Black Swan's

The First Meet (Thirty Six)

        “I met Eden. And you are not at all surprised, meaning you have known it since the beginning.” said Sian while propped up with a chin on the desk of Aciel. In front of him, Aciel was busy signing some papers while occasionally glancing towards the chatty Sian.

            “What do you think?”

            “You mean?”

            “How did Eden after four years disappear?”

            “Eden looks more mature and motherly. His daughter, have you met his son? Eden gave birth to a baby girl.” tell Sian excited. The man still felt the euphoria from the photos of Ciara that he saw yesterday afternoon. He hopes to meet Ciara and introduce himself as his handsome uncle.

            “Hmm.. Eden gave birth to a baby girl named Ciara. I met him yesterday, and had a little chat.”

            “Ahh. I also want to meet Ciara. I think the daughter of Eden is very beautiful, just like Eden. And.. he looks a little like you when I look at his picture.”

            “I also think like that.” murmured Aciel slowly while looking away at the window of his office which directly presents the expanse of beautiful Las Vegas sky.

           “Ciara looks similar to me. That's why now I doubt the DNA test results Eden showed me four years ago. I think Eden just wanted to get away from me and also take revenge on me.”

            “Yes, maybe you're right. Eden wants to see you destroyed after he gives you great hope.” said Sian agreed while tapping his finger on the table. Everything can be possible if it concerns the desire for revenge that Eden wanted to do long ago. And by chance her pregnancy can be used to crush Aciel by a landslide.

            “Then you should start investigating from now on. But wait, what if Eden was going back to France, you'd be harder to track him down.”

            Aciel smiled mysteriously as he folded his hands in front of his chest. It's not Aciel's name if he doesn't do cunning things to anticipate his opponent.

            “I've frozen his documents for overseas travel, so he won't be able to go anywhere.”

            “Since when? You really are a terrible mentally ill man Ace.” commented Sian Sakarstik. The man immediately shook his head while giving the man an inexhaustible look. One of his hands then grabbed a can of coke on the table and immediately gulped it down after he managed to open it easily.

            “Sian, apart from regarding Ciara, I also suspect Zyan. Please track down the man's whereabouts. Eden seems to be hiding a lot from me.”

            “What will Eden be okay with all that? What exactly are you going to do with Eden? Why don't you let him live with his little family like he used to.”

            “I don't think I can. This time I will get Eden back for myself.”

            Sian saw a terrifying glint of earnestness from both of Aciel's eyes. He was sure after this that Aciel would definitely do reckless things to bring Eden back into his arms. It's just that he hopes, hopefully his best friend does not hurt Eden again with all his crazy plans are terrible as before.

            “You love Eden?”

            “Do you think?”

            “If you want Eden, you should also be able to be a good father to Ciara. Whether Ciara is your child or not, you should still love her like your own. Can you do it? I don't want to see Eden suffer because of your asshole attitude. I once promised him to help him destroy you if you were proven to hurt him again.”

            “Wow, apparently your relationship with Eden has gone that far. I didn't expect. Aren't you my best friend, you should have sided with me, not Eden.” growled Aciel was held back. But this time Sian seemed to be serious and wanted to make it clear to Aciel that he could become an enemy if the man once again hurt Eden.

            “I don't care about our friendly relationship when it comes to Eden.”

            “Hmm... take it easy Sian, you really take my problems and Eden too seriously. I assure you this time will not be the same as before. I'm not gonna make you turn against me because you're defending Eden. I will make everything smoother with high success rates.” grin Aciel full of confidence. Sian just stared at it without interest as he stood up from his chair.

            “Then, good luck with your plans. And you must keep your promise not to hurt Eden.”

Drrtt

            Sian's steps slowed down a bit as he heard Aciel's phone ringing, followed by Aciel's inaudible voice. Allegedly, something bad must be happening. Or Aciel may be getting karma from his cunning deeds all this time.

            “Who contacted you? You look rushed.

