Madame Antonia descended into the basement, hoping tonight would be the night she succeeded in breaking the child's spirit. After switching the lights open, she found the child curled up on the cold hard ground, sucking on its thumb, its eyes squeezed shut. For Madame Antonia, all the children that came under her care were objects that needed to be trained. In her eyes, they were gender less and mindless, their only purpose in life to prove that Madame Antonia was good. Madame Antonia lip curled as she observed her latest project. The child was emaciated and smaller than most other seven years old. But for Madame Antonia, it hadn't been starved enough.

"Get up!" - Madame Antonia

A kick to the child's ribs punctuated the words. Its eyes flew open. Madame Antonia drew her breath sharply. She despised a lot of things about this latest project of hers, but none more than those violet eyes staring at her right now. Terrible in its deceptive purity, the eyes made Madame Antonia feel soiled and she shook her head violently.

"No! this was the work of the devil, using the child to make her feel like she wasn't guided by God's hand." - Madame Antonia (in her mind)

But still, those big violet eyes stared, damning her, and Madame Antonia shrieked.

" Didn't you hear what I said!? " - Madame Antonia

Seeing Madame Antonia taking one step towards her seemed to throw the child into a panic. It scrambled to its knees, pale body shaking hard as it bent its head.

" I am sorry, Madame Antonia. " - Kathryn Ice (it whispered)

Please make Madame Antonia believe me, (in her mind), it prayed. It hated itself for being a liar, but no matter what it did, it just couldn't stop lying.

When Madame Antonia reached the child, it threw itself prostrate on the ground. Her skin crawled when it tried to kiss her feet.

" Get away from me! " - Madame Antonia

Madame Antonia shoved the child away with another kick to its face. It back a cry of pain. Madame Antonia hatred grew at how silent and stoic it was. Why was this child is so different?.

" You don't want to see me, do you? " - Madame Antonia

" No, Madame Antonia. " - Kathryn Ice

The child shook its head fiercely even while keeping its gaze trained on the ground.

" I'm happy to see you. " - Kathryn Ice

It was lying of course, but it prayed hard that maybe this time God wouldn't tell Madame Antonia it wasn't speaking the truth. The child knew Madame Antonia was good and it was bad. It knew this, but it didn't believe.

" Liar! " - Madame Antonia

Madame's hiss made the child bite its lip hard. Please God, please make me believe the truth. Please make me believe so that Madame Antonia would love me. (The child wish in her mind)

Madame Antonia suddenly cupped its chin, forcing it to look up. The child's eyes clashed with the woman's. Madame Antonia screamed.

" Stop looking at me like I'm evil! " - Madame Antonia

It tried to protest bit it wasn't given any chance. Madame Antonia hand cracked against its cheek. Madame Antonia tried to scratch its eyes out. And the Madame Antonia was gripping its hair, dragging it up the stairs and out of the basement. The child forced itself to keep quiet, hoping its silence would Madame Antonia forgive her. But what the child didn't know was that the more silent it was, the more Madame Antonia would despise it. In its desperate, innocent desire to please, the harder it had become for Madame Antonia to remain blind to the truth.

Madame Antonia threw the child to the floor they reached the dining room. She waited for the child to cry and fight back, but it only raised itself to its knees, looking up at Madame Antonia with eyes that neither hated nor questioned. In those eyes, Madame Antonia saw the truth the real truth, and not what she had tried to convince herself and all the children that she had killed in the name of her love for them. Madame screamed.

" Why won't you just break? "- Madame Antonia

Pulling the child up to its feet, Madame Antonia waited for the child to lift its head before slapping it as hard as she could. The child swayed on its feet, and the dance began. Soon after, the music of Madame Antonia palm cracking against the child's cheek played in the room.

Crack. Sway. Crack. Sway. Crack. Sway

The child's vision dimmed, but it struggled to stay on its feet. The child and Madame Antonia had danced to this music for as long as it could remember, and the steps were simple to remember. It mustn't fall, mustn't look at Madame Antonia, and most importantly of all, it mustn't ever make Madame Antonia have trouble hitting her. Madame Antonia was speaking/singing now, lyrics to the music that the child didn't understand.

" Why wasn't it still broken?..

Why did it still want to live?..

Why couldn't it just break?.. " - Madame Antonia Sing

If it had been allowed to speak, the child would have asked just one question. How did Madame Antonia want to break itself?. Madame Antonia voice became feverish.

" I can't be blamed. I was so scared. " - Madame Antonia

As the child continue to dance to Madame Antonia music, it wondered dazedly if her own terror was the same as Madame Antonia. Did Madame Antonia feel like she felt now?

