Chapter 14: Christmas in Switzerland

Carlos and Anna were in Carlo's private jet and headed to Switzerland to meet Brooke Black. The atmosphere around was a little awkward, that's why Carlos decided to break their awkwardness

- Things don't have to be awkward between us, you know. You could ask me directly... you know... about the... Switzerland trip. (CARLOS)

- I was taking a report about Brooke's skills when she defeated my people in combat. (ANNA)

- What? She... defeated your people? (CARLOS)

- That's right! These were people that I've trained personally, all by myself. It would be impossible to defeat them if she didn't have the same experience as me. (ANNA)

- "I see, no wonder Anna was acting strangely. I thought it was because of what happened between us. Ha! What a selfish bastard I am, Anna has more serious problems to deal with right now, and I think if she doesn't feel awkward near me?" (CARLOS - SAD MOOD)

- Hmm? What's wrong? You look down. Did something happen? (ANNA)

- Christmas is Diego's favorite holiday, and this is the first time that we won't spend it together because he is still unconscious. (CARLOS)

- Your... brother will be fine, he was very close to death when I was operating him, but he wanted to live, I could tell. It's normal to take a couple of weeks to gain consciousness since he had also lost a lot of blood. (ANNA)

- Isn't he... technically in a coma? (CARLOS)

- Being in a coma means he can wake up at any minute at any time. If he was brain dead then there would be no hope at all, because he would die slowly even with machines, he is not supported by machines. (ANNA)

- Thank you, thank you. (CARLOS - FALLING TEARS)

- "It must be nice to have a sibling... that loves you." (ANNA)

There was a long pause for a while.

- " You have been through so much, worse than me, but I wonder... do you even remember that you have saved him twice?" (CARLOS)

- Did you think that... I was avoiding you? (ANNA)

A pause

- To be honest... yes, I did. (CARLOS)

- "Apparently, I'm the only petty one here." (CARLOS)

- Do you... want... to talk about it? (ANNA)

- Please, my lady. Let me protect what's left of my dignity. (CARLOS - JOKING)

They both laughed, and soon after there was a long pause again.

- "This is a very long trip, why am I the only one who is awkward in this situation? Well, I guess I'm the only one. She surely knows how to hide it if she is also awkward." (CARLOS)

- I'm comfortable around you, I can be myself, and I enjoy our conversation. I don't want to change that...and... (ANNA)

- We both feel that there is an attraction between us, but it's also too soon to know for sure what kind of attraction it is because we barely know each other. I get it. (CARLOS)

- That's why I like talking to you, Carlos. We understand each other. (ANNA - SMILE)

- It's always my pleasure, my lady. (CARLOS)

- I'm really curious to know your true opinion about my two men, Tom and Henry. (CARLOS)

- Tom, and Henry? Not, Jon and Jerry? (ANNA)

- You're really not good with names at all, Anna! At first, I thought you were doing it on purpose. (CARLOS)

- Oh... well! The blondie is the funny guy. He knows that our job is dangerous and he can die at any minute, that's why he makes some jokes. As for the Gladiator guy, he sees everyone as his family and he is trying to use his brain to keep them safe as much as possible. That's what I have realized so far for them, so how accurate am I? (ANNA)

- You are indeed a very good profiler, my lady. (CARLOS)

-----

There are many different types of attraction.

Including:

Sexual attraction: attraction that makes people desire sexual contact or shows sexual interest in another person(s).

Romantic attraction: attraction that makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person or persons.

Aesthetic attraction: occurs when someone appreciates the appearance or beauty of another person(s), disconnected from the sexual or romantic attraction.

Sensual attraction: the desire to interact with others in a tactile, non-sexual way, such as through hugging or cuddling.

Emotional attraction: the desire to get to know someone, often as a result of their personality instead of their physicality. This type of attraction is present in most relationships from platonic friendship(s) to romantic and sexual relationship(s).

Intellectual attraction: the desire to engage with another in an intellectual manner, such as engaging in conversation with them, "picking their brain," and it has more to do with what or how a person thinks instead of the persons themselves.

-----

They finally arrived at their destination after a long trip, and now they were in front of Brooke's door ready to press the doorbell, after a deep breath, Anna finally pressed the doorbell and they waited.

From outside of the house, it looked like a normal house of the middle class. It wasn't too small or too big either, it looked really cozy.

Soon after the door opened and both of them saw an astonishingly gorgeous woman in front of them. She really looked a lot like Mr. and Mrs. Black combined.