            “Imigration officers, they secured Eden and the desperate Ciara would return to France after I froze their travel documents. Stupid fool!” aciel is upset while in a hurry to snatch his car keys. Sian who saw that just chuckled while shaking his head slowly.

            “You should not underestimate Eden, if you do not want to be bothered like this.”

-00-

            At

eden Airport was holding back an upset while staring cynically at two immigration officers who treated him like a dangerous criminal. He and Ciara were dragged into a room for examination because he wanted to go to France. All his travel documents have been frozen by Aciel. Damn it was that guy. He thought that Aciel was merely bullying him and did not completely freeze his travel documents. But apparently, the man actually did it on the grounds of his bad deed at the police station.

            “I've told you I'm not a criminal, I've been framed by Aciel.” Eden's murmur was upset with a red face held in annoyance. Next to her Ciara looked terrified and almost crying as she looked at her mother who was being violently yelled at by the immigration officer.

            “Mommy...afraid.”

            “Ssshh... rest easy Ciara, no one will hurt you. Mommy is here with you.”

            Eden hugged Ciara tightly and stroked the top of the girl's head to make it calmer. He was afraid that all the events not wearing this would make Ciara traumatized until she grew up.

            “Mr Lutherford, good afternoon.”

            Suddenly Eden saw the officer standing up and immediately saluted someone. And without even looking at it, he already knew that the man must be Aciel. The troublemaker did have to come to this office to straighten out all the misunderstandings that had occurred due to his scheming.

            “What happened to him?”

            Aciel pointed at Eden with his chin while glancing lazily at the woman.

            “Uncle... Uncle Aciel!”

            Ciara exclaimed loudly at Aciel and immediately hugged Aciel's gleeful legs. Seeing that Aciel immediately bowed and brought Ciara into his carriage.

            “What are you doing here with your mother?”

            “They snapped mommy.” reported Ciara plain. Instantly the two officers immediately lowered their heads in fear while playing their fingertips nervously. Aciel who heard the report from Ciara only cleared his throat for a while while glancing at Eden who had been reluctant to look at him.

            “I'll redeem them, let them out.”

            “No need! I'll ask Tranz.” for help

            Instantly Eden exclaimed with a fierce face, ready to refute Aciel.

            “Huh, stubborn as always. Think of Ciara who is exhausted if you have to wait for Tranz to come. Now quickly stand up and bring your things, I do not accept rejection.”

            Aciel immediately walked away leaving Eden who seemed to be grumbling behind him. The man seemed unwilling to care about anything Eden would do, and he chose to leave immediately while carrying Ciara in his carrier. The woman would definitely leave soon after him, since his daughter was with him.

            “Your mother is very stubborn and annoying. May you not inherit his nature.” Eciel murmured to Ciara. Whether the girl understood or not, but in fact the girl was currently staring at her face intensely with her round eyes that were extremely adorable.

            “You.... have brown eyes too?”

            Aciel could not hide his admiration for Ciara's two brown eyes that looked so beautiful adorning her face. And it was like there was a strange vibe inside Aciel's chest as he saw Ciara smiling towards him while showing off her neat row of white teeth.

            “Say mommy my eyes are similar to daddy.”

            “Who? What's your father's name? Zyan?”

            “Daddy Zy..”

            “Hey, don't bring Ciara as you like.”

            Suddenly Eden interjected while patting Aciel's shoulder rough. He looked like he had just run while carrying two large suitcases that were quite heavy in his hands. Eden then forces Aciel to take Ciara down and go all the way from her precious daughter.

            “Be sweeter in front of your daughter.”

            “Ck, give Ciara to me.”

            “Mommy hard, uncle Aciel warm and soft.” said Ciara plainly while hugging Aciel tighter. Eden who saw it was only able to grunt bitterly with a mocking look Aciel who today managed to get Ciara's heart. Now that the man has a new plan to conquer Eden, he will start from Ciara. He believes if he succeeds in taking Ciara's heart, then Eden will be much easier to get.

            “Include, put your coporm in the back.”