" I'm not evil. " - Madame Antonia

The child wanted to believe Madame Antonia. There must be a reason why Madame Antonia couldn't stop hurting her, couldn't begin loving her. Madame Antonia was good, and it was not.

" Those men beat me up, raped me the entire night, all at the same time. They were the monster, not me! " - Madame Antonia

The music rose to a screaming crescendo, and the dance reached its peak. Madame Antonia was no longer content slapping its face. Now, Madame Antonia fists began to color the child's eyes with bruises, and the cracking slaps turned into painful thuds.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Its eyes swelled shut, and the child struggled to dance even when it was half blind with pain.

" They told me to kill my parents so I did! I was scared, and that was why I did it! I was young like you. I can't be blamed. God knows I must be forgiven for what I did. They broke me! " - Madame Antonia

The music suddenly stopped, and the child started to tremble. The silence was bad and scary, and she wished she could hear the music again. She didn't want this quiet, knew with all her heart that it was. Madame Antonia came out of her trance, and the first thing she saw was the child's eyes.

" No! " - Kathryn Ice

Madame Antonia grabbed the child by the hair, and still it didn't speak. It was terrified out of its wits, but it still knew what was right or wrong.

" Why?..

Why didn't it break like Madame Antonia had?.. - Kathryn Ice (In her mind)

" You're going to break! " - Madame Antonia

Madame Antonia muttered feverishly.

" You're going to break like all the others did! " - Madame Antonia

The beating lasted for an hour. By the time Madame Antonia vision cleared, the child was crumpled in a ball of pain. Madame Antonia knelt down, breathing hard.

" Open your eyes. " - Madame Antonia

Slowly, its eyes opened. And Madame Antonia saw she had lost. It still had not broken.

AFTER 5 YEARS .....

" You have to understand these things take time, Mrs. Rewis. " - Doc Matthew

The doctor's voice was gentle but resolute. Doctor Matthew Brynthe knew the powerful Rewis matriarch could have him fired for mere impertinence, but he didn't give a damn. His patient was his first priority and no one else. Kristina Rewis gaze swung back to the adjoining room, its two-way wall allowing her to study her 12 year old grandchild.

" Just tell me my grandchild will get better, " - Kristina said tightly

" Is that too much to ask? " - Kristina

Doctor Matthew shook his head irritably.

" I know you are used to getting your way, but if you truly care about your grandchild. " - Doc Mathew

" Of course, I care!, " - Kristina snapped.

" Then don't force me to give you a diagnosis we both know I'm unable to provide, " - Doc Matthew snapped back.

" If I can give you more reassurance, I would. But I can't. " - Doc Matthew added.

Kristina's face became stiff at the doctor's word, but her voice shook when she spoke.

" It's my fault, can't you see? I forced my daughter to give her baby up, and now I'm paying the price. " - Kristina

Her voice broke as she imagined the unspeakable horror her arrogance had forced her own flesh and blood to live through.

" I have all money in the world, " - Kristina said in bitterly

" and it does nothing for my grandchild. "- Kristina

The matriarch's grief was more than palpable, and the doctor was unable to remain completely indifferent at the sight of the older woman's suffering.

" Not everything's lost. " - Doc Matthew, making an effort to soften his voice.

" Your grandchild's exceptionally intelligent, her IQ score off the chart. " - Doc Matthew

" I'm not asking you if my grandchild is smart. " - Kristina

" I know that, " - Doc Matthew growled impatiently.

" But I'm telling you this because I want you to be thankful for it! You're grandchild's formative years were spent under the care of an abusive woman. Your grandchild was beaten regularly and nearby starved to death. Most children would have grown up insane or twisted and evil because of it, but your grandchild became neither. That's a miracle and that's ..." - Doc Matthew drew a deep breath.

" What I'm about to say is against my professional training, but I will say it because I want my patient to heal almost as much as you do. " -Doc Matthew

He weary gaze settled back on his patient. Her eyes were glued to the wall mounted TV, which was configured to play downloaded episodes of food shows. After several months of theraphy, Doc Matthew had discovered that food was the only thing guaranteed to draw the twelve year old out of her shell. Prior to it, the child had refuse to even acknowledge being called by her name.

" I am it. " - Kathryn Ice, had muttered almost defiantly.

" I don't have a name because Madame Antonia says I'm not good. " - Kathryn Ice, added.

They had been the only words the child spoke of Madame Antonia, but for Doc Matthew is enough. He had seen enough victims of child abuse to read between the lines. Madame Antonia or whoever the bitch was, had used starvation as a way of reinforcing her beliefs on Kristina Rewis grandchild. Food had become a measurement of love and the child had learned to voluntarily starved herself until Madame Antonia considered her " good ." The memory had the doctor feeling murderous. The taking of human lives went against his very nature, but for the so-called Madame Antonia, Doc Matthew was more than willing to make an exception.

