Chapter 144

144 Open the old wounds

Suri sits with her head bowed in front of her father and Christian who wants to interrogate her further about her statement regarding Elena’s involvement in her kidnapping three years ago.

“If you still can’t, it’s better not to force it, honey,” said Anne softly. “Mommy doesn’t want to see you depressed.”

“Mom!”

Anne immediately turned to Christian. “Mommy knows Christ, Mommy knows you want to know more about the information Suri has said before. But you have to remember one thing, we can’t force Suri.”

“This information is important to me, Mom. I need to know if Elena was involved in the incident or not, I’ll be marrying her soon, Mom,” Christian replies quickly, looking impatient.

“Then don’t continue your plan to marry her, Christ,” said Suri quietly.

“Don’t be crazy, Suri!”

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“Christ, don’t be so hard on your sister,” Jack said in a high pitched voice. “Control your emotions.”

“I’ve already proposed to her in front of her parents, Dad. I’ve also ordered a ring and a wedding dress, so how can I cancel everything so easily for no apparent reason? I’m a man, Dad. Where do you want to put my pride?” Christian’s breath was short as he spoke, it was clear that Christian was so emotional at this time. Being suddenly awakened from sleep makes Christian’s emotions still unstable.

.....

Anne, who was sitting between Suri and Christian, gently touched Christian’s back.

“That’s not what your sister meant, Christ,” said Anne softly, trying to lighten the mood. “The point Suri said was not to ask you to cancel your wedding plans, dear. That’s not it.”

Christian who was very impatient, then leaned his back on the chair. “I’m not a fool, Mom. So stop protecting Suri.”

Suri who felt so depressed then lowered her head deeply, her brother’s words sounded so scary in her ears.

“Mommy didn’t protect Suri, Christ,” Jack answered quickly, seeing Suri starting to lower her head worried Jack. Jack is afraid that Suri will have another panic attack like before. “Besides, Suri didn’t say anything, did she? She was just teasing you.”

“Yes dear, don’t get emotional. We’re having a healthy discussion, aren’t we?” Anne immediately retorts to Jack’s words as she winks at Christian, giving him a code not to put too much pressure on Suri.

Christian takes a deep breath, he realizes his mistake. However Suri is a victim and she can’t take too much pressure because it will traumatize her again.

After controlling his emotions, Christian then got up from the sofa where he was sitting and walked over to the sofa where Suri was sitting flanked by her parents. Christian just stopped his steps when he arrived in front of Suri, he slowly knelt in front of Suri and immediately clasped his hands which felt so cold.

“I’m sorry, Suri,” Christian says softly. “I didn’t mean to be rude to you, you know that I would never be mad at you?”

Suri is still silent, she does not give any response to Christian’s words.

Not wanting to see Suri continue to be silent, Christian then raises his sister’s downcast face to be level with him. “Are you angry?” Christian asks so formally, following the way he spoke when he was a teenager when he was flirting with a sulky Suri. “If Suri still wants to be angry, it’s okay, the important thing is that you have apologized. It’s just that Suri needs to remember one thing that God doesn’t like to see people who are angry.”

“I am not angry!” said Suri quickly. “Who is angry?”

Succeed!

Christian smiles a little. “Really not angry? Then where’s the smile?”

“Do you have to smile?” asked Suri curtly.

“Yeah, because that’s the only way I can believe you’re not mad,” Christian replies with a smile.

Suri was forced to finally smile broadly, showing a row of white teeth. She looked so depressed when he did that. Jack and Anne just smiled a little when they saw Christian managed to persuade Suri

“If Suri isn’t ready to tell me I won’t force it,” Christian said softly.

Suri’s two blue beads twitched, staring intently at her brother who was wearing his best smile. “May I ask?”

“Sure, of course,” Christian replies excitedly.

“How important am I in your life?”

One of Christian’s eyebrows rises. “Why ask like that?”

“Just answer me, I want to know,” fierce Suri impatiently.

“You’re my only sister, of course your position is very important in my life. You really have to ask that kind of thing again, huh? Are you worried if you not Jackson and Marianne Clarke’s biological child?”

“Christ!” Anne and Jack rebuke Christian at the same time.

Christian laughs amused, he immediately pinches Suri’s cheeks with excitement. “Well, you saw for yourself, didn’t you?”

Suri immediately hit Christian’s chest in annoyance. “Irritating!”

“So don’t ask questions,” Christian says amused.

Suri is annoyed at Christian then hugs her mother tightly. “Mommy, Christian sucks.”

“Indeed, don’t listen to your brother anymore,” answered Anne quickly, as fast as her movement in hugging Suri tightly.

“Yes, punish him Mom,” said Suri again.

Anne nodded slowly. “Yes, later Daddy will punish him.”

“Yes, later Daddy will punish your brother,” added Jack, not wanting to give up.