               Eden was forced to arrange his own suitcase and get into the black car belonging to Aciel. It's been a long time since the two of them sat next to each other in one car. He still remembers when they went to the beach together when his birth was about three months old. And now he has to be in one more car with Aciel with Ciara who has almost turned four years old. It felt like time was passing very quickly, and consciously or unconsciously Aciel still looked the same as the last time he left the man. Perhaps only Aciel's hair was now slightly longer than before. For the rest, the man did not look as old as he should.

            “You are serious about freezing my travel documents?”

            “I think you already know the answer without needing to explain a bit.”

            “Until when are you going to arrest me like this?”

            “Until I get bored with you.”

            Eden again felt her memories were thrown at her life years ago. When the man made her his lustful. It feels like he is in that position again. He will become the man's lustful gratifier, and become a wasted woman after the man gets tired of him. On body.

            “Why are you so obsessed with my body?”

            “Are we discussing your body now? I don't think.” replied Aciel sucks. Eden again grunted angrily while occasionally glancing at Ciara who was engrossed in her imaginary world. I don't know, kids sometimes seem to have their own imagination, and they'll talk in the empty air like they're talking to their friends.

            “Ciara is not looking for her father?”

            Aciel suddenly asked without turning his attention to the fairly dense road in front of him. Eden who got such a question reflexively twisted his brain quickly so that the answer did not sound suspicious in Aciel's ears.

            “She's already done a video call earlier.”

            “How long has Zyan raised Ciara?”

            “Why are you asking like that?”

            “Just want to know. You've always adored him as a good man who never had a crime record, so I was quite curious about his upbringing. As far as I can see, Ciara seems to be more influenced by you.”

            Eden bit her lower lip briefly and tried to find an answer that sounded quite reasonable in Aciel's ear. How could the man have analyzed Ciara to that extent if in fact they had only met twice.

            “Where did you get that kind of thinking? You've only met Ciara twice. You can't justify Ciara getting more influence from me in just one assessment.”

            “Do you forget that I have watched you for thirteen years you have lived with me. And as far as I can see, Ciara is like you when she was her age.”

            “Actually since when did you know my father?”

            “At my age of twenty. Why, are you surprised? You're surprised that I've known you since you were five?”

            “Yes, and I don't really remember my past. I think I only really knew you when I was nine. At that time you came together with a man, who was the same age as my father, then you looked very serious while talking about something in the living room.”.

            “That's Marquez Odette. We were business partners with your father. But then Marquez moved to Australia and chose to settle there.” explained Aciel while looking at the past. For a moment he forgot his question about Zyan, and it was enough to make Eden relieved, because he did not need to make up a lie to fool Aciel.

            “To where we were, Zyan Clinton isn't it? So how does the man educate Ciara?”

            “Why do you want to know so much?” ask Eden upset.

            “Just want to know.”

            “Zyan educates Ciara like a father in general, and indeed all this time I am more with Ciara because Zyan is busy working, are you satisfied!” eden was upset. His frustration was not really due to Aciel's question, but because he had to look for a fake story so that Aciel believed all his words.

            “What work does Zyan currently do? He used to have a good reputation in finance, even Sian blatantly praised him.”

            “Zyan works at a canned food company, in the finance division, just like when working at your company first.”

            At once Eden wanted to cry when she remembered Zyan. It used to be that the man desperately sought a job here and there in order to support his little family. A little bit Zyan used to feel less confident with himself. He who saw how the glamorous life of Eden while living with Aciel made him feel not

never satisfied with the position given in his work. Almost every month Zyan resigned because he considered the company he worked for did not give him a large salary. At least first Zyan hoped his salary would be a little equal to his salary while working at the automotive company owned by Aciel. Unfortunately they all could not give a salary that is too high on Zyan because they have not been too confident with the credibility they have, so in the end Zyan never lasted long with his work. The last Zyan worked at a fairly well-known canned food company in California. And when Zyan started working there, God took Zyan's life because of a terrible accident.

            “You daydream.”

            Eden suddenly flinched in shock as Aciel's hand deliberately touched her hand. Somehow he was like he had just been electrocuted when Aciel touched his palm which felt cold due to a gust of air conditioner in the car Aciel.