" Doctor Matthew? "- Kristina strained voice.

She snapped him out of his thoughts, and the Doctor found the older woman standing next to the two way window, Kristina's eyes filled with despair while gazing at her grandchild. Doc Matthew came to stand next to Kristina.

" You're grandchild will never be completely normal. " - Doc Matthew

The matriarch cry of pain but the Doctor ignored it, instead he asked in a hard voice.

" Knowing that, are you still certain you're able to care to her? " - Doc Matthew

" I love her! " - Kristina voice was both ravaged and absolute.

" I will do everything for her. " - Kristina added.

" I hope you mean that. " - Doc Matthew face Kristina then.

" Because I wasn't lying. The trauma she's suffering from is so severe, Madame Antonia's conditioning to deep and ingrained. I'm not sure we'll ever completely get rid of it. " - Doc Matthew, added.

Kristina Rewis head lowered, defeat destroying the glamour that wealth and power bought and reducing her into an old woman burdened with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

" The only thing you can do is to be patient with her. If you never tire showing her love, she will get better. Eventually she may learn to trust you. She may believe that she's worthy of being loved. But never forget that she can suffer from a relapsed anytime, and anything can trigger it. " - Doc Matthew, eyes bored into Kristina.

" Everything, but most especially Lying. " - Doc Matthew, added.

" I understand. " - Kristina nodded stiffly.

She held her tears back ruthlessly as she spoke. If her young grandchild could suffer this long without breaking down, so would she. When Kristina was about to leave, Doc Matthew wrestled with his conscience and his professional duty. The former won, he went after the matriarch.

" Wait, Mrs. Rewis. " - Doc Matthew

In the act of joining her granddaughter in the car, Kristina paused, and turning back, she saw the younger man running down the hospital steps. She waited for the doctor to reached her.

" What is it? "- Kristina, deliberately didn't speak in Greek to prevent her grandchild from understanding. In blunt english, the doctor said.

" I know you worry about the time when she has to live alone and you're not there to guide her. " - Doc Matthew

" I don't plan on dying anytime soon. " - Kristina, inhaled sharply.

" I know that, but we both know death is unpredictable thing. " - Doc Matthew, interrupted quietly.

Behind Kristina, his patient stared back at him with guileless eyes that knew too little and too much at the same time.

" I want her to get well too, Mrs. Rewis, and that's why I'm advising this. " - Doc Matthew, didn't wait for an answer saying grimly.

" Buy her a husband. Someone honorable. Someone who understand that she's emotionally crippled but not insane. And most importantly, someone who will not abandon your grandchild to the wolves when your gone." - Doc Matthew

TWO YEARS LATER ...

Kristina's daily routine had not changed despite learning that she had Stage 4 cancer. She still woke up early, when to work six days a week, and still flew all over the world attending business meetings. Her doctor's didn't approved, of course.

" Your already limited days on earth will be even more limited if you keep up what you're doing. " - Doc Fiona, warned.

Idiots. Kristina thought, fuming. None of them had realized she didn't have a choice. She had to present a strong front for as long as her granddaughter needed her.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door just as Kristina finished her bath, something that used to take minutes but now took her almost an hour and caused immeasurable pain.

" Come in. "- Kristina said wearily.

To her shock, it was her granddaughter, and she sat up abruptly.

" What is it, Kathryn Ice? " - Kristina

6 months ago, Kristina had finally succeeded in manipulating the child into accepting her name or nickname for that matter. Seeing how the girl abhorred causing anyone pain, Kristina resorted to emotional blackmail, crying copious tears as she told the child that she would die of loneliness if Kathryn Ice didn't stop thinking of herself as 'it'.

" And you promise not to die of loneliness If I do what you want, Grandmama? " - Kathryn Ice

" Yes. " - Kristina, had sniffed for effect.

Her 14 year old granddaughter gazed at her for a long time, her uncanny violet eyes so bright it was almost like having a light shinning all the way to her soul. But Kristina had refused to feel guilty, telling herself that she wasn't speaking any untruth.

" Alright. " - Kathryn Ice

Kristina's head had snapped up.

" What do you mean, alright? " - Kristina, whispered.

" I am no longer it. " - Kathryn Ice

A heartbreakingly shy smile broke over her granddaughter's lips, and her voice was graved when she said.

" If you think I am deserving of having a name... " - Kathryn Ice, paused as if she was waiting for Kristina to change her mind.

" It would mean so much, " - Kristina, didn't of course (in her mind). She said shakily.

" If you let me call you by your name. " - Kristina, added.

Another eternity passed befor her granddaughter finally nodded.

