113 The Paintings

Jia broke into tears as she looked outside the car's window. The long outstretch of lush greeneries by the roadside slowly shifted into rows of commercial buildings and hotels. She never thought that she would still be able to see this city again. What were those certain charitable acts did she do that she would be paid back so dearly?

Soon, the car turned right into a certain subdivision, and after many street turns, it pulled to a stop in front of a two - storey house. Mr. Arvin came down first and took out their luggages before opening up the door for her to step down.

"Who's property is this, Mr. Arvin?" She asked as she looked at him fumbling through a bunch of keys.

"Mr. Rex' brother." Mr. Arvin answered briefly.

A oddly - decorated house interior greeted her eyes as Mr. Arvin opened the door. There were abstract paintings on each wall. In each corner were different types of indoor plants sitting on a black -painted, metal plant stands. In both sides of the stair case, were another corner stands holding pots of different kinds of peebles and stones. Both walls by the stair case, were frames of different kinds of butterflies and other creeping insects hanged in a diagonal manner parallel to the stair frame.

Jia's brows furrowed upon seeing that the arrangement and decoration of the house was more like a museum than a house itself. What more would she see upstairs?

Mr. Arvin noticed her questioning look and he smiled. "There are more of these upstairs. Please, follow me, Miss Jia. "

She felt a bit frightened as she followed him. She was expecting to see skeletons of a person or animals standing in the corners. While she was still halfway, a framed thick bark of a tree could already be seen hanging vertically high across the staircase. She saw another frames lining up. Some of those were types of seeds she could not identify, some were dried leaves and stems. And just as she expected, there was indeed a tall, glass shelf of different types of replica skeleton of deer skulls. Some of those were labeled as Asiatic Mouse Deer Skull, Chinese Water Deer Skull, Whitetail Deer Skull, Tufted Deer Skulls American Deer Skull and Chihuahua Deer Head.

"Mr. Arvin, don't tell me there are human skeletons inside the room?" She asked while she felt a sudden rise of goosebumps all over her body.

Mr. Arvin laughed for the first time in seeing her frightened reaction. And she noticed for the first time that he had good looks which was concealed by his grown beard. He was tall and lean, in a fair complexion.

"There are only oil and graphic paintings of a woman. " He assured her.

Once inside the guest room, she indeed saw a life - size graphic painting of a woman. She stared at it for so long and her brows knitted closely. The woman looked familiar!

"Where is the oil painting? " She turned to Arvin who was placing his suitcase at the corner of the room.

"It's in the master's bedroom but you are not allowed to see it."

"Oh.. " Her suspicion would have been confirmed if she could see more of her paintings. But she would never be her rescuer. It was just too impossible. It would be more rational and believable if she was her abductor, instead.

This could wait but she would definitely find a way to know the who she was. Perhaps, through confirming her suspicion if she was indeed that woman in her mind, she would know the man behind her rescue. Mr. Arvin was too defensive and she could not just topple down his guards easily.

She did a quick bath and change into a new set of clothes. She then went down to the kitchen to find what they could eat. Only to realize, Mr. Arvin was quicker than herself. The rice cooker switch was already on a warm mode and the airpot was already on a red light. He was taking out a scrambled egg from a pan when she stood behind him.

"Mr. Arvin, let me do it."

He glanced at her and smiled."I'm done, Miss Jia. Unless you want me to cook something else. But I guess, you're so tired and sleepy already."

He pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Then, he filled hot water into two cups before serving it to her. There was already a rectangular box in the table with sachets of instant coffee, chocolate drink and tea.

As they began to eat, Jia could no longer hold her curiousity.

"Sir Arvin, when are you going back to Mr. Rex, I mean, to Palawan? And when can I go home? "

Arvin lifted up his eyes to look at her. "I am not going back there yet. I am their youngest brother who happened to be on a short vacation when the news of your abduction went through. This is my big brother's house and I lived here eversince I was in college."

Jia could not believe her ears. And she instantly felt guilty for thinking that he was Mr. Rex ' assistant.

"Please call me by my name. You can't go home because it would be dangerous unless you can find a place to stay which your husband and family members do not know about."

"Okay. I'll let a trusted friend rent for me a house." Jia said, thinking about Anthon.

"The owner of the house will be seeing you for your rental agreement. So that would still be dangerous." Arvin explained.

"Okay, I'll let him purchase a house, instead. "

Arvin agreed. "You're phone is confiscated? You can use my computer in the living room."

Jia did not finish her meal. Seeing his family again was her priority. She was sure that they were already so worried and afraid. Most especially, Jim. But she could not call or send him a message because of the possibility of being monitored.

She created another social media accounts while ordering at the same time a phone battery and a sim card through online elivery. Then she sent a message to Anthon.

"Please, see me in Hidden Park Subdivision, House # 46."