Niklaus' point of view

I had a nightmare, no, nightmares throughout my sleep. But I could remember one vividly.

I saw Maya, she was beautiful, so ethereal looking, and dressed in a white flowing gown that hid her feet. I was on the beach, watching her as she walked further and further into the waves.

"Maya," I remembered calling her name times without a number but she wouldn't answer; she kept waving at me.

I tried to run to her then, but it was like running on a treadmill. I was sure of making progress yet was stuck in the same place.

But something happened.

A boy popped out of nowhere and appeared by her side. A strange boy; however, the striking similarity between him and I was undeniable. A lump formed in my throat, he was my son?

"Papa," he called and waved at me too.

I was stunned, no, unsettled by this churning sensation in my stomach. A feeling of dread washed over me as both mother and son waved at me in synchronization, it was creepy.

"Maya, please don't do this," I croaked. I was so afraid of what was going to happen next.

"I love you," Maya whispered to me, and out of the corner of my eyes, Kay, my late ex-wife appeared.

"No, no, Maya doesn't do this!"

I panicked when I saw my dead ex-wife wife stretch her hands towards her.

No amount of pleading changed her mind. Maya took hold of her son's hand and placed her other hand on Kay's outstretched one.

"Don't leave me, please," I crumbled to my knees, unrestrained tears sliding down my face," I can't live without you,"

"I'm sorry, Niklaus" Maya responded," But the death and the living have no connection whatsoever. Live your life till we meet again,"

She turned her back to me.

"Maya!" I screamed and went after her.

Amid my hoarse screaming and breathless running, Maya and my child kept getting far away from me until they were swallowed whole by the waves of the sea.

"No!" I awoke with a piercing scream that had Lucas scampering to my side.

Cold fear washed over me. The crippling fear was bone-deep that I began to shiver like I was buried under a pile of snow.

"Oh my God, what's going on? Why are you as cold as ice?" I heard Lucas's worried voice but that was not my concern. I was intent on finding her, the love of my life.

"M-Maya?" My breath came in gasps.

Lucas must have pressed the intercom because doctors and nurses rushed in, blocking my sight and tackling me to the bed.

"No, you don't understand!" I said to no one in particular," I need to find Maya, I need to find -"

Struggling, I winced as a drug was injected into my system yet that didn't stop me from yelling out my concerns.

"I need to find the mother of my …." My eyelids drooped and my sight blurry. Did they drug …..

I couldn't tell how much I slept but it was the piercing sunlight filtering through the curtain that awoke me.

"What in the name …." I groaned with effort as I sat up. My body was heavy and aching all over as if a trailer ran over me.

"Brother," I heard a familiar voice.

"Emily?" I was unsure until she came into my line of sight and hugged me.

"Emily," I breathed, wrapping my hand around her and hugged her tightly. Right now, I needed both physical and emotional strength.

She was crying, her tears wetting the new shirt I was currently dressed. Lucas must have had me changed out of my clothes, thankfully, not hospital clothes - I hated those.

"I'm so sorry, I failed Judy and Maya," she said, which made my brow furrow.

Speaking of which, I had tried Judy's number when I returned to the country but it couldn't connect. Where the hell was he? Wasn't he supposed to protect Maya

"What do you mean by that?" I asked my sister. But when I saw new tears gush out from her eyes, I rephrase my question," What happened to Judy?"

Her lips trembled which made a foreboding feeling arise from the pit of my stomach.

I knew Judy and Emily had been close which was none of my business. Perhaps before, I would have been against it but after Maya came into my life, I found out one had no control over who he or she falls in love with. For Emily to be this emotional, something must have happened.

"What happened to Judy?" I repeated my question yet impatiently this time.

"He's dead. Judy is dead,"

My expression shifted, "What nonsense are you spitting?"

"It's the truth Niklaus, Judy is dead,"

I rubbed my face with my palm and back up till my hands slid down my hair. What's with the streak of disaster?

"Tell me what happened?"

"It's father," she said.

Of course, it had to be my father, I nodded wryly.

"He found out about me and Judy and it got bloody. He made me agree to marry Ahmed else Judy dies," My sister narrated with sorrow in her voice. It was obvious that whatever she

witnessed, traumatized her.

"Ahmed? Governor Ahmed?" I inquired.

Emily shrugged, "I had to marry someone befitting our status and not some shadow guard who does our dirty deeds," she said bitterly.

Oh, she found out.

"I'm sorry for not telling you but the women have always been omitted from that part of the family business," I disclosed.

"Yeah, women aside from your daughter, Isabella while the rest of us are dolls that stroke your male egos," she spat displeased.

"Isabella was a special case but she would be the wind of change. So please go back to the Judy story," I pleaded. We would treat the indiscrimination case later.

"Well, father tried to send him away but there was an attack. None of father's men survived and Judy as reported but his body is nowhere to be seen," she finished her narration.

There was something so strange about everything. I would have assumed that father had a hand in Judy's assumed death but he wouldn't have his men killed as well, right? But who was I kidding, he wouldn't have allowed Judy to survive in the first place.

Suddenly, something came to mind and I asked," When did this happen?"

"What?"

"When did Judy die?"

"The same night as Maya's incident,"

White seething anger blinded me, this was all the old man's fault! If he hadn't captured Judy, he would have been there to rescue Maya from being pushed off the bridge. I didn't believe Maya would commit suicide, foul play was at work.

It was too true to be a coincidence that I get to leave for Country B, Maya gets involved in a scandal and Judy gets killed. It was planned and they would answer me.

"What are you doing?" Emily frowned as she witnessed me yank off the wires connected to my body.

"To father," I growled.

"Niklaus!" She grabbed my arm but I peeled it away and left for the door.

"What are you going to do, Niklaus?!' she yelled after me.

I ignored her question only to bump into Lucas blocking my way.

"What are you doing?" My eyes narrowed at her gesture threateningly.

"I'm not going to let you step a foot out of here," she declared.

I was taken aback momentary, my expression hardened," Are you defying my orders?"

"You suffered a concussion to the head after that blow and a panic attack after you woke up two days later. I'm not going to let you risk your life out there when you're barely recovered," she announced.

I towered over Lucas but he was standing tall with lips pressed together and eyes glinting with determination.

"Are you getting out of my way or should I make you?"

"Take a look at yourself, Niklaus. You're so haggard-looking and under stress. I'm sure if Maya was here, she'd admonish you for putting your life in jeopardy!"

"You don't know anything about Maya! So get out of my way, woman!"

Lucas's eyes widened from shock. Seriously, does she think I would never discover she was a girl? I was a player and could tell apart a girl from a boy with just a glance. But she had hidden herself so well that I only found out after intentionally touching her on the shoulder; women's physiques were different from men's.

I don't know the intention behind her crossdressing but as far as she has no ulterior motive, it was none of my business.

"Niklaus, I still "

I pulled the gun out of her belt to her astonishment and shot at her.

Emily shrieked while Lucas- I wonder if that's her real name- staggered back. I had intentionally missed, the bullet only grazing her arm.

"While I had been asleep for two days, the mother of my child has been missing and you expect me to sit still?"

A loud gasp came from Emily. Yeah, they had no idea Maya was pregnant.

Lucas's mouth opened and closed.

"Have a good time in the hospital. Rest as much as you want," I said to her mockingly and left.

My father has questions to answer.