" Then from this day, I am Kathryn Ice Rewis. " - Kathryn Ice

And that had been the last time they talked, Kristina thought painfully. Kathryn Ice had become distant and watchful again after that, and Kristina had been at a lost on how to reach out to her granddaughter again. She had even begun to feel maudlin, wondering if she had imagined it all until now. In front of her, Kathryn Ice remained by the door, her serenely beautiful face yielding nothing.

" What is it, Kathryn Ice? " - Kristina, asked gently.

" You haven't eaten breakfast. " - Kathryn Ice. It was a statement not than a question, spoken in an equally monotonic voice. Not knowing what to make of it.

" No, I haven't. " - Kristina, said slowly.

Another watchful, calculating glance, and then Kathryn Ice said almost defiantly.

" I have prepared breakfast for you. " - Kathryn Ice

" Y-you did? " - Kristina's heart race at the words when she said.

Kathryn Ice nodded.

" F-for me? " - Kristina's asked for the second time.

Kathryn Ice nodded again.

" I w-would love to eat it. " - Kristina swallowed in an effort to control her emotions.

Kristina started to stand up, only to have her granddaughter shaking her head at Kristina.

" Stay there. " - Kathryn Ice

Kristina had started to smile at the commanding note in Kathryn Ice voice when the door opened and her granddaughter pushed a trolley in, with a covered tray on top. The urge to smile dissappeard, replace by an intense desire to weep.

' Oh! Kathryn ' - Kristina, said in her mind.

The girl broke her heart everyday, with how strong and good she was, and Kristina could never thank God enough for it.

' Lord, don't take me away until I know Kathryn Ice's strong enough to survive without me. I beg you, Lord. ' - Kristina prayed in her mind. In front of her, Kathryn Ice lifted the tray, and Kristina's breath caught.

" It's beautiful, Kathryn Ice. " Kristina

She had never described food as beautiful, but there was no better word for it now. On the black rectangle box was white saffron rice on one side, and on top of it was egg white dyed pink and cut in the shape of cherry blossoms, with strips of nori seaweed making up its thin and almost intracately arranged branches. On the side was a mixed of fresh broccoli, cubed beef teriyaki, and carrots shaped like hearts. Swallowing back a sob, Kristina asked tremulously.

" Where did you learn to make this? " - Kristina

" The internet. " - Kathryn Ice

The girl's eyes were bright and intense, her gaze focused intently on here grandmother's face.

" Do you like it? " - Kathryn Ice, voice was sharp almost abrupt.

" Yes. " - Kristina, said simply.

" You may eat now. " - Kathryn Ice, bit of tension left taut form.

As Kristina started on her meal, Kathryn Ice's gaze never left hers. When she was done and sipping a glass of lemon water, Kathryn Ice suddenly asked.

" Do you love me, Grandmama? " - Kathryn Ice

" Of course. " - Kristina, heart broke for the second time that day. She poured all her heart into those two words.

It wasn't the first time Kathryn Ice had asked the question. In fact, the girl liked to ask it at the oddest times. When they were in the middle of a shopping mall, when she saw Kristina tending to her private garden in her bedroom. There was no telling when Kathryn Ice would ask, and everytime she did, Kristina wished with all her heart she had a power to kill Madame Antonia over and over. Looking at Kathryn Ice's face.

" I will always love you. " - Kathryn Ice, said softly.

No emotions crossed the girl's unblinking gaze as she asked.

" Why? " - Kristina, said simply.

" Because I do. " - Kathryn Ice

" And you don't need to do or say anything to earn it. " - Kristina, furiosly blinked back tears.

" You are not... Lying? " - Kathryn Ice, frowned.

Kristina met her granddaughter's gaze head on, praying to God that Kathryn Ice would see the truth she lived for.

" No. " - Kristina

Kathryn Ice started walking towards her, and Kristina found herself beside anxiety. Had she said something wrong? Was Kathy mad?

Kathy drop her knees.

" Darling, was is it? " - Kristina, let out a cry of dismay.

" If you're not lying to me... " - Kathryn Ice, words were a fragile whisper.

Kristina paled. Kathy's body trembled so hard it was as if Kristina's granddaughter was struggling against the vilest demons inside her.

" Oh! Baby what is it? Tell me. " - Kristina

" If you're n-not lying, G-Grandmama, then I'll... I'll try to love you. " - Kathryn Ice, lifted tear-stained eyes to her.

A sob escaped Kristina as she drew her granddaughter into her arms, and for the first time, Kristina felt Kathy's arms going around her. She choked on other side.

" Oh! Child, I love you. I'll always love you. " - Kristina, murmured the words over and over, her tears bittersweet because she knew that God had answered her prayers.

Kathy's was strong now ...

It was time for her to go ...

