(Emily's Point of View)

Flashback

My brother stroked my head as I sobbed into his chest clutching on for dear life trying to hide the tears away. He whispered comforting words before pulling me away to check me over for bruises. He placed a hand on my cheek making me wince slightly, pulling away from the sensation.

I had been trying to talk to my little sister like countless times before, but it had ended worse than most of the other times. The four-year old had quite the distaste for her older sister, and while normally she would just punch me this time, she found rocks and sticks to use in her retaliation.

She began to scream words at me that I could only assume she had heard my mother say like, 'Dirty Child' and 'Idiot.' I had tried to walk away from her not wanting to be berated by the smallest member of our family, but she ended up jumping on my back with a stick in her hand.

Still I didn't strike back a single time until she brought my brother and mother into the conversation. I threw her onto the grass pining her down to the ground telling her to never attack my loved ones. She kicked and screamed while pulling at my hair, yet still I didnt strike back at her.

I knew Mich would never want me to hurt our little sister, especially for defending him. Eventually our parents yanked me off the girl quickly checking to make sure that she was unharmed before sending a menacing glare my way.

After recalling the tale to Mich he just let me cry back into his chest, upset that I had parents that only cared about their little golden girl. He stroked his fingers through my hair while bringing out the book that always helped us when we were upset.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I took my head out of his chest and brought my eyes to the pages of the book, putting my hand on the pages.

The answers are all here Sista.

End of flashback...

I made my way to the ring that laid at the bottom of my carry-on along with my other memories. I placed my phoenix necklace from Nate around my neck, it hung lower than the locket that I placed on next. This time they were no longer my protection from the things beating me down but a reminder.

"Maybe I was too quick to give up on you God." I looked up towards the ceiling with a soft smile, I knew I had done wrong throughout my life trying to find pleasure in other things. Yet still I had someone in my corner, my brother was right for once.

A ringing sound brought me out of my thoughts and my head jerked towards the sound, the couch glowed softly drawing me in. I lunged towards it just as the ringing stopped, but I gathered the phone in my hands turning it over.

There were several missed calls from Normand trying to talk about the hotel, I scrambled my mind trying to remember if I had ever learned his six digit password. First I typed in both of our birthdays only for it to be wrong both times, and then I remembered his words that morning.

"But the you walked into my office on that fateful day and I knew there was no way I would let you slip through my fingers again."

I went through the days trying to remember when that day was, with no doubt in my mind I knew that the date was the code for the phone. I checked my own phone trying to count the days coming up with November 7th, 2018.

I quickly put in the numbers '1 1 0 7 1 8' screaming in delight as the phone unlocked, and I almost dropped it in the process. I went through his calls trying to see any calls he could have taken during the time between his confession and the second time I woke up.

The only call that he had was an unknown number that I didn't recognize at all, I was tempted to call the number but it was most likely a burner phone that was destroyed shortly after the call.

Whatever that person said on the phone caused him to do a full turn around, making him be so cold to everyone around him. He was the kind of man that would go to great lengths to keep those he loved protected, a shiver went down my spine as I realized exactly what he had done.

I looked outside seeing how dark it had become and I felt a shiver go down my spine at the thought of going back to the house with kidnappers around. But I needed to get him back especially if he had tried to protect me and got hurt because of it.

Maybe we had gotten too close to the truth, to my mother and they wanted to stop it. But if that was true, I glanced down at his phone which I had placed back on the couch beside me, my family could be the people who took him.

I went to the balcony looking out to the Eiffel Tower just as I had the night before half expecting Nate to be behind me when I turned around. I heard the noises of the city floating through the air and I smiled to myself with a promise on the whisper of the wind.

'I'll find you Allen Walker, and tell you that I love you Nathaniel Richmond.'

I was tossing and turning the entire night only to go into restless sleep that was just as bad as being awake. When the sun rose it revealed the gray clouds that hung over the city like a looming threat, yet I brought myself out of bed and made my way towards where I parked my car.

I smiled as I walked watching the birds fly past me, trying to seem like nothing was wrong in my life. I had no idea who in my family wanted to kidnap those I loved but I needed to be cautious. But just about as I reached the street my car sat I bumped into someone that I hadn't seen in several months.

"Em? Is that you?" He squints at me like he doesn't recognize me, and I couldn't help the eye roll that followed.

"Do I know you?" I asked, playing along with his antics with a small laugh, even though I didn't really have time for this. He put his hand to his heart and let out a dramatic gasp pretending to wipe away nonexistent tears.

"I am Shocked! Truly Shocked! How could you not remember me, The Dai Asuma!" We both laughed as we hugged each other, he tightened his arms around me for a moment and a shiver went through me like there was something lurking in the shadows.

We stepped away from each other, still a few short giggles make it past my lips. It had only been a couple months, but still he had changed quite a bit. His normally shaggy hair has been put back with gel, his eyes still help the kiddish and artistic nature it had always but something lingered beneath.

"What are you doing here Dai?" I asked curiously, for a moment forgetting my mission, wondering how we ended up in the same city at the same time.