She was 1.70cm tall with an athletic juicy body type with a golden tan, her brows were round medium and her hair was long straight with platinum blond color. Her eyes were round medium with ice blue color with a diamond long face, round broad nose, and full heart pouty lips.

Behind her was another woman, she should be her girlfriend, Kiara Mo.

The woman had an impressive dragon tattoo on her right arm and was dressed in black and purple in Goth style. The woman was also in a good shape but not like Brooke and she was 1.55cm tall with tan light skin tone, her brows were high arch angled and her hair was long feathered with purple lavender color. Her eyes were monolid slender with hazel color, her face was triangle defined with a round broad nose and full heart lips.

- Miss... Brooke Black? (ANNA)

- Guilty, that's me! I finally met you, Anna. (BROOKE)

Just by the appearance, Brooke was looking like the bombshell Sexy Diva type and Kiara looked like the antisocial Goth Witch Type.

But both, Carlos and Anna knew that the appearance of someone had nothing to do with their true personality.

- That's right, but how do you know me? (ANNA)

- I heard so much about you from Mr. Ivan, I've also recognized you from your eyes. I mean... you don't see many people with pure golden eyes, right? (BROOKE)

Both of them immediately got alerted by the name Ivan. This is something that they had not expected to hear at all.

- Anna and Carlos, I understand your circumstance but there is no reason to be alert with me believe it or not. I'm not your enemy. (BROOKE)

- You've just mentioned the name of our common enemy so casually, and you've also managed to beat Anna's people easily. No offense Miss Brooke, but we've already enough reason to be alert with you. (CARLOS)

- *SIGH* Why don't we enjoy the day since it's Christmas eve? After midnight we will talk, I promise. (BROOKE)

Carlos and Anna didn't like the idea to wait until midnight to talk, but they didn't want to choose force since it might ruin any chance to find new information about Ivan. So, with no other choice, they had to play along.

Brooke so far was polite with a charming smile on her face, for a moment they thought that they found the wrong person.

When they entered the house they started to be more sure about that fact.

There were Christmas decorations everywhere around the house, and the holly and jolly atmosphere were so tense that they thought that was nothing evil in this world but only happiness and joy. Were they really in the wrong house? Did they find the wrong person?

Brooke definitely had much better taste than her parents, that's for sure, the doubts that they might found the wrong person was stronger and stronger.

Brooke's hospitality managed to impress even Carlos. They both felt that they were in a friend's house enjoying Christmas together. Everything was perfect, the food, the drinks, the talk, even the games.

Carlos felt nostalgia as he was with his brother every Christmas, but for Anna, it was the first time she was experiencing this kind of Christmas.

Anna liked Christmas, but she wasn't sure why, she couldn't exactly explain it. It's not like she was doing anything special with people or something. It was something in the atmosphere, or it might be the whole idea of Christmas, who knows.

Right now, Anna was not sad or happy about the new experience of Christmas, it was strange that she didn't know the reason or how to explain some stuff, she just... does.

Does everyone know why they enjoy their favorite food or snack? Or the reason why they dislike some stuff? No, they don't. It was the same for Anna.

But to openly express it to everyone was something she knew would not be socially acceptable and will have a negative impact on her, that how had always been with her. That's why once again she had to wear a mask to hide her true self, she was not free and she will never be free, not from society.

After midnight Anna and Brooke ended up on the veranda of her house and were talking alone.

- You know... I was always jealous of you, Anna. (BROOKE)

Anna didn't respond at all, instead, she was just observing Brooke and waiting to keep her own monologue.

- Xmm... you have no idea what I'm talking about, am I right? (BROOKE)

Anna once again didn't respond at all. She realized that the woman had drunk a lot of alcohol and her mouth was loose.

Only a child, a lunatic, and a drunk person would always tell you the truth.

- Ivan kept talking and talking about you nonstop about your skills. (BROOKE)

Anna, ended up misunderstanding Brooke's words, as Ivan was making Brooke feel inferior to her skills.

But the next sentence was something that Anna never expected to hear in her whole life.

- He was so proud... of you... like a father... I know... let's make a deal... I will tell you more... when you send these scumbags to jails, ok? (BROOKE)

That was Brooke's last words before she passes out from the alcohol, leaving Anna behind completely stupefying.

- " Proud? Like a father? Who the hell was she talking about? Is she testing me or provoking me?" (ANNA - CONFUSED)