" She's different. " - Kristina, explained carefully.

" But she's not crazy. " - Kristina, added.

The youngman seated across her only nodded, his angelically beautiful face perfectly expressionless. It reminded her so much of Kathryn Ice it was uncanny, and Kristina had to repress a shiver. ' Is this a good or bad omen, Lord? '

" You've read the reports I've sent you? " - Kristina

" I have, Kyría. " - Yuri Daniel, ( 'Kyría in grecian means madam or lady )

" Then you know I'm telling you the truth. " - Kristina's voice became fierce.

" I never thought you would lie to me, Kyría. " - Yuri Daniel

The man's voice was courteous and pleasant, something Kristina found admirable in young Greek men. But right now, she would pay a fortune to hear any emotion in that voice. Kristina made a snap decision to lay all her cards on the table.

" I could have had any man in Greece, but I chose you because I know you're honorable and because... " - Kristina's dainty shrug.

" You need me, more than I need you. " - Kristina, added.

" Touché, Kyría. " - Yuri Daniel, inclined his head. His tone remained respectful but even, his face expressionless.

Kristina refuse to feel defeated. The man she had chosen might appear too young for the daunting task she had for him, but she knew with all her heart that he was the only one she could trust. She would bet all her remaining days on earth on it.

" What's stopping you from saying yes?  " - Kristina, demanded.

A moment of hesitation before the man answered slowly.

" I may be too cold for her, Is that the only thing you're worried about? " - Yuri Daniel

Kristina's laughter didn't reach her eyes.

" Let me make it clear to you then. I chose you precisely because of that. That coldness you speak of is nothing but a shield. I know because I use the same thing, too, to protect what I value the most. For me that is my granddaughter. For you that is your half sister. " - Kristina

The man stiffened.

" Yes... " - Kristina, acknowledge shamelessly.

" I know about her. I know you've sacrificed your relationship with your father for her, and it's that kind of selflessness.. No, that coldness.. I want from you. " Kristina voice turned hard.

" Let us stop playing games. We both know you have no one left. No one but me. There is no one else in this world who has the wealth, power and motivation necessary to go against your father. I am your only chance, Yuri Daniel Athanas. So I suggest you be as cold-blooded as you say you are and say yes. " - Kristina

Ten minutes later, and Kristina was leading the young Greek Scion out of her office and downstairs, where Kathy was. Yuri was bemused when he realized where they were heading.

" She's in the kitchen? " - Yuri, with the exception of his own half sister, most heiresses of his acquaintance weren't even aware where their kitchen was.

" It's her favorite place in the house. " - Kristina, answered briefly.

Opening the door for Kristina, Yuri followed the older woman inside. He stopped when he saw the sole occupant in the kitchen, his gaze immediately arrested by the 14 year old girl behind the island, her head bent as she expertly minced spring onion on the chopping board. Sunlight filtering through the expansive windows at her back gave the girl a golden halo. Her hair, cascading down in a silky brown waterfall, hid most of her face, but what little he saw told Yuri that the girl was exquisitely beautiful and would be even more so when she matured.

Even so, Yuri did not feel a thing. When the Rewis matriarch nodded at him, he walked towards the girl. They had agreed that he would speak to his granddaughter first and he would make his decision from there. Kathryn Ice Rewis didn't look up when Yuri's shadow fell over her chopping board. Her fingers paused, however, the knife coming to a stop mid-air. A second passed, and Yuri sensed she was waiting for him to speak. When he didn't, another second passed before her slender, elegant fingers started moving again.

" Hello. " - Yuri, finally speak.

The girl stilled, and she was so perfectly motionless that with her ivory skin, one could be forgiven for thinking she was a marble statue. Slowly, she raised her head, and violet eyes met brilliant blue. Yuri thought, now he knew why her first and only day in the girl's academy Kristina enrolled her in had been disastrous. Those gypsy looking eyes were innocent and all knowing like a child's hiding nothing but seeing everything. Most people would feel condemned just looking at those eyes, Yuri knew. He was about to speak again when he saw her lips part, and Yuri stilled.

" Hello. " - Kathy voice was light and grave, beautiful and cold. But her violet eyes had a hint of wariness, and when Kristina came to join them.

Yuri realized that the girl had already been briefed about him. What she thought of it, however, was impossible to tell. Her eyes were too much like his in that sense. Perfectly glassy, reflecting everything except her own thoughts.

" Darling. " Kristina said softly. She waited for her granddaughter's gaze to meet hers before continuing.

" This is the man I was telling you about, his name is Yuri Daniel. Call him Yuri. And he'll take care of you he loves you, like I do. " - Kristina, added.

Kathy's brows furrowed.

