(Chapter 61) Taking Out Anya

"Sis, sis! Let's ride that!" Anya was pointing to a roller coaster with sparkling eyes.

Astrid smiled. "Okay." She immediately complied, but how did she get in the situation where she was at an amusement park with Anya?

**2 hours ago**

"Anya, you can't be so close to the TV." Astrid softly chided her sister, as she sat in front of the TV.

But Anya didn't listen, Astrid had turned the channel to the news and Anya hadn't looked away from the screen since.

Anya then turned around and excitedly jumped around. "Sis, sis. I want to ride that!" Anya's excitement was palpable, her smile, her rosy and slightly chubby cheeks. It was infectious for Astrid.

**End of flashback**

Anya had seen the newly constructed amusement park on the news and was immediately enamored by it. So Astrid took her to have some fun...

Astrid held Anya's hand and waited in line to get on the ride. Luckily Anya could get on if accompanied by an adult. Since Astrid was of legal age and was so tall, it was no problem.

Astrid buckled Anya into her seat and readied herself for the ride. Seeing Anya's wide smile as the ride started, Astrid felt a little ill...

"Again! Again!" By the end, Anya was buzzing, she was so excited she didn't notice Astrid's face was incredibly pale.

Astrid wobbled off the roller coaster and glanced at it like it was her enemy. She never knew she couldn't stand those things. She would never touch them again...

"Come on Anya, look at the other children who want a go." Astrid calmed herself and convinced Anya not to touch the damn ride again...

Anya's excitement died down when she saw the line for the ride, as people got off, she then found something else she wanted to go on.

....

"Don't eat it so quickly, you'll get a bad stomach." Astrid was so relieved that Anya was now hungry and eating ice-cream. Hopefully she would tire out soon...

Anya pouted and ate her ice cream slower. She didn't like to be told off by her sister. She would do anything to make her stay...

"Oh, I saw a swing nearby. Do you want to go?" Astrid cleverly took Anya's attention elsewhere. She might puke if she went on those rides again.

And it worked. Anya rushed to the car so Astrid could drive them to the park. When Astrid let Anya roam free. She quietly sat on a nearby bench to watch her... And recover.

....

*Sniff* "Sis! It hurts." Anya was now tearing up as she sat on the grass.

Astrid smiled and sat down next to Anya, she took Anya's grazed knee and lightly kissed it. "Pain, pain go away." Astrid then took out a strawberry plaster she took with her and put it on Anya's knee.

Anya sniffled, but didn't cry. Seeing her now. Astrid put her into her arms. "Are you tired?" Astrid asked as she already was walking to the car to go home.

Feeling Anya nod on her shoulder. Astrid lightly patted Anya's back. She then went home for her to sleep.

....

"Astrid? You're still here?" Francesca asked in slight surprise. She thought she might be busy elsewhere.

Astrid nodded and smiled. "Mm, I took Anya out for a bit. Is today a day off at the studio?" Astrid didn't expect to see Francesca sitting on her sofa relaxing when she got home.

Francesca took an ice tea from the table and sipped it. "Oh, the director gave me a week off. I'm not sure why though, he wanted me to finish my scenes first by now he is delaying them." Francesca seemed confused as to why she was given time off.

Astrid just nodded. She didn't have time to know everything about the studio. "During your break you can go to the office to see your new company then. I won't be around but I'll arrange someone to escort you." Astrid took the opportunity that Francesca had time off to introduce her to her new company.

Francesca nodded. Seeing that, Astrid decided to go out to sit in the garden for a bit.

As Astrid was beginning to doze off, Winoa came behind her and woke her up. "Miss, the people in the dungeon have spoken." Winoa spoke in a hushed tone. As to not make anyone scared about the conversation they would speak.

"And?" Astrid opened her eyes to the sight of her mother's garden. It was a tranquil place, she must give massive praises to the gardeners hired, they understood how to make flowers look so pretty.

"The guard was sent by the Yuke family, his family was in their hands so he had no choice but to do what they said. 3 of the 4 directors were spies sent in by other companies, none of them had connections to the Yuke family. Their confessions are on tape." Winoa reported what the results were.

Astrid's eyes flashed. "Make sure the guard regrets ever setting foot on this property. Since he has such a good sense of justice make sure to bring him the head of his family to him. With the spies..." Winoa inwardly shuddered at the pure cruelty of Astrid. The punishment for even setting foot as a spy was worse than the reason he was sent in the first place...

"...The spies can make sure not to blabber too much. I hope I don't need to explain." Astrid then closed her eyes again. The conversation was over.

Winoa gave a bow. "Yes Miss." Did she feel bad for those who had been tortured and now would need to experience pain worse than death? No, she wasn't naive anymore. She had seen people betray each other for money, or status. She didn't want that, she only followed her Miss. No matter the cost.

Astrid also left the garden soon after, she went into her room to do some work.

....

Astrid suddenly stopped typing on her computer, she had been working for 5 hours straight. Hacking, making connections, proposing deals. Gathering information, she didn't stop. But she stood up and went into her private bathroom.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Ever since she gained more awareness for sexual attraction she understood that she was a once-in-a-lifetime beauty. But this face wasn't the one she often saw in the mirror...

She reached for her eyes and pulled out her contact lenses. She then reached for her chin and ripped off a small skin mask that was covering it.

Without the skin mask. She was breathtaking. A beauty to admire, but sacrilege to even think about touching. Her sculptured face outmatched the European beauties that often modeled internationally, her nose was sharp, but not too big. Her lips were slightly pale, lacking the red color that would normally be found in them.

But the major difference were her eyes. She reached out to her left eye and touched around it. "Mum, dad. How could I ever tell you?" She mumbled to herself. It was something only Winoa knew, she was there when Astrid struggled the most. Her right eye was a normal sky blue. It sparkled in the light, and could suck someone's soul inside.

But her left eye had a red pupil. But the normal white was replaced with a horrifying black. It wasn't normal in the slightest.

Astrid chuckled to herself. How she got the red-eye? Ever since she lost control she could no longer drink her 'medicine'. She could only drink fresh blood to keep her strength. Since then, her eye had turned the way it was now. Winoa understood the truth, while Astrid would wear contact lenses everywhere to not attract attention.

Astrid put back in her lenses and put aside her skin mask. She could wear a skin mask without her parents questioning anything since she needed to hide her identity anyway. She also made Anya wear something similar when they went out. Even though she was confused, Anya wore it with no questions.

Astrid's phone then started to ring in her room. She put aside her thoughts and went to answer it.