Chapter 276: To the Batmobile—I mean, a Studio!

Eve dreamt of strawberry fields.

Acres upon acres of the flowering plant stretched before her eyes. All of them had strawberries ripe for picking. She glanced down at herself. She twirled as a big grin spread across her face. The pink dress matched the occasion. It was a duplicate of the one she owned in real life.

But far more sensible for a long day outdoors.

In her dream, Eve ran through the fields. The sweet scent of fresh strawberries filled her nose. She inhaled a lungful, relishing in it before picking a plant. Her slim fingers plucked out one. Its skin glistened like red silk.

Then, she took a bite.

A soft moan sounded in her throat. She moved on to the next plant and checked how the taste would compare. Her legs kept going, hopping from plant to plant as she sampled them all. Eventually, she lost sense of time and the plants blurred together around her.

Up ahead, a little girl picked strawberries up ahead, putting them inside a basket. Her red hair blended with the fruit—especially with the gold glitter that cascaded over her hair. Eve almost thought she was a mythical creature.

She walked up to the little girl in order to ask for directions, tapped her on the shoulder.

The latter turned around and met her gaze with round violet eyes.

"Eve? Eve…" A voice whispered. "Wake up. We're here."

Eve's eyes flew wide open. She sat up abruptly but the seatbelt held her back. She scrambled to unlatch it. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck. She pressed a hand against her forehead, trying to get her bearings.

Ambryan watched her with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" She turned her gaze towards him and blinked. "Y-Yeah…, yeah! I'm fine."

An awkward laugh escaped her lips. It didn't last long before her face morphed back into a shocked expression. Yet, somehow it also felt like she had experienced something familiar before. She just couldn't remember the details at the moment—but it contributed to her shock.

"Are you sure?" Ambryan asked again. It had only been days since the kidnapping. To be honest, he was still waiting for another breakdown. "It's okay not to be fine, you know. No one expects you to be after what happened."

"I'm okay, Ambryan." Eve took a deep breath. Then, she looked straight into his eyes. "Really."

He paused for a moment, debating whether to let it go or not. He didn't know how to describe what just happened. With how fidgety Eve's eyes were, he thought she had a nightmare. It could have been a worse case scenario of the kidnapping.

Eve slowly stretched her lips into a coy smile. 

Ambryan sighed. "Okay."

"So… we're here?" Eve said, attempting to change the subject. Ambryan glanced out his window and she followed his line of sight. He had parked the car in front of a two-story establishment with white paint.

Her lips turned cold. "Wait a minute…"

She unlocked her side of the car at once and circled around the hood until she stood right in front of the vehicle. The place had a window display that took up three-fourths of its front. A lone wooden door stood to its right. 

Above the window and the door was a sign with a black background and cursive writing.

"Madame Isabelle's Ballet Emporium…" Eve read in a whisper.

Ambryan also exited the car, carrying the brown envelope. He gripped it tight and stared up at the familiar establishment. It hadn't changed much since he last saw it. His chest clenched slightly from nostalgia. 

Then, he headed for the stairs.

"Come on," he told Eve over his shoulder. 

She rushed to follow him. Ambryan checked if the door was unlocked. Once it opened without resistance, he entered inside. The smell of wood and dust met his nose. Despite this, the place was well cleaned. The floor was polished and there weren't any visible cobwebs.

He hung his long coat on the rack, helping Eve to remove hers.

This was when he noticed that his hands were trembling. 

Eve was in a world of her own. Her fingertips brushed on the wall as if she couldn't believe this was real. She took cautious steps as walked further in. A staircase led to the upper floor at the end of the narrow hallway. Multiple doorways appeared on each side, leading to specific rooms. The main office was built behind the staircase—where both the flight of steps and passageway to the office only allowed one person at a time.

Ambryan walked ahead while Eve stayed close behind him.

Then, she stopped and looked inside a doorway.