" You're not lying? " - Kathy

" I love you. Don't I? Will I lie to you? " - Kristina, swallowed.

The violet eyes turned towards Yuri. In her gaze, he saw both his prison and his future.

" Will you love me? " - Kathy

And for this girl, Yuri realized bleaky, it was that simple. Dishonesty had been beaten out of her system and Kristina's overprotective love hadn't given her any chance to discover the life would never be that black and white. Meeting her gaze.

" Yes. " - Yuri, heared himself, lie.

After, Kristina and Yuri were both quiet as they went through the majestic front doors of the Rewis Mansion. When the valet brought his car to the driveway. Kristina broke the silence.

" I will not go back on my word. " - Kristina

" I never thought you would. " - Yuri, murmured.

The older woman hesitated, and it struck him at the moment how frighteningly frail she appeared. In her frequent photos on the society pages, the matriarch always had an untouchable aura about her, but there was none of her usual glamour now.

" Are you alright? " - Yuri

" Of course. " - Kristina voice was bland as she knowingly added to her sins. 'Forgive me, Yuri Daniel Athanas.'

Kristina had deliberately witheld the truth of her medical condition from the younger man, fearing his refusal if he realized that he might have only months left before fate demanded him to tie himself irrevocably to a stranger. After accepting the keys from the valet, Yuri faced Kristina again.

" Is there anything else you would like to discuss? " - Yuri

' A lot. ' Kristina thought painfully. ' Do you think you'll ever fall for someone like my granddaughter? Can you promise never to make her cry? Do you realized how terrified I am, knowing that I have no choice but to trust you? '

But in the end she knew she could not say any of those. Instead, she had to content herself with a promise.

" I will do everything in my power to help you save your sister, but you must promise me that you will do the same for my granddaughter. Save her when the time comes that I am no longer by her side. " - Kristina

FOUR YEARS LATER...

ATHENS, GREECE

If only she could be a food.

Food didn't lie. Food smelled good when it was edible. Food smelled bad when it was rotten. If only everyone could be food, maybe she wouldn't be so confused. Somewhere in the room, Doc Simon Corba continued to talk in a pompous-sounding voice. The thin-haired, bespectacled man had appointed himself as her guardian since her grandmother had died, and everyone in the estate as well as the lawyers hadn't questioned it. Or atleast everyone except her.

" Are you listening to me, Ms. Rewis? " - Doc Simon, wrestled with irritation and infatuation as he gazed at his future wife.

Whose profile was turned towards the expansive windows. Kathryn Ice meant 'beautiful' in their language, and the Rewis heiress was indeed the embodiment of physical pefection. Her long, shiny hair was like ebony silk, providing a mesmerizing contrast against her skin, which was an unusual ivory shade when most Greek girls had sun-kissed complexions. Tall, slim, and long- legged, Kathryn Ice also had an equally perfect figure, the kind that any dress would end up flattering. 'Perfect', Doc Simon thought, and if his plans would proceed without fail, this goddess and all her money would be his. Straightening, he walked towards Kathryn, and in what he hope was a hard.

" I asked you a question, Ms. Rewis. " - Simon, authoritative voice.

Kathryn slowly turned towards him, and her large, violet, all seeing eyes focused on his face. Doc Simon could feel himself flushing under the girl's gaze. It was as if she knew exactly what he was planning. Which was rubbish, the doctor told himself. He had been exceptionally careful, and never once had he slipped in the presence of Kristina Rewis when she was still alive. No one knew that he had unintenionally learned the truth while listening to the old woman's maudling ramblings whe she was under the power of heavy sedatives. From there, it had been ludicrously easy to confirm the facts. Although all files about Kathryn's past and her medical history had been destroyed, people's memories remained, and those memories could always be bought. Doc Simon grimaced at the thought of how much he had paid for those memories. 'Half of his life savings blown away, but he had to think of it as an investment he could recoup, the doctor comforted himself. When his gaze returned to Kathryn Ice, the 18 year old girl.

" No. " - Kathy, said in an exquisite lilting voice.

" No, what? " - Doc Simon was confused having forgotten what he had asked.

Her violet eyes unblinking and steady on his face.

" No, I wasn't listening to you. I don't like listening to foolish talk. " - Kathryn Ice, clearly. Her voice took on a patient note.

" I told you that already, didn't I, Dr. Corba? " - Kathy

" Y-You musn't speak to me that way. " - Doc Simon, could feel himself flushing at the heiress words. He managed to bluster even though he was more humiliated than furious.

There was just something about the way Kathryn Ice Rewis looked and talked that made one feel like he was facing an angel. A real angel, one that hadn't sinned and never would, how could anyone lie to an angel?

The heiress head inclined to a side, a puzzled look on her face.

