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“He barely survived. It was all based on his luck.” Natalie said with a sigh, throwing her head back and staring at the sky void of stars. It seems even the heavens were not happy tonight.

Natalie was tired and should have retired for the night but she could not say no to an old friend. Although the both of them had merely been acquaintances and not besties at that time they worked together at the hospital.

Being on the run from Daniel, Natalie did not have the time to make friends who would only betray her in the end or land in trouble for associating with her. Daniel would use anyone or anyone that mattered to get to her. Hence, she kept to herself. They simply worked together in the past, but Natalie knew to honor a person who saved her daughter’s life.

Natalie watched as Ruth brought a pack of cigarettes and put a stick into her mouth and handed another to her, saying, “Do you mind?”

“You’re a doctor, you of all people should know that shit would kill you faster.” Natalie lectured her.

“It’s a no, then.” She returned the cigarette stick to the pack and put it into her bag before coming up with a lighter.

“Everyone would die eventually, so why don’t you live your life a little fuller?” She said while lighting the cigarette.

“To everyone, it’s appointed a time to die, however, it doesn’t mean that we should be careless with our lives. I for one, would do my best to live longer to carry all of my grandchildren in my arms.” Natalie said.

.....

“Well, lucky you, some of us don’t have grandchildren to look forward to,” Ruth said with a wry smile that spoke volumes.

Natalie turned to her and asked, “What happened to you?”

“What happens to everyone else. Life happened.” She went into detail, “Fell in love with the man of my dreams and had not the slightest detail that he was in the syndicate. With time, I had my suspicion and when I confronted him, he said he was going to change.”

Ruth laughed, “Funny part is that he did change and quit the organization even though it was hard. Unfortunately, there was a bust and his former members sold him out to the police. There wasn’t even an arrest, they just broke into our appointment and shot him dead. He didn’t have a fighting chance and I couldn’t save him. ”

“So you dedicate your life to saving others like him?” Natalie said.

Ruth released a long puff of smoke, “I can’t kill the police, so that’s my little revenge. Save the villains and make their life a little harder. ” She said, looking away.

There was a silence between both women before Natalie said, “I’m so sorry.”

“You shouldn’t be. It’s all in the past.” Ruth shrugged it off, letting the cigarette ash fall to the ground.

Natalie asked her, “When did you know that Arianna was my daughter?”

“Since the day she walked into my office after seeing the notice I put outside my door for an assistant and I set my eye on her. The both of you could pass as sisters, the resemblance is uncanny. I didn’t even look into her background, all I needed was her father’s name, and every other piece of the puzzle fitted into place. ”

“So you took care of her for me?”

“The girl is nice and hardworking and the daughter of a past acquaintance. I did what I had to do, you owe me nothing.” Ruth told her.

Natalie smiled, “Thank you.”

“Pleasure is mine.”

And just like that, silence fell on the both of them and it was Ruth that said this time, “I heard you are married.”

Natalie was amused, “So it wasn’t my daughter’s background, you looked into, but mine.”

“I didn’t want to get involved but somehow fate keeps dragging me in.”

“You’re not too old to get married and have a child either. You’re barely months older than I am.”

And to those words, Ruth snorted, “I don’t have a decent man in my life at the moment.” She found the suggestion hilarious.

“Then make a man out of the indecent ones you roam with every day. You were able to redeem your late husband, there could be a drowning soul out there that needs to take your hand.”

Ruth burst into laughter, taking the cigarette from her mouth and stomping it out. She tried to say something but the laughter wouldn’t let her. And speaking of the laughter, it must be infectious because Natalie joined her too.

“When I decided to visit, I never thought that I would be visiting a love therapist.” She chuckled at the end.

“Judging from my past, I don’t think that I deserve that title.”

“Speaking of that past…” Ruth suddenly turned to her with a serious expression that made her brows raise.

“Daniel….” She said and Natalie’s expression changed at once. It shouldn’t surprise her that the woman knew about him as well, but that reaction had already been ingrained into Natalie from the traumas of over the years. Whenever anyone mentioned that name, it made her uncomfortable.

“Are you going to let him be?”

“What do you mean by that?” Natalie asked even though she had a hint where this conversation was going on.

“Are you going to leave him alone like that after everything that he has done?”

“Ruth…” Natalie called her name “I already decided to give up on revenge. Trust me, there’s nothing more tiring than -”

“What about your daughter, Arianna? With the way things are going between her and Marcel, she would undoubtedly marry into that family. Aren’t you worried about Daniel at all?”

Natalie gulped down a lump. It would be a lie if she said that she still wasn’t concerned about Daniel and his motives.

“I have connections and you don’t have to do a thing, Natalie. All you have to do is to give me an order and none of them, not even your daughter would know about your involvement in his death. You can think of this as a gift from me.”