The Alchemists

The elevator was moving so slowly for the impatient Caspar. His mind was filled with the worst possibilities. As soon as the elevator stopped on the ground floor and the door opened, he immediately ran towards the receptionist.

From afar he could see a girl kneel in the center of the lobby and people, who had gathered around her, were trying to talk to her.

His heart felt hurt seeing Finland derogated herself in such a way just to be able to talk to him and he blamed himself.

He did not intend to refuse Finland's calls. Today he just needed time for himself because he had a lot on his mind, and he did not want to be disturbed by any phone call. Even Stanis couldn't contact him today.

Caspar quickly drove the crowd away and knelt beside Finland. His voice trembled as he spoke, "Please stand up... Don't embarrass yourself like this..."

Finland gasped, she turned toward the origin of the voice and found the man she missed was kneeling beside her. His face looked very worried.

"Caspar...? Are you really here...?" she asked in disbelief. She touched Caspar's face and shook her head, "This must be my imagination... I miss you too much... I have finally gone crazy..."

Finland really thought she was only hallucinating. There was no way that Caspar would suddenly appear before her like this, right? She thought that her mind was playing tricks on her because of her longing for him.

"You miss me…?!" Caspar frowned, he didn't understand what Finland was saying. "What do you mean?"

Finland, who considered Caspar in front of her a hallucination, could not stop herself from hugging Caspar and crying on his chest.

"I miss you every day... I can't stand it anymore. I came here to talk to you and meet you one last time..."

Jadeith arrived shortly after and dismissed the staff and guests who were still in the lobby to give them privacy. In a brief instant, the large room became very quiet. There was only Finland and Caspar in the lobby. They embraced each other and only the sound of her sobs could be heard.

"I don't understand..." Caspar didn't know what to do when the woman he loved was crying on his chest. He refrained from rubbing the girl's head. "Did something happen...?"

"I'm sorry, I was so angry with you and left you because of Jean..." Finland sobbed, not realizing that the surroundings were empty. "I did not tell you that at that time I was pregnant with your child, because I was afraid that you would never let me go... and at that time I really needed to get away from you. I met Lauriel in America and he helped me a lot since our child was born... Lauriel thought of Aleksis as his own daughter, because Aleksis gave him a reason to live..."

"W... what did you say? Lauriel's child is MY child?" Caspar was devastated. He did not expect this at all. He remembered that Lauriel introduced Aleksis as his daughter, and he did not ask further. He did not expect that Aleksis was just a goddaughter to Lauriel. "Wh... why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I tried to tell you last year... but you didn't want to see me, and instead you sent Sophia to ask for your mother's ring..." Finland shook her head sadly, "Sophia said you both were living together and you didn't want to see me again... I was so heart-broken..."

"Sophia did live with me... but we don't have any particular relationship, I was just protecting her..." When Caspar finally understood what had happened, his shoulders became limp and out of instinct he hugged Finland firmly back. "I'm sorry... It's my fault... I should have met you at that time. I was so stupid... I was so jealous of Lauriel that I refused to see you. I was afraid of acting stupid in front of you, to beg you to come back to me and embarrassing myself... You don't know this, you are my only weakness..."

When Caspar hugged her back, suddenly Finland came to her senses. She looked up and stared at Caspar in disbelief. "Th... Is this you? You're here? Are you really here?"

"It's me, Finland... I'm not your imagination... I'm here... I'm here…" Caspar whispered. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone all this time... I didn't know."

"Oh, Caspar... I'm sorry... I meant to call you after Jean woke up from his coma, but I lost my phone on the way to the hospital and I couldn't contact you. I came to Singapore to look for you, but you and Lauriel already had a misunderstanding and then I met Sophia... I didn't know that she tricked me and I couldn't take the pain so I went straight back to America. For the past year I thought you had forgotten me..."

"I thought you were the one who forgot about me and chose Lauriel... I thought Aleksis was his child... That child's eyes are similar to his..." Caspar said quietly. "I forgot that your father also had heterochromia... I'm sorry... I thought you guys were together, so I deliberately stayed away from you. After all, you are the only woman I have ever loved and Lauriel is my best friend. I didn't want to disturb your lives..."

"Caspar... you have always been very kind to me. Forgive me for being so stubborn, for having such difficulties to open my heart. It has caused so much problems for us..." Finland held Caspar's cheeks and looked at him in tears, "I'm glad we finally met and clear up all these misunderstandings..."

"I promise I will be a better husband to you... I will also be a good father to Aleksis..." Caspar said quickly. "Let's start over from the beginning, Honey..."

Tears continued streaming down Finland's cheeks as she shook her head in despair. "It's too late... I have to marry Lauriel so Aleksis can stay alive... I came to apologize to you and say goodbye..."

"What do you mean?" Caspar choked. "Why do you have to marry Lauriel?"

"Alexei and Katia kidnapped Aleksis and poisoned her to force Lauriel to marry me. Katia wants you to suffer by seeing the woman you love marry someone else, just as she suffered when you left her to marry me... She wants you to suffer so much that the only way out of your pain is for you to choose Death... " Finland shook her head sadly," We have to get married before Ned and Portia's wedding, then the antidote will be given. I have no choice... I have to protect Aleksis..."

Within a second Caspar's face turned red. He was furious when he heard what Alexei and Katia did to his daughter. In his long life he had never been this angry.

He tried to control his anger so as not to frighten Finland.

After taking two deep breaths, he finally spoke in a soft voice, "Honey... you are not the one who must protect Aleksis, but I am. Leave this one to me... Let me protect you."