"I made it into an art exhibit here! I'm not really used to the whole black tie event thing though." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and tugging at the bowtie that wrapped around his neck.

"That's amazing Dai!" I jumped and gave him another hug without really realizing it, his arms wrapped around me hesitantly. Holding me tight he rubbed small circles on my back while whispering a 'thank you' into my ear. We stepped away from each other once more both smiling at each other, but slowly I remembered that I had things to do.

"So then, where are you headed?" He asked innocently, however I had to keep the grimace from slipping onto my face. I couldn't tell him what was going on because someone's life was on the line and people could be listening in on us.

"Just have some work to do, I'm taking a small break to get some air first though." He nodded, seemingly accepting the overly simple and vague answer.

"Alright, just don't be like you were back in College and-"

"Over work myself, I know don't worry. I won't." I replied, we both laughed again caught up in remembering our college days of late nights and cups of coffee before saying goodbye promising that we would meet up before we left Paris.

I drove in silence my thoughts blazing through the countryside, eventually the cottage came into the distance. I trekked my way up to the peaceful cottage and went through the door I had left cracked. I went straight to her room where the drawer was and bent down on me knee with the ring.

I breathed in anticipation, placing the "key" into the little slot and turning it to the right slightly. The drawer popped open with a long box falling out of it, my hands were shaking as I went to get it. Before opening the box I retrieved the ring that had clattered onto the ground, not wanting to lose the precious item.

My fingers shook against the wooden box with anxiety, the lip came off easily leaving a rolled up document. I quickly unrolled the piece of paper scanning with my eyes as shock raced through my nervous veins.

My mother had converted all of the shares she owned of Montgomery Inc. to me and at the very bottom my grandfather's signature laid. I owned the majority of the company, my father could no longer force me into a marriage with this document. He no longer had any leverage over me but... I looked farther into the drawer, there was nothing that could lead me to them.

I looked around the house a sliver more before deciding that there was nothing else there for me right now. I rolled my windows down as I drove away from the house, my phone ringing 'this is a part of me that yo-' I clicked the on button expecting her voice to be screaming in some way.

"Michael!" My head snapped to the phone hearing what sounded a lot like my best friend moaning my brother's name. Continuous moans came through the phone of both of their voices, I almost swerved hitting a tree lunging at the phone to turn it off.

However I had already heard enough of the two's... situation and It took me back to weeks ago when this had happened once before. I had turned off the phone before I could hear exactly who she was doing, and after a couple days had past I had forgotten all about it.

I got out of my car heading back into the hotel continuing to think about what I had just witnessed. The first call had sounded like she was going to say Michael, I quickly shook my head getting the thoughts out of my head. Right now I had to focus on people on my own continent, I rushed through the hotel to make it back to the room.

When I walked into the room his scent enveloped me, embracing me with memories and his cologne. His infuriating smirk while saying Fenice just before kissing me flashed through my mind and I let out a breathy sigh. I missed him.

I grabbed his phone that I had left on the couch and went to the bed we had shared the first night we stayed here. Hugging a pillow on my side as I went through the phone trying to find anything else that could help me.

Curiosity got the better of me as I checked his notes app, my mind reasoning that perhaps he left me a hint but in reality I just wanted to see what he wrote about. There was hundreds of notes but only two folders one labeled work and the other was Emily Montgomery.

I looked through seeing that there were notes ranging from college to just recently, I clicked the oldest one to see if I could learn anything new.

October 19, 2013

Second year, first semester (fall)

The dream team and I had an interesting talk about... Oh gosh I can't believe I'm doing this. About Emily, which is weird to say because she could never be interested in a guy like me, and my attraction for her.

Noah told me that he kept a 'feelings journal' when he first found himself attracted to Martin and felt overwhelmed. I refuse to call this my 'feelings journal' but I promised him that I would talk out some of my feelings.

So. Emily Abigail Montgomery, I like you a lot and I have for several months. It probably started sometime last April, after seeing how beautiful your soul is. I knew that in the beginning Nick was the only one who wanted me to join the dream team, but you still took me in. Nick knew you would never open up to anyone else because you had completed you tight-knit dream team, he wanted to help.

But the moment I knew that I had feelings for you was last year just before finals, you had found me outside my dorm room on the floor. Martin was my dorm mate at the time and he had slipped something in my drink for 'fun.' Because apparently drunk Allen is fun Allen, but I'm getting side tracked but it was mostly because I had been studying nonstop without a break.

You found me, you were in the boys dorms because Nick had called you over to study some. But you dropped everything and helped me back to my bed and you nursed me back to health. It took all day, and I know you missed a lot of studying time. But I think that moment, that's when I truly saw you and your beautiful soul.

You'd do anything for your friends, and somehow I had become a friend of yours. I have never met someone like you Emily, and that's why I have this growing attraction for you.

I dream of just holding you when I see that your upset, I wish I could kiss the tears away that you hide when your alone. I know I probably sound crazy but your never going to read any of this, and dreams are not meant to become reality no matter how much we wish.

Sincerely, AWNR.

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"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
- Dr. Seuss

Hey I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Sadly engaged, both Nathaniel and Emily seem to be growing each chapter don't they?