6 months later. 

"What do you mean she's gone?" Estella screamed, her senses fading. 

"She left with her guardian," the nurse behind the table told her, going pale. 

"I'm the guardian." She said loudly, pushing the hair at the back of her ears.

"Not you." The nurse said as she worked with pages, shuffling one after another. "The other one." 

"There's no other one," Estella grabbed the paper as soon as the nurse pulled them out. Her muscles tightened, her eyes raked the discharge paper and felt her stomach taking a somersault when she read the initials at the end. 

E.C.B.

There was a ruckus after that. A huge one. The cops were called but there was no solution. It was too late to realize that Estella indeed gave two names for her guardian. Another reminder of trusting Edward too much. She almost forgot his existence. Almost.

It had been months and he was out of sight, leaving no room for a comeback. At least that wasn't the case anymore. 

The cops asked around, collected information and left with a reassuring note to find her mother as soon as they could. 

Estella wanted to ramble on and on how lousy the worker at the rehabilitation center were, or how they never installed a camera for privacy reason, she knew it wouldn't matter to Edward anyway. He was unreachable and he proved it before. 

Hours later when she waltzed out of the police station, she dialed her friend.

"That's not good," Tanya told Estella through the phone. "This can't be happening. I told you he wasn't just someone you could plan a revenge on." 

"Yes I prepared for that," She said, drying her eyes off the tears. She was done crying, she thought. "But he did nothing. All these months he never responded." 

"So what happened when he was called at the station?" 

"He never came." She said, breathing loudly. "His lawyer was here, telling us how he wasn't around NYC when my mom was discharged." 

"That's bullshit." She screamed. "I'll be back as soon as I can." 

"Please no," she told her friend. "Your work is important, too. You've been working so hard to get there. Anyway it's a matter of a week." 

"I don't think I could possibly participate in this event while worrying what's happening over there." 

"Stay put. This is about your work. Anyway, I'm nearing home. I'll tell you when I find her." She hung up, and after an half and hour walk, she foukd herself entering the elevator of a familiar building, heading straight for the penthouse she left months ago.
She still had the keys to that place for some reason. Perhaps she knew she would face him, ask him what she did to deserve him. 

Not even hours after Estella released Edward assaulting a civilian, the video was taken down and a very few people caught on. There was a short term outbreak on the scandal with Edward called at the police station but he was soon out, unscathed. It was Tanya who found out that little to nothing happened about it. The victim claimed to have never seen him and eventually blamed someone else. However, it did put him in a tight watch at his work. His name was withdrawn from the projects he was working on, probably told to take a break from the company. 

Very long ago, Lopez had informed her how much Edward's position had meant for him and a little setback was just enough to put and pin him down with torture. She was hoping it to be true. Nothing was confirmed.

The moment she walked inside the penthouse, memories flooded her thoughts. 

Estella left her partnership with Edward and nobody came looking for her or questioned what had happened. None of her teammates, or Lopez contacted her. The website had all of it's item sold out and no new items were put up for sale. Perhaps it ended six months ago, just like her relationship.

The penthouse looked untouched, solidifying her thoughts he wasn't around. Her stomachache rose. 

By the time she was out of the place, trying to catch a cab, she was picking her nails absentmindedly, holding herself to not have a breakdown in the middle of the road. 

She called Edward too many times to know he wasn't available with the number he owned a while back. Still, she would call him only to hear the same mechanical voice. 

A cab stopped with a screech. Estella almost had given the real address of Edward's mansion, the place where his other life resides. It was Lopez had surprisingly contacted her just now. 

"Long time no see," he said. 

"I'm busy at the moment." 

"Don't bother if you're looking for Edward. He is out of town in my knowledge." 

"Wait, how do you know, lopez?" She pinched her eyebrow. "Are you on it, too? With him. That piece of—"

"No, his lawyer told me. We are old time buddies, always keeping track of our acquaintances." He said. "When I heard your name, I had to find out." 

"My mom is gone and I've no idea." She sniffed. The cab driver didn't wait long enough and took off without her. "He took her away. I called him, went to the penthouse and I was going to his house to—"

"I'll try to help but don't go there." 

"Why not?" She said. "I know it's him and he's here, closely watching me, waiting for me to come back and beg." 

"If you think Edward's the real deal then you are kidding yourself. "Lopez's voice was full of concern. "It's his father I'm telling you to avoid." 

"It's my mother who is important right now." Her fist clenched. "I don't care who I have to deal with." 

There was a pause before Lopez spoke up. "You need to think wisely Estella. He knows it was you who posted that video online and I know that man enough to put you in trouble but for some reason, he didn't." 

"I've no idea what you're saying. I need to find my mom." 

"And I said I'll help you. But don't go there." Lopez said with extreme concern. "His father doesn't know yet about this and he might try to make things harder for you if he found out. Just stay out of his sight for a day. And Edward's not home so it'd be a waste of time anyway. Go home." 

The tears trickled down as she bit her lips to suppress a scream. One of her nails was chipped by the edges she was nicking with her thumb. "Why are you helping me?" 

"Not all people are bad, Estella." 

"But one of the people that mattered to me the most is not." 

"Go home. Take a breather." He almost sounded like her father. "I think its going to rain soon."

She looked up. It was going to be a scary night. 

"Hmm," she hung up, recollecting Lopez's words to her. She could trust him, he showed enough he cared for her at many times. 

The waves of emotion enveloped her tightly and every passing minute was a torture as she walked back to her home. It was far, the night was long and she couldn't care less if her feet hurt, or the rain sweeped her away when it came. 

She cursed her life from the moment she met Edward, how they became partners, how friendship took a turn and he became her lover. She didn't know if anything was real. Now that didn't matter anymore. Edward wasn't a right person. He threatened Thea, attacked a passerby, lied to her and if any of these weren't enough, he kidnapped her mother.

She dodged a bullet. Or did she?

The rain had started to drizzle, taking a hailing turn that she had to take cab and reach her home. It was past midnight and she had no word about her mother. 

The rain drenched her good before she could reach the porch. Heading inside quickly, she took off her coat and shoes, waltzing straight to the laundry room. She grabbed a towel to wipe herself off, her heart raced up when the lights went away. 

"What the hell?" She heard herself say as she searched for her phone. It was downstairs on the coffee table near the kitchen. The emergency light dimly lit up the house enough for her to navigate the house. 

She rushed downstairs to grab her phone but halfway through, the light was back on and she almost tripped over the rest of the stairs upon seeing something infront of her, her mind frozen, unable to decide if she should walk ahead or retreat back. 

"You." She whispered. 

He smirked, leaning against the chair in the coffee table, holding Estella's phone in her hand. 

"Thought I should make a dramatic entrance. The light thing wasn't me although." Edward looked her in the eye, sparking tension and fear inside her. Less than an hour ago, she was hunting him but now that he was in front of her, it seemed wrong and dangerous. He wasn't looking for a chat. His eyes spoke loud and clear. 

It was going to rain blood.