" In what way, Doc Simon? " - Kathy

'She really was mad', Doc Simon told himself. She had no sense of propriety, no sense of right and wrong. If he didn't do his duty by intervening, she could be completely out of touch with reality and maybe even end up killing herself or someone else. Ultimately, he would be doing Kathryn Ice and a world the great favor by taking her under his wings. The thought made the doctor unconciously puff his chest out and condescencion turn his voice oily when he said.

" Never mind that. " - Doc Simon, smiled at Kathryn

" Even though your grandmother has unfortunately departed this world, I want you to know you are not completely alone." - Doc Simon, added.

Kathryn's violet eyes blinked once.

" How can I be alone when I have entire staff with me, Doc Simon? " - Kathy

" I don't mean just physical companionship, Ms. Rewis. I meant that will Kristina Rewis gone, who will be there to take care of you?" - Doc Simon, has pause before sliding the first knife into her back, saying.

" The staff is paid to cater to your needs, but they don't love you. " - Doc Simon, word was calculated to poison, the way only people born with the capacity to be treacherous could.

" I hope you didn't fool yourself into thinking they have gradually come to care for you just because of the years you've spent together? " - Doc Simon, added.

Kathryn didn't speak, but Doc Simon observed in satisfaction that the young woman now sat tensely on the sofa, her back ramrod straight and her elegant fingers curled into fists on her lap.

" You're an exceptionally intelligent girl, " - Doc Simon, murmured.

" You know I'm saying the truth, don't you, Kathryn Ice? May I call you that --- " - Doc Simon, added..

" No. " - Kathy, answered.

The doctor started at the girl's cold voice and when he glanced at her, he almost found himself rearing back at the fierce intensity in her violet eyes. A shiver ran through him, and he suddenly realized that this girl would be more than happy to dance on his grave. 'She disliked him that much',  Doc Simon thought, and this angered and offended Doc Simon's great pride so that it pushed him to reveal his inner emotions for the first time.

" Don't start putting on airs, " - Doc Simon said nastily.

" When we both know who you were before Kristina Rewis dressed you in jewels and furs. " - Doc Simon, added.

Kathryn Ice's expressionless face didn't alter at the doctor's outburst, and her voice was mild when she said.

" I don't own any jewelry or fur, Doc Corba. " - Kathryn had only meant to correct the doctor's misassumption about her wardrobe but it only seemed to goad him further.

" You think you don't deserved someone like me, don't you? " - Doc Simon accused.

" Yes. " - Kathryn couldn't lie, she said simply. This time, the doctor looked like he wanted to kill her.

Throughout his years of being a physician to Greece's rich and famous, Doc Simon had struggled with insecurities fed by his greed and envy. The more he saw of their wealth, the deeper his sense of injustice became. He had every right to be as rich and powerful as all of them were. The only difference between them was that his parents had been truer than with Kathryn Ice. 'If not for Rewis blood running through her',  Doc Simon thought angrily, she would have remained the slave of a lunatic and maybe starved to death in a couple of years. She was nothing without her name but because she was an Rewis, she was everything that Doc Simon, despite all his hard work, was not. In his self-righteous anger, the doctor failed to realized that he was completely wrong about the Rewis heiress in one sense. Kathryn Ice, whose years with Madame Antonia had taught her perspicacity beyond her years, had never been fooled by the doctor's obsequious manners. A such, she did not dislike Doc Simon Corba. She simply did not trust him. And because she did not trust him, she did not believe she deserved him. 'How could she when she didn't know him yet?'

" I'm afraid you have no choice, Kathryn Ice. " - Doc Simon used the girl's given name with relish.

Again, Kathryn Ice only cocked her head to the side in silent question.

" You are too young and sick to live alone. I will request the courts to put you under my care as you have no one ... " - Doc Simon

" But Doctor Corba, " - Kathryn interrupted quietly,

" Did't I tell you? I am not alone. " - Kathryn, added.

" The staff doesn't count, " - Doc Simon said impatiently.

" But I'm not talking about the staff. " - Kathryn said.

" Then who? An imaginary friend? " - Doc Simon, snide remark came out before he could stop himself.

And Doc Simon flushed guiltily at how childishly petty he had become. 'But it was all her fault',  he told himself. She had insulted him first! But when Kathryn Ice spoke, it was obvious she hadn't taken offense at all.

" No, Doctor Corba. " - Kathryn beautiful face remained serene, her voice unruffled.

It was as if he had no power at all to affect her, and the doctor perceived this as another slight to his pride. Insecurities fed his hatred, and all his good intentions were forgotten as he said coldly,

" I wonder, Ms. Rewis. " - Doc Simon spat her name out.

