My Only Love: The Targeted Heiress

Not long after, the car stopped, and after Vincent told her not to move, he got out of his car. The door next to Cathy opened a few seconds later, and the young man held her hand.

"How can I come down without falling when I have to close my eyes?"

"I won't let you fall," Vincent replied, stifling a laugh, amused at Cathy's pout.

"I'll stumble." once again, Cathy tried to persuade Vincent to let her open her eyes this instant.

"Take it easy. The road ahead is very smooth without obstruction."

Cathy sighed in resignation. She was eager to open her eyes, but she also wanted to get answers to the questions she would ask later. Hence she just complied with the man's wish and let Vincent lead her.

Vincent put his hand around her shoulder and strolled so that she didn't fall because Cathy couldn't see the road due to the closing eyes.

Tap! Tap!

Cathy gradually heard the sound of their footsteps. They were like walking on a road made of wood. The atmosphere around them was also quiet and serene. Only the wind blowing and a sound like… a puddle? Where are they?

The further they walked, Cathy began to smell a pleasant scent.

"Can I see now?"

"Not yet."

"Until when?"

"In a minute. Wait." Vincent's steps stopped, which automatically made Cathy's steps also came to a halt. "We're going to step up two small stairs."

"Wouldn't it be faster if I opened my eyes now?"

This time, Vincent couldn't help but laugh at the fact that his girl couldn't wait to open her eyes.

"I promise, after you walk ten steps past these stairs, you can open your eyes."

Cathy put on a sullen face to hear that made Vincent not stop laughing. Cathy managed to climb the two stairs without a hitch with Vincent's help and direction, and her eyes were still closed.

Cathy counted her steps until she finished ten steps up the stairs. She was relieved when Vincent allowed her to open her eyes.

"Very well. You can open your eyes."

Cathy opened her eyes slowly and gasped at what she saw. At first, Catherine was suspicious of the scent around her. She felt herself in a garden filled with various kinds of flowers. Cathy never... no, she often went to a garden filled with flowers. Even though she couldn't see the beauty, she could still enjoy the fragrance of various kinds of flowers. Catherine liked the smell of flowers the most, so she did not hate to go to a flower garden.

Ever since she smelled the scent of flowers earlier, she thought Vincent took her to a flower garden. However, she was completely wrong. This place wasn't a flower garden at all nor a park that a place filled with flowers.

She was currently standing in a square building without windows or doors. There were only four pillars at each end, and it was covered with an unusual but romantic rooftop. Not only that... the road they had been walking on was apparently a small bridge across a lake! In other words, Cathy was in the middle of the lake right now.

Cathy's eyes looked towards the vast lake, and her heart was beating very fast. She saw several… maybe even dozens of lotuses floating around in the lake surrounding where they were. The distinctive fresh scent she smelled came from the fragrance of lotus flowers—her favorite scent. 

She bought and used everything that had a lotus scent. Even the soap, air freshener, and perfume were not far from the flower.

Cathy also saw that there was a spot of light on each of the lotuses. Is it possible... candle?

Cathy turned her body to look at the other side, and there she saw a round table with two chairs located right in the middle of that place. At the center of the table were two candles and a flower in a decorative bottle glass.

"There's one more thing," stated Vincent while stretched out his hand toward the girl.

Because Vincent often held her hand, Cathy did not doubt when she reached in hand and let the man once again lead her to a corner of the building. On top of the waist-high wooden fence that prevented anyone from falling into the lake was a box filled with stones of different colors.

Vincent took one of the stones and gave it to Cathy.

"Try throwing this rock over there. You'll love it."

Cathy did not understand why she should throw it. Nevertheless, she followed the man's request and threw one stone in the direction that Vincent showed.

Plug! Just as the stone sank, Cathy heard a lovely melody to make her astonished. Unfortunately, when she almost found the voice source, the tune ended quickly, making her very curious. Cathy turned to Vincent with shining and sparkling eyes like a child who got a new toy.

Knowing what she wants, Vincent gave Cathy another stone even though the girl said nothing.

Cathy threw it once more, and she heard another melody that was no less enchanting. Cathy tried to find the source of the melody's sound but couldn't find it. The tune only played a few notes and then stopped making her wanted to hear it again and again.

"How... how can this happen? Where does the sound come from? There are no musical instruments here and nobody here except us. Then how come we can hear music?" without realizing it, Cathy asked several questions in one breath, and it made Vincent felt proud to himself to see the girl liked the surprise.

"Can you see the light there?" Vincent pointed his index finger toward the stone thrown.

Cathy, who couldn't tell the color, didn't know what kind of light he meant. But when she saw a sparkle that sometimes shined and hit her eyes, then she understood the light that Vincent told.

"I think I see it," answered Cathy.

"There is a machine with several buttons under the water. Each time the stone presses the button, a short melody will be played. Each button has a different tune. And you will not be able to find the source of the sound because the loudspeaker is installed on all four sides under the pillar."

Cathy's eyes looked amazed hearing his explanation.

"This is the first time I've heard of a machine like this. How did you find a place like this?"

Vincent rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I did not find it," replied Vincent so quietly that Cathy could not hear him.

"Can I try again?"

"Of course." this time, Vincent let Cathy pick as many stones as she wanted.

While Cathy enjoyed the new 'toy,' Vincent just watched Cathy's joyful expression without being bored. Vincent put one hand over the wooden fence and rested his chin on his knuckle so that his face was level with Cathy. That way, he could see Cathy's face more clearly.

After finally feeling satisfied hearing some of these melodies, Cathy turned to Vincent to ask how many kinds of pieces were contained in the magic machine. But when her eyes interlocked with the man's, she forgot the question she wanted to ask at once.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" instead, Cathy felt like something tingling inside her heart, and her face felt hot as if there were steam out of her head.

Vincent's smile widened, making Cathy unable to hold back her pounding heart.

"Do you know that this is the first time for me?" was the first word from the man while still in his pose, crouched on his hand.

"First time? What first time?"

"The first time I was curious about a girl. The first time I wanted to know her more deeply. The first time I wanted to make that person smile and laugh. And also... the first time this certain girl fascinated me in each of our meetings."

Cathy felt her heartache when she heard those words. She thought that the girl he meant was not her. Cathy was afraid to listen to the continuation, but she did not know how to stop it. All she did was listen to the man while preparing herself.

Her bad habit reappeared without realizing it, and she started biting her lower lip.

Vincent straightened up when he noticed his beloved girl began hurting herself. He stroked Cathy's cheek and rubbed her lips with his thumb gently as if he was coaxing the girl to let go of her lower lips. 

"And it is the first time it hurt my heart to see that girl always injure her lips every time she was under pressure. So, Catherine. I'm sure I'm not pressing you, but why are you hurting yourself?"

Cathy looked at Vincent in confusion as she couldn't comprehend the man's words. And why did she feel like Vincent talked about her based on his last question?

"I... I…"

What is Cathy's answer?