10 minutes ago..

Nalani walked aimlessly through the busy streets of Paris, her thoughts a storm of confusion and pain. When she came across a nearby park, she sank onto a bench, trying to catch her breath. She pulled out her phone and opened the conversation with Zephyr, scrolling up to one of his messages. The words seemed to jump out at her: Aunt Naomi, Zephyr's mother and her cousin, had arrived the day she and Lena left for Paris. They were staying at home to help take care of her father.

Nalani's grip tightened on her phone. Resentment bubbled up within her. Aunt Naomi had been absent for so long, only to show up now when everything was falling apart. Her anger flared, and she felt tears prick at her eyes. She stood abruptly, shoving her phone back into her pocket, and started walking again. Her chest felt tight, and she began to cry, tears mixing with the rain that suddenly poured down.

Covering her head with her arm, she ran to the nearest crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green. Her mind was a whirlwind, thoughts tumbling over each other. The contents of the letter Viviane had shown her replayed in her mind. Lydia, her mother's own sister, had betrayed and killed her. The pain of that realization was almost too much to bear.

The light turned green, and people started to cross. Nalani moved slowly, feeling heavy and cold. Her clothes were soaked through, and the weight of her grief pressed down on her. She barely noticed the honking cars as she walked, lost in her thoughts. The light turned red again, and cars began to speed past her. She was in the middle of the street, oblivious to the danger.

A car came speeding towards her, honking loudly. Nalani was still walking, unaware, when suddenly she heard someone call her name. The voice was unclear but urgent. A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back just as the car sped past, narrowly missing her. She fell into someone's arms, looking up in a daze.

"It's all my fault," she murmured, tears streaming down her face. She felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, the world around her fading. The man who had saved her kept calling her name, his voice full of concern, trying to wake her up.

"Nalani! Nalani, stay with me!" His voice echoed in her ears as darkness claimed her.

Theo's

 Theodore sat at his desk, papers spread out before him, as Keon stood nearby, recounting the success of the exhibit. "The exhibit was a triumph," Keon reported, a satisfied smile on his face. "All the paintings were sold, except for The Gardenia, of course." Theodore nodded, glancing up as he signed a document. 

Keon sighed, shaking his head. "Are you really not planning to sell it?"

Theodore didn't look up, flipping through more papers. "You already know the answer to that," he replied, his tone firm. "It's not for sale."

Keon was about to leave when Theodore spoke again. "Is there any news from Elms.. that I should know of?"

Keon turned back, walking towards Theodore's desk. "The Board of Directors has been quiet. I think they've stopped pushing Mr. Henley too."

"Well, that's a given since I told them you requested to give them some time and that you'd be attending the AGM yourself" Keon added, clearing his throat.

Theodore paused, clasping his hands together and looking intently at Keon. "I'm attending the AGM, if that what you wanted to hear," he said, reading Keon's unspoken thoughts.

Keon's eyes widened. "What?! You can't be serious. What happened to being an 'anonymous stakeholder' for years?"

Theodore continued flipping through his papers. "I only said I was attending. That doesn't mean I have to appear before them, right?"

Keon sat down in front of Theodore's desk, realization dawning on him. "Oh, I see. You're planning to attend without showing yourself."

Theodore nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips. Keon leaned back, considering the implications. "Nalani would probably be there too, I think. The board has been wanting her to face them, but I don't think she's aware of this. Mr. Henley seems to be protecting her from it."

Theodore gave Keon a thoughtful look. "Thanks for the update. I'll keep that in mind."

Keon stood up, hand on the glass door. "I'll be in the other room," he said, and with a nod from Theodore, he left the office.

****

It was already dark when Theodore finally decided to leave. He drove through the city but took a detour towards Paris de la Reine. He parked his car and used a spare key from his Aunt Anais to enter through the backdoor of the closed gallery. As he walked through the silent halls, he found himself face-to-face with The Gardenia once again. He stared at the painting, memories flooding back.

"Hah... my heart is pounding again," he murmured, placing a hand on his chest. "I must've not realized my true feelings when I drew this in sketch yet. But it has always been about you, Nalani," he whispered, tracing the lines of the painting with his fingers.

After a while, he decided to leave and finally go home. Driving through the streets, he spotted a familiar figure running down the sidewalk. He parked his car and got out, searching for her. "Where is she going?" he mumbled, scanning the area until he spotted Nalani at a crosswalk.

He watched as she stood there, unmoving, while the light turned green and others crossed around her. "Is she not crossing? The light will turn red soon," he muttered, quickening his pace. As he drew closer, he saw her start to walk slowly across the street. 

Then there was a thunder and when he looked up to the sky, the rain clouds were starting to gather. He hurried when he knew it was going to rain.

Theodore felt a surge of relief that he was nearing the crosswalk, but then the light turned red, and cars began to move. Nalani was still in the middle of the road, oblivious to the danger. Panic gripped him as a speeding car approached. He called out her name, but she didn't respond.

In a burst of adrenaline, Theodore sprinted towards her, reaching her just in time. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, the car narrowly missing them. They stood there in the middle of the road, soaked by the rain and surrounded by honking cars. He held Nalani in his arms, his heart racing.

"It's all my fault...," she murmured, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes before collapsing into his arms. 

"Nalani! Nalani, stay with me!" Theodore called out, panic in his voice as he tried to wake her. He held her tightly, shielding her from the rain, desperately hoping she would be okay.