" Maybe with your grandmother dead, you realized you've been living a lie all along? The greatest lie of all. Maybe you've come to know that without Kristina Rewis, you are nothing and you have to go back to Madame--- " - Doc Simon said.

A flicker in those violet eyes and Doc Simon wanted to laugh triumphantly at it.

" Yes, " - Doc Simon gloated.

" I know everything about Madame Antonia, and if you ask me, I think she had it right on how to handle someone like you. " - Doc Simon, added.

He looked at Kathryn Ice, and this time he didn't bother hiding behind a wall of professionalism. This time, he looked at her with all the lust he felt in his body ever since he saw her. He wanted to **** her, but not as a woman to care for. He wanted to **** her as his sex slave. Kathryn Ice's face remained expressionless, but there was no hiding the sudden pallor of her skin, no disguising the way her body had become stiff as a corpse. 'He had gotten to her',  Doc Simon observed in cruel satisfaction. And he had. Names had power, one either brought by fear or love. For Kathryn, she had unthinkingly given Madame Antonia's name power over her by steadfastly refusing to think of it, much less say it. For Kathryn, the name Madame Antonia didn't exist and by thinking so, she had turned the name into a "bogeyman" that lived under her skin. And when the doctors had spoken the name, it was as if he had claimed ownership. In her eyes, in her mind and heart, Doc Simon Corba was Madame Antonia's reincarnate. She believed this even if her logic, her much-lauded MENSA-level IQ, told Kathryn vehemently she was wrong. A hungry, obsessed smile spread on Simon's lips. He started to speak about his plans, and oh, how glorious they looked now, when the Rewis butler interrupted them, coming forward and bowing before announcing,.

" Ms. Rewis, you have a guest. " - Rewis Butler

Doc Simon wanted to strangle the butler. The web of influence he had weaved around the girl disappeared in a flash. He saw it happen right before his eyes, with the way Kathryn Ice Rewis shook her head, as if she was brushing off the power he had started to wield over her, with dear old Madame Antonia's help.

'No.' Doc Simon wanted to howl. Taking out his anger on the butler, he snapped.

" She's still in mourning, Carlos. You should--- " - Doc Simon stopped when Kathryn came to her feet and walked out of the drawing room.

" Stop, Kathryn! " - Doc Simon

And she did stop, turning towards him with burning violet eyes that made him recoil.

" You are not to call me that, Doctor Corba. " - Kathryn's voice was quiet, cold, and almost menacing, and Doc Simon bitterly realized that he had been too hasty.

He shouldn't have showed his true colors right away. Kathryn Ice Rewis would never trust him now, and if he wanted to have her, it would not be with the girl's voluntary support. Doc Simon fists clenched against his sides. So be it. Whatever it took, he would make sure that Kathryn and her fortune would be his. 'It was fate, he told himself, God's way of giving him what he truly deserved.' When Kathryn walked away again, Doc Simon and the butler followed her to the mansion's receiving hallway. One of the front doors was open, and Doc Simon slowed down when he saw a tall, black-haired man standing outside, his back to them. 'Who the hell was that?'

He watched Kathryn halt by the door. As if sensing her presence, the man turned around, and to Doc Simon's disappointment, the stranger turned out to be a lot worse than he thought. The man was not only younger than he was but also exceedingly handsome. Worse than that, this man wore a cloak of power and strength as if he was born to it. Watching Kathryn and the stranger gazing at each other like long-lost lovers, Doc Simon experienced a crushing sense of fear.

" Kathryn! " - Doc Simon voice was sharp.

The doctor wanting to tear his future wife away from the stranger but sheer cowardice making him powerless to do so. Kathryn didn't turn around. Swallowing back his anger, he walked towards the couple.

" Ms. Rewis--- " - Doc Simon tried to reach the girl.

But the way the stranger's brilliantly blue gaze pierced him with blatant warning made the doctor's hand fall back. Jealous anger made him grind his teeth as he watched Kathryn move closer towards the stranger before facing him. Her violet eyes rested on him, and a sense of foreboding washed over him at the way the girl looked so damn 'Peaceful'. 'Who the hell was this interloper?', Doc Simon wondered furiously. As if hearing his thoughts, the stranger offered his hand, his voice deep and strong as he murmured in flawless English,

" My name is Yuri Daniel Athanas. " - Yuri

Doc Simon foreboding worsened. 'Athanas..'  as someone related to the billionaire Nathaniel Athanas?

" Doctor Simon Corba, and I am acting as Ms. Rewis guardian, in Loco parentis while we request the court--- " - Doc Simon reluctantly shook hands with the stranger.

He was forced to stop when the younger man shook his head.

" That is no longer necessary, " - Yuri murmured politely.

" As her fiance, Ms. Rewis is now under my care. " - Yuri, added.