Chapter 135 - Brooklyn Farmhouse

Alberobello, the small countryside town where Eva was heading to. It was located a bit far away from Rione Monti and comparatively small and rural in size. The Brooklyn Coffee Farmhouse was quite a well-renowned coffee production unit in the whole Alberobello. As she was guided in the letter, she continued walking towards the direction after stepping out from the town station. 

Soon, she went to the bus stop and grabbed a seat on the bus straightly headed towards her destination. Taking the window seat on the bus, she was gazing at the outside nature scenarios which were quite different from the populous town, Rione Monti. The place was not such thickly crowded and a vintage culture was prominent among the people who were passing by her. Holding a frown expression on her face, she lowered her gaze down from the green scenarios and took out the phone from her small purse.

The address that Mr. Beck had sent to her yesterday, she was taking a vivid look at it. Her mind was still baffled that she saw at the station for barely a few seconds, but it was shivering! Especially the moment her eyes locked at him, for a second she felt as if her heart was going to stop beating!

Taking a heavy breath out, she dialed Mr. Beck on the call trying to clear up the confusion her mind was messed up with. But his phone rang several times and he didn't pick it up.

"Was it a foolish act of mine to trust his words and come here all alone? Damn it, I...I should have come here with someone... I don't know why but I am getting such strange palpitations inside... I guess I should really stop overthinking too much! I should try to focus on the path ahead of me..." Mumbling on her own with a perplexed face, tenderly she took a small glimpse at her phone screen wallpaper.

Zeus's smiling face was the only breeze of relief she could feel in that intense moment. She caressed the part of the screen on his face, continued looking at it with a sad smile.

"Should I call him and share everything regarding what I saw there at the station? But...I don't want to always bother him too much...He will be probably busy with his important business kinds of stuff... I have already caused him enough trouble to intervene. I think...I should be enough brave to face my problems ahead on my own from now on..." Turning the phone screen off, she put her phone back into the purse and gazed out of the window again.

...

The anticipated bus ride lasted for about 30 minutes since the farmhouse was on the extreme end of the countryside. Stepping out of the bus, she slowly walked a few steps towards the giant gate of the farmhouse bearing the metallic label of Brooklyn Coffee Farmhouse. Gulping her saliva and intaking a deep breath in, she opened the giant gate and tried to walk in through the large grassy passage.

"Are you Miss Eva Ricci?"

All of a sudden a sonorous voice from ahead startled her while she was shutting the gate. Quickly, she turned around and a tall, young fine-looking man in his early 30's was smiling at her, crossing his arms behind his back. She felt a bit nervous and frowning her grimace, she anxiously nodded her head.

"Ye-Yes."

"We have been waiting for your arrival for a long time. Glad to see you safe and sound." The man smiled at her but somehow, the smile seemed a little spooky to her. She saw just on the left side of his face, he was bearing a deep cut scar as if he was slashed with a knife! The scar was quite scary to look at and quickly, she averted her gaze down.

"You look a bit nervous around me, is it because of my scar?" Surprisingly, he muttered the exact words what was bothering her from inside which startled her furthermore.

"No...I didn't mean that---"

"It's alright. Almost every new person who comes here has the same thought as you. Don't worry, I am not a street thug or a criminal but an innocent farmer here. I had been stabbed by a burglar when I was trying to help an old lady from the hands of a thug. Since then, it has been quite messing up with my reputation." The man scraped his neck and making a modest expression, he politely remarked.

Hearing his explanation, her heart was feeling a bit relieved but the anxiety was still existing within her. "I...I am sorry Mister, I didn't know about it..." She asserted while fidgeting on her own. 

"It's alright, Miss Ricci. Myself, Thomas Morgan, and I will assist you here in the farmhouse. Please follow me inside." He pointed his arm inside the passage and tossed an amicable smile. Slowly he turned around and continued walking ahead while she followed him from behind. 

"I am certain enough that I didn't hear any approaching footsteps behind me while I was locking the gate. Then...how did this man suddenly appear right behind me? I didn't saw any surveillance camera here at the gate, so how did he know that I have arrived?

Damn, I must be overthinking again... Stop thinking rubbish, Eva! I will certainly go crazy at this rate if my skeptical issues continue..." Wondering inside her mind, she followed him through the passage getting a palpitated feeling of angst all over her body.

.

Soon enough, both of them reached a giant wooden building that seemed to be the heart of the farmhouse. The building was much worn out and appeared to be in the lack of maintenance in her eyes. Thomas finally halted his pace and turned behind, looking at her with a warm smile. "We have arrived here, Miss Ricci. You will be able to collect your coffee beans from here. It's our stock house." He mumbled.

"Ahh, ye-yes. Thank you," politely bowing her head she was about to head inside but he quickly approached closer to her and stood firm, blocking her way inside.

"I am sorry Miss Ricci, but, you have to submit your belongings to me before you head in. You are not allowed to carry them inside." He sounded quite dubious, with his dark eyeballs shimmering in the sun beam.

"Wh-What?" Startled at his response, she gulped anxiously and gawked at him straight in the eye before articulating her objection. "But what kind of rule is it? I have...never heard any farmhouse having such kind of regulations implemented."

"We are sorry for the inconvenience, Miss Ricci. But we have a quite bad history about visitors who carried hidden surveillance cameras with them and that led to major robbery in our stock house. Since then, we don't allow anyone to carry their belongings inside. It will be kept safely in the locker outside and you can keep the key with you." The man was mumbling in a polite voice, lowering his eyes down from her.

"Wh-What a trouble," sulking her grimace she stretched out her arm and handed him the purse she was carrying with. "Here, please lock it safely and hand over the key to me, mister." She whispered in a deep pitch.

He took a quick glance at her and rolled his eyes mystically. "Umm, sorry, but can you put your necklace inside the purse too?"

"What?" Shrieking aloud in confusion, she quickly grabbed the pendant in her arm scowling her face at him. "Why? What for?"

"Sorry, but we can't allow you to carry any metallic stuff. The necklace is made of silver with a gemstone pendant on it. So...it's forbidden to carry inside."

"No...I won't take it off." She sounded much braver while gazing at him intensely. "I am forbidden from taking off this necklace. This is precious for me and sorry, I can't take it off." She was loud and clear, clenching the hematite pendant in her tiny grasp.

"Ahh, alright." The man frowned his grimace and stretched his arm to hand her the purse again. "I am sorry then, Miss Ricci, we can't allow you inside."

"But?"

It's strictly forbidden for us too. I am very sorry, but you can walk outside in the direction I just brought you in." Handing her the purse, he quickly turned around and continued walking straight into the stock house, in bold footsteps.

"Ahh, damnit! I can't head back without taking these coffee beans!" Perplexed in concern and wondering for a moment, she took a deep huff breath and called him out restlessly. "Please wait a moment!"

Hearing her loud summon, the man halted his pace and turned at her. With extreme hesitation and nervousness, she took off the necklace and involuntarily put it inside her purse. Taking a deep sigh out, she handed it back to him again sounding much intense, "please lock it safely and hand me the key. This is very precious for me." 

"Of course, thank you, Miss Ricci." The man enlarged a spooky wide smile on his face grabbing the purse from her hand.

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