Chapter Two

"What did you say?" Zapphira and Sapphira chorused looking at Vinicius as though he had just grown a new pair of feet.

He had never seen people taken aback from something he did. So he grew more confident.

"You heard me… I said I do not want your money… I do not need it… The only reason I'm here is because of the agreement and I'm not calling it off"

It was Luther that spoke next, he had been staring at this peasant looking young man.

"You… refuse good money from me? What do you think you're trying to do? You have a death wish or something?" Luther spoke, looking even more pissed off than before, he looked around the ladies and stormed out. The twins left as well, probably to try to placate him.

As he sat there trying to figure out if he had not just made a terrible mistake, a maid approached him and offered to take him up to a room as Mira's father had requested.

Vinicus obviously knew this was just to make sure he was out of view from guests, he probably made them all sick to their stomach. He knew that feeling too well, he walked with the maid to the room.

Afterall, his own family was used to keeping him in the shadows, the disgraced son. He wasn't even smart enough to be the prodigal son, he was merely the black sheep, the one they whispered about in disappointment.

He caught a glance of Zapphira having a discussion with Luther by the side. He had hoped to meet a warm welcome here, being part of Old Chen's family was a relief that he had welcomed. It was unfortunate that the once happy man had been reduced to unconsciousness.

If only life was like the stories Old Chen told….

As he approached the room, Vincuis was ushered inside, and he took a look around. He decided that he would not force himself on this family if they didn't want him. Old Chen was not here to stand up for him so soon enough, he would annul the document and return home to give another try to his medical practice.

Vinicus had no idea what would happen but he knew he would not be getting married to Mira, as long as Old Chen was unconscious.

There was nothing here for him but he would need the time away from his family to figure out what to do and where to go to start his own life afresh, away from family troubles and expectations. Maybe…just maybe he would fulfill his own dream of becoming a great doctor.

As he was about to shut his eyes for a minute, he heard a knock at the door. He rushed to open it, hoping it was the maid with something to eat. Vinicus was starving but there was no way he was going to ask. He opened the door and to his surprise, met the cold face of Sapphira.

"Umm… may I come in? I need your help with something quickly…" Although Vinicus was very surprised, he opened the door nonetheless. What harm could she cause him?

"Sure, come in. What may I help you with?" He asked. Sapphira walked straight to the bed and sat down. Vinicus decided to sit on the chair instead, this was not so appropriate especially by this time but it was probably very important because he knew Sapphira hated him.

"I heard you're a doctor right? It's too late for my doctor to come in for my leg massage. It's been aching all day and I'm in a lot of pain. I have the medications but I always do a massage first before taking the medications… Can you handle it?"

Vinicus was even more surprised, he had expected her to come in with another plea to ask him to leave. Not to ask for medical help but then maybe they didn't know that he didn't pass his medical examination. He could at least do this without messing it up.

"Yes, I can. Do you have any medicinal ointments? I did not bring any of mine." She whipped out a bottle from a small purse and handed it to Vinicus then she raised her dress. Vinicus turned his back out of respect but then remembered that he was the one to do the massage.

"Where exactly does it hurt?" Vinicus poured the ointment on the places she touched. He began the massage, it was going well and he felt happy because maybe doing this might help him gain a slight reputation in Sapphira's eyes. Out of nowhere, Sapphira screamed

"Ahhhhhhhh, nooo, noooo no, stop it. I said noooo" Vinicus wondered if she had a different type of injury on her thigh, he stopped asking if he should continue but she put his hands right back where he had taken them away from and kept screaming.

Next thing, a different maid and bodyguard barged into the room and pushed Vinicus off Sapphira as though he had been in a compromising position. She had removed the ointment bottle.

"Oh… I meant no harm, I was just trying to help with the mas..."

"He tried to rape me, I came in here to plead with him to leave my dear sister and he tried to take advantage of me. I was begging him….. Thank Goodness you came in time. He would have…." Sapphira paused, unable to finish her words for a more dramatic effect.

Vinicus was perplexed, what had he just heard? Huh? Sapphira was not making any sense. This was a set up…. As Sapphira began sobbing with real tears, he knew there was no way anyone would believe he was innocent. The twins looked really soft and delicate and he looked like a skinny hungry looking opportunist. The bodyguard turned on him.

"How dare you try to attack the young madam…?" The maid tried to hold on to Sapphira as she sobbed but even she was taken aback by the quick shove she got from Sapphira.

"Don't touch me…. Just get rid of this rapist NOW!!"

Vinicus was carried out of his room and before he knew it, he was in a room with the Duke Luther and both twins Sapphira and Zapphira. He was shoved roughly onto a seat and there were two bodyguards behind him, Mira's father walked in.

"You animal, I let you into our home but you have chosen to behave like a street urchin that you are. Just because Mira is not interested in the engagement. You think that you can turn on another of my daughters?"

"I swear, I wasn't trying to rape her. I swear this is all a set…" he tried explaining as quickly as he could but was cut off.

"Shut up!! You still have the guts to speak here, you're lucky I didn't hand you over to the authorities and make sure that you don't see the light of Day for a very long time" Mira's father said as Zapphira brought out a piece of paper.

"You'll sign here, this document shows that you will have nothing to do with our family anymore. No engagement and no relationship whatsoever… if not you will be arrested for rape…" Vinicus shook his head. So this was what this was about. Was Mira's father in on it too? Or was this just the Duke and the twins.

"Sure, I'll sign it but I didn't try to rape you and you know that…." He signed the papers and Mira's father took them and left. The twins left as well, then it was Duke, the bodyguards and Vinicus.

"Well, well, well. I do hope you don't think this is over. I did promise you that you'll regret not leaving earlier and you will…" Vinicus didn't even utter a word when a bag was thrown over his face at the snap of the Duke's finger and he was picked up by the bodyguards.

He shouted for help but he didn't hear anyone running to his aid. He couldn't see anything through the thing over his head but he knew he was being carried out. Where were they taking him and what was going to happen to him?

"I promise I won't come back, just let me go please. Just let me go…." Vinicus had no idea what they wanted to do to him.

"It's too late to beg and yes… I know you won't be returning at all" Duke crackled as he let out a vicious laugh.