He continued on his journey, not noticing that she stopped following him. The stairs creaked under his weight. He frowned at that. Not many had access to the upper floor since it wasn't part of the ballet studio. Halfway up, the stairway changed directions and he disappeared from Eve's peripheral vision completely.

More rooms were found on the upper floor. 

Ambryan paused at the top of the stairs. Three doors stood before him. One in the middle and the other two angled on either side of it. All of them were half-opened. He stepped closer until he positioned himself at the center. 

It enabled him to a take peek at each room—

"Don't tell me you had grown up to be a coward," Ambryan heard behind him.

His back stiffened at the voice. It sounded familiar but at the same time, it had become raspier with age. His feet shuffled and turned his body around. Another door was present beside the staircase. It had been closed when he passed it by and ignored it.

He should have known that she was there.

An old woman stared back into his blank eyes. Her grey hair had been tied into a bun. She wore a hulking fur coat that reached down to the floor. Her hands folded together on top of a straight black cane. 

Black eyeliner framed her indigo eyes.

No one outside of town would have pictured a classy woman to be living in this rundown building. The corner of her lip tugged upward when Ambyan hadn't said anything for a while.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there?" She demanded with a playful scoff. "Kids these days. They don't know how to respect their elders anymore. Do you know what that is? It's because of adults like you who don't practice it."

Ambryan's lips parted slightly. "Mom…"

"Oh, dear…" The old woman sighed. She walked up to him, her cane knocking on the wooden floor. Her gaze shifted into tenderness. "I have to admit. You really are far more handsome in person, Noah. Always said that photos never do you enough justice." 

Suddenly, Ambryan was a kid again. He closed the gap between them and hugged her. He buried his face against the side of her head. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon captured his senses—a combination he hadn't found anywhere else other than from cinnamon buns. 

But they could never get it right. Either they would have too much vanilla or too much cinnamon.

They could never compare to the smell of the home he knew for nine years. 

"Oh Noah," his mom cooed in his ear. She let her cane go and patted him on the back. Tears swelled up behind her eyes. She blinked them away. "It's so good to see you, boy. Seems like you've developed some good muscles over the years. That's great because I want you to have enough stamina to give you me grandchildren—"

Ambryan snorted, mucus clogging his nose. He hadn't expected to cry. He couldn't even remember the last time he did. His voice shook as he spoke. "What's with maternal figures and grandchildren?"

"Avery also asked for them, aye?" She teased. "Just in case you forgot, I am far older than her so I don't have the luxury of time to wait for you to settle down."

She pulled back from the embrace. Ambryan only had a second to wipe off his tears before she'd see his face. He cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. No matter what age, he found it embarrassing to cry in front of parental figures.

His mom gave him a tight smile and raised a hand.

Then, she grabbed his earlobe and yanked it. "So how come I had been hearing all these rumors that you're dating countless women?! Not one relationship longer than weeks! I raised you better than that, boy! I even taught you how to woo women! And you dumped it all in the garbage?! How ungrateful!"

Ambryan flinched from both the pain and the yell. He puffed out his cheeks, offended that she still saw him that way. "You must be reading old news, mom. I have been in a steady relationship for the past four months."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Based on your previous relationships, it might not last long."

"I intend to make it last as long as possible," he informed her confidently while meeting her eyes. A wide grin spread across his face. "In fact, I brought her with me."

His mom assessed him for a moment before she released his ear. Ambryan touched the tender spot, hoping to soothe the pain. There should be an ointment somewhere in these rooms. She had given it to him since this was a common punishment.

"And you think I'll approve of this girl?" His mom challenged. 

"I'd be very disappointed if you don't," Ambryan teased.

Music started playing downstairs, the melody floating up the stairs. His mom jerked her head from left to right. There shouldn't be anyone else in this building. Not even the cleaners were due today—most especially her students. 

That only left one possibility.

"I'm guessing that's her touching things that she doesn't own?" She sneered. As first impressions go, the woman wasn't on a good start.

Ambryan gulped. "Well…,"

His mom spun on her heel and marched down the stairs.