Suri immediately stuck her tongue out at Christian, feeling victorious because her parents defended her. Seeing that Christian just smiled a little, because he had succeeded in making Suri’s mood back, Christian then got up from the floor and sat back on the sofa where he was originally sitting.

“How long will you stay this time, Christ?” asked Suri slowly.

Christian purses his lips. “I don’t know, I certainly wouldn’t be able to stay in Geneva for long if I didn’t get a welcome. Especially by my fussy and spoiled sister.”

“Mom...”

“Christ,” warned Anne growling.

“You wrestler,” Christian pouted again to tease Suri.

“I want to vacation with you, Christ,” said Suri quietly. “I want to tour all the tourist attractions in Switzerland.”

“Holiday?” Christian repeats Suri’s words in shock.

Suri released her arms from her mother’s body and immediately sat up straight. “Why? Didn’t you just go on vacation with Elena yesterday, huh?” quipped Suri curtly.

“Oh Suri, you’re not jealous of Elena, are you?”

“If so why, if not why?” asked back, Suri did not want to lose.

Christian shakes his head slowly. “Suri, your position in my heart is definitely different from Elena. You are my sister, one father and mother. So don’t ever be jealous of Elena.”

“So you’re going to be more concerned with me than that Elena one, aren’t you?”

“Of course, does that have to be asked again?”

Siri nodded slowly. “I’m afraid you’ll forget me if you have a wife.”

“It’s impossible, spoiled child,” Christian said again.

“What your brother said is true, Suri. Your brother will certainly still love and care for you even though he gets married later.” Anne, who had been silent for a long time, finally joined in to speak.

Suri pursed her lips. “I just don’t want to lose you, Christ. I’ve lived in fear and loneliness for three years without you, I’m not ready to go through that again.”

Suddenly Jack gripped Suri’s shoulders tightly. “Don’t say things like that honey, as long as Daddy is alive that kind of thing won’t happen again. So don’t think about it again, okay?”

Suri thinned her lips. “Daddy asked me to forget that incident, but why did you ask me to remember it again?”

Checkmate!

Anne, Christian and Jack die instantly. The three of them couldn’t answer Suri’s very unexpected words.

“Not so dear,” said Anne quietly. “Daddy and your brother ask that because they want to punish the person who has made you suffer, whoever he is, regardless of gender, that person must get the punishment he deserves for his actions that have made you suffer. Because honestly Mommy also doesn’t want him to stay out there after making you suffer for years.”

Suri turned her gaze to her mother with teary eyes. “Mommy...”

“Mommy asked Daddy and Christian to punish that person, dear. Therefore forgive them both if they ask again about the wound that you want to bury deeply,” added Anne again.

Suri bit her lower lip hard, her chest filled with an indistinct feeling again. Even though Suri already knows who is the person most responsible for the suffering she has experienced so far, she still refuses to mention the name, the one in her head right now is Elena. Suri was absolutely sure that the masked girl who helped her escape from Osbert was Elena, since she first saw the masked Elena when she came to her birthday party a few weeks ago, Suri was sure that she was the same girl as back then. Even though Suri actually can’t remember the face of the real criminal, for some reason Suri actually remembers her savior that day.

“I can’t remember everything clearly, that person was wearing a mask,” Suri said softly, barely audible.

“Mask?” Jack immediately responded to Suri’s words before Christian who was about to ask the same question.

Siri nodded slowly. “Yes, that person is wearing a mask. The person I asked to find Daddy to help me,” replied Suri hoarsely, remembering that the tightness filled Suri’s chest again. Suri felt that the girl in the black mask was the one to blame for what happened to her that she had to end up in Areez’s hands for years.

Christian’s heart beat very fast. “Slow down, Suri...tell me everything slowly.”

Suri shook her head. “I can’t remember clearly. People’s faces are like mosaics in my memory.” What Suri meant at this time was the face of Osbert the main actor and Mr. Yamada, the one who almost fucked her. Suri’s fear was so great for the two men that Suri couldn’t remember their faces anymore.

“Okay, then just tell me what you remember, honey. Slow down,” said Jack softly. “Not be forced.”

Suri took a deep breath, trying to combine the mosaic shards that were scattered in her head at this time. Osbert’s scary grin at that time really scared Suri so badly that she finally forgot about it. Suri is still scared even though three years have passed. Recalling how she was helplessly tied to the bed in such an open position made Suri always weak when she tried to remember Osbert’s face again.

Seeing how pale Suri’s face now made Anne panicked, she immediately grabbed Suri’s hands and held them tightly. “No Suri, if you’re still too scared, don’t tell us anymore. Mommy doesn’t want it if you have to...”

“While waiting for Asher at the airport, I was suddenly approached by several big men who I didn’t know. They moved quickly and when I realized I was in a hotel I don’t know where I was tied up and my mouth was gagged on the bed.”