            “Just thinking about my life and Ciara's. Where are we going? Are you planning to kidnap us? This is not the way to my apartment.”

            “Funny, why would I kidnap you if you can't go anywhere without me. We're going to the mansion for lunch.”

            “Why go to the mansion? I want to go home. Look, Ciara fell asleep in the back.” Eden said half-screaming so that Ciara did not wake up.

            “Kim missed you. You better shut up, we're almost there.” replied Aciel of origin.

            Eden was completely inexhaustible with Aciel's plan, and he could not guess the man's way of thinking at all. Maybe Aciel wants to make him feel dejavu again. Feel the memories of the past while living with the man. Butwhy? Why does Aciel seem to insist on pulling him back into his life. Is the love statement real? Or did he just want to play her again?

-00-

            “Nona Eden?”

            Mr. Kim could not help but hide his surprise when he saw Eden with a slightly heavy step begin to walk into the main room of the mansion belonging to the magnificent Aciel. Behind him, Aciel seemed to be following Eden while holding Ciara who was soundly asleep in her arms.

            “It's good to see you again Mr. Kim.”

            Eden hugged Mr. Kim warmly while wiping away a little of the clear liquid that for some reason flowed down from the corner of her eye. Maybe because he already considers Mr. Kim like his own father. Although Mr. Kim was indeed under the watchful eye of Aciel, but little did Mr. Kim always protect him from Aciel's anger. Mr. Kim once lied to Aciel when he went on a date with Zyan. The incident even though it had happened many years ago, but always managed to make Eden feel moved by the sacrifice of Mr. Kim. Had Aciel known back then that if Mr. Kim had lied to him, the old man would have gotten into trouble as well as the terrible anger of Aciel.

            “Kim, have you prepared Eden's room?”

            “Already sir, you can use it now.”

            With a quiet step Aciel took Ciara upstairs, passing Eden who was still busy with Mr. Kim and the other maids. But then he walked up to Aciel to go up to his room which he had left four years ago.

           “You didn't change it at all?”

            Eden was silent in the doorway while observing the contents of his room that did not change in the slightest. The closet, the bed, the dresser, they're all still in the same place. Even the entire furniture also looks well cared for, without dust sticking even a little there.

            “I thought someday you'd come and use it again.”

            “So you are already planning to bring me back here again?”

            “Maybe.” replied Aciel ambiguous. After he placed Ciara gently on the bed, he immediately approached Eden who was still standing in the doorway, then pulled the woman's wrist slowly towards the balcony of her room overlooking the spacious garden of her mansion.

            “You remember one of your hobbies? Sitting on a balcony looking up at the sometimes clear, or sometimes overcast sky, you still remember?”

            “Did you notice me all this time?”

           “I have more than two Eden eyes, so I always know whatever you've been doing all this time.”

            “Then why did you bring me here? You want to impress me with all this? You deliberately took me to the mansion, showed me a room that had not changed at all, and suddenly you revealed one of my habits when I was having a lot of trouble. Does this have anything to do with your love statement last night?” ask Eden riled. He had been holding back all his curiosity since last night, and now he really wanted Aciel to answer all his curiosity with an answer, which he hoped was reasonable enough for him.

            “Is everything less clear? Why do you keep asking when I told you everything. I love you Eden!” aciel said furiously while pulling Eden's waist up to now they were clinging to each other with eyes staring at each other. Inside those brown eyes Eden could see

there is a seriousness that emanates from the self of Aciel, but he cannot believe all that easily. Aciel wasn't the guy yesterday afternoon who was clean of gimmicks. It had been a lot of pain that Aciel had incised over the years of living with the man. So is it wrong if he can never trust an Aciel? No matter how much sincerity Aciel had shown him, he would never be able to believe.

            “Too hard to trust you. Stop trying because it will never change anything.” hiss Eden sharply while pushing Aciel's body rough. He then left the body full of anger Aciel just like that on the balcony with a cold wind that blows hard against his rigid body. You'll never be able to get me again, Aciel, never will.