I am not injured." I said and saw Ethan looked at me seriously before he touched my cheeks.

"Are you numb? You have a small cut on your face and I also saw your wrists a while ago. It has bruised." He said that made me look at my wrists. Oh… He's right.

"You're right..." I said and gently touched my cheeks also and saw a blood. Oh, he's right. I didn't notice or even felt the pain...not until just now. I saw him gets his phone in his pants pocket before he starts to scroll on it. Oh that's right. My sling bag is missing and I guess, I dropped it somewhere a while ago when that guy suddenly kidnaps me.

"Hmmm…? Should I call him? Nah… He'll definitely scold me if he knows about this. How about him? Ah definitely not. He's not going to pick up the phone anyway. After all, it's already late." I heard Ethan said as he continues to scroll on his phone. What did he just said? Late?

"Ethan, what time is it?" I asked him that made him turned to look at me again. What? Is it really that late?

"It's already 11pm." Ethan said that made me stopped. WHAT!?

"What!? I'm dead!" I said when I suddenly remembered what my brother had told me a while ago before I leave my room. He reminds me about going back home early! You're really dead, Chloe!

"No. You're still alive, Chloe. I saved you, remember?" I heard Ethan suddenly said that made me returned my attention to me as I took a deep sigh.

"No. That's not what I mean…" I said as I tried to calm myself. I'm sure that brother is already mad right now...

"Then what?" He asked that made me sighed again.

"I promised my brother that I will come back home after I take a short walk." I said that made him quiet. Hmmm…? Why did he suddenly---

"That's it!" He said that surprised me.

"Huh?" I asked as I saw him turned to look at me while smiling. W-what's with that look?

"Call him. We need your brother's help." He said that made me shake my head immediately.

"No! He'll definitely scolds me!" I said. I prefer to go home alone than to let him know what had happened to me right now because knowing my brother… He might even order someone to kill this person who kidnapped me.

"Then accept it." Ethan suddenly said that made me confused.

"The what?" I asked.

"I'm perfectly sure that your brother didn't allow you to go out this night but you still insisted so he must be really mad right now, right?" He said that made me just nod.

"H-how did you know?" I asked. Did he just read my mind? I saw him took a deep sighed before leaning on the wall again.

"Because I also have younger siblings so I know what your brother feels so if I were you... Just accept the consequences because your brother is just worried about you." Ethan said seriously that made me stopped and realized that...he is actually right. I just took a deep breath before I start to speak again.

"Fine. May I borrow your phone?" I asked as I saw him smile once again before he gave it to me.

"Sure. Take your time." He said as I accepts. I typed my brother's phone number and called him but to be honest, I'm really nervous right now. It feels like my heart is beating so fast every time my brother's phone rings on the other line.

[Who is this?] I suddenly heard my brother's voice that made me even more nervous. Oh no… His voice is so stern just like dad...

"Brother… It's me, Chloe." I said as I tried to sound calm but in reality, I'm already trembling because of fear.

[Thank goodness, Chloe! What happened to you? Why can't I contact your mobile phone? Where are you? And who's number is this? Are you okay?] My brother asked as his voice suddenly changed and obviously, he's worried about me but he's asking so many things to me so suddenly. Why can't he ask me one question at a time?

"Brother, please let me speak, okay?" I asked as I heard my brother sighed on the other line.

[Sorry… So where are you now? It's already 11pm. I told you to go home early, right?] My brother asked in a very serious voice once again that made my heart skip a beat. Oh no…

"I'll explain everything later but can you come here first, please?" I said because I can't tell him everything on the phone or else, brother might do something unexpected again.

[Where are you?] He asked sternly. Oh that… Where are we anyway? I was about to stand up and walk towards the window to look for a landmark when Ethan suddenly speaks.

"San Lorenzo Street. The closest landmark is near the Chua Restaurant." Ethan said that made me looked at him and saw him simply looking at me.

"San Lorenzo Street. The closest landmark here is near the Chua Restaurant." I said but I was left off guard when brother suddenly asked something unexpected.

[Are you with someone, Chloe?] Brother asked very seriously with a very scary voice too that gives me shivered. Oh no… This time, I'm really dead!

"Ah that… Let me explain when you get here." I said but I didn't expect that what I said made my brother even more angry.

[NO! WHO IS THAT GUY YOU ARE WITH RIGHT NOW, ANNE ALEXANDRIA CHLOE RAMIREZ!?] My brother yelled at me that made me distance the phone to my ears. My goodness, brother. You don't have to yell like that! I even saw Ethan looked at me in shock.

"I told you that I'll explain later. Bye!" I said and before he even started to speak again. I immediately ended the call. I just took a deep breath before returning the phone to the confused and shocked Ethan.

"Is it my fault? He did hear my voice, right?" He suddenly asked that made me just nod.

"Yes but don't mind him. I'll explain everything to him once he gets here." I said and saw him simply just nod before he stood up that made me turn to look at him again.

"Okay. So let's go?" He said. Where?

"Huh? Where? I thought you can't carry him anymore?" I asked when I saw him putting this guy's arm over his shoulders again and gently pulled him up.

"But we're at the second floor already so I think I can still endure it until we get to the main entrance." Ethan said.

"But your hands…" I said that made him just shook his head.

"I'm fine. Don't worry." He said as he gives me an assuring smile. I just nod at him as I stood up before we all started to walk once again…

We are finally here at the first floor… Thank goodness… I'm so tired already. We are now close to the entrance when he suddenly held my wrist to stop me that made me returned my attention to him. Why? What's wrong? I saw him slowly lay down they guy who kidnapped me on the ground before he finally talks.

"There's someone outside." He whispered to me that made my heart skip a beat.

"Are you sure?" I asked him and saw him just nod. Where? I was about to look at the window near us when he suddenly pulled me closer to him and hugged me.

"Don't. Let's wait for that person to leave first." He said that made me just nod. After I don't know how long has he been hugging me before he released me and carry the guy who kidnapped me once again.

"I think he's gone already. Let's go now." He said that made me just nod as we started to walk again and finally reached the entrance when I suddenly saw a car not too far from where we are right now and a man standing close to it while talking to his phone. Wait a minute… That man's figure and that car looks so familiar to me… Wait! Could it be that it's my brother!? I saw that man suddenly turned at our direction and I was right! It's my brother!

"CHLOE!" He said as he walked closer to us that made me returned my attention to Ethan who just gently brought down the guy and lean him on the wall. Oh no… My brother definitely sees him. I was about to warn Ethan when I suddenly heard my brother's voice.

"You… Who the hell are you!?" My brother said angrily when I turned to look at him and saw him walking towards us. No. He's so mad. I immediately walked closer to him and stops him.

"Brother, please listen to me first!" I said but brother is in rage right now as he suddenly pushed me away and walk closer to Ethan. No! Brother!

"I AM TALKING TO YOU SO FACE ME, YOU BAS---" My brother said as he pulled Ethan's shoulders that made Ethan turns to look at him and made my brother stops from making a fuss.

"Dylan?" My brother suddenly said to Ethan. Huh? Who's Dylan?

"Xander?" Ethan said that made me even more confused. He calls my brother 'Xander'? But only my brother's close friends can call him that…

"W-wait… You two know each other?" I asked as I saw my brother suddenly puts his arm on Ethan's shoulders and turned to look at me.

"Yes because we are childhood best friends, Chloe." My brother suddenly said that shocked me.

"WHAT!?"