BETWEEN 2 HEARTS
Between 2 Hearts - Episode 11
Tag: Royalty and Love.
Warning: Stay clear from this book
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The royal family sat down to dinner, and Queen Lala noticed that Alex's neck was bare.
"Alex, where is your bead? Why aren't you wearing it?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Alex's eyes widened as he quickly realized his mistake.
"Oh, I forgot to put it on after I took it off to take a shower," he explained.
"Why? You never take it off since the day Grandma gave it to you."Diva's eyes narrowed.
Alex pushed back his chair. "Yes, I know. I left it on my bed. I'll just go and put it on." He quickly excused himself and left the table. King Luke chuckled.
"Such a boy. I can't believe he cherishes that bead more than us."
"He'll die for it if it went missing. That's why he's so possessive of it."Queen Lala smiled wryly.
Meanwhile, Naomi was reeling from the words her father had just spoken.
"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Because it's about your future. Your scholarship will be terminated if you don't do it, and I don't want that to happen." He said sadly.
"But I don't want to lie. Everyone will think I'm guilty."Her eyes welled up with tears.
Her father pulled her into a warm hug. "I know, it's for the best. You know I couldn't afford to pay your school fees if your scholarship got terminated. I don't want you to leave school at this tender age."
"Will I be punished for it?"She sniffled.
"I'll take the punishment for you, okay? It's just for the best, and everything will be fine."
Back at the palace, Alex rushed down from his room, looking panicked. The royal family turned to him, concern on their faces.
"What is it, son?"King Luke asked curiously.
Alex's eyes were wide with fear. "I...I...I can't find it."
He stuttered, looking around frantically, and the royal family immediately stood up from their chairs.
"What do you mean you can't find it?" Queen Lala asked.
"I...I can't find it where I kept it. It's not there."Alex's panic grew.
"Okay, this is getting too much. First, it was my bracelet, and now your beads. Someone definitely took it for sure."Diva said.
"Wait, there's no need to panic. I might know of someone who took it. Earlier today, I asked Naomi to go to your room to let you know she was waiting for you."
"Naomi was in my room?" He asked confusedly.
"Yes, I sent her there."Queen Lala nodded.
"Wait, I saw her coming out of your room, hiding something in her shirt."Diva's voice was accusatory.
"Are you two saying she took the bead?"King Luke's voice was firm.
"Yes, I might have defended her when she took my bracelet, but this...I am certain."Diva said.
Alex looked devastated, his eyes filled with tears. Just then, Mr. Daniels and Naomi entered the room, and everyone turned to see Naomi holding the bead in her hand.
Naomi moved closer to Alex, her face bowed in shame, and pointed the bead at him. Alex's eyes widened in shock.
Queen Lala's voice was stern. "You stole his bead?"
"I'm sorry, Alex."Naomi's voice was barely audible, her face still bowed.
"Why did you steal it, Naomi? You know very well how much I hate it when people steal from me."
"I'm sorry for what happened, please forgive us."Mr. Daniels pleaded.
"I can't believe you've turned into a thief overnight. How despicable!" Queen Lala yelled.
"I knew you were a thief, and I'm ashamed I defended you when you stole my bracelet."Diva said, venomous.
"This act is not good for a young child like you."King Luke's voice was firm.
"Why did you steal it? You know how much this bead means to me, and you stole it! I thought you were my friend, but you're nothing but a liar and a thief...I wish to never see you again, Naomi. From today, you cease to be my friend. I hate you!" Alex yelled angrily, snatching the bead from her hand before storming off to his room.
Naomi looked up, tears streaming down her face, as Alex's words cut through her like a knife.
"This act must stop."King Luke said and walked away.
"If not that you're still a child, I would have given you the punishment that befits you. I don't want to ever see you cross that gate to this place again. If you do, you'll see the worst of me."Queen Lala gave harsh warning.
Diva stared angrily at Naomi before turning away, leaving Naomi sobbing uncontrollably in her father's arms.
Mrs. Ruth, who had been listening from the kitchen, noticed that something was amiss and felt a sense of unease.
Mr. Daniels carried his sobbing daughter in his arms, and they left the palace, the sound of Naomi's cries echoing through the halls.
Meanwhile, Alex was sulking in his room, lying on his bed, his face turned away from the door. His mother, Queen Lala, entered the room, followed by Diva, and they sat down beside him.
"Son," Queen Lala called softly, trying to rouse him from his sulking.
But Alex ignored her, his eyes fixed on the wall.
"I told you so.There's no need to sulk, Alex. You finally see what Mom has been warning you about."
"I told you before, she's not to be trusted. Now you've seen the person she really is."
Alex slowly sat up, his eyes red-rimmed from unshed tears. "I'm sorry for not listening to you, Mom," he said.
Queen Lala and Diva smiled warmly at him, relieved that he was finally seeing things their way.
"Don't be sorry, Alex," Queen Lala said, pulling him into a warm hug. "You know you're too good, and people will take advantage of that. Don't worry, she'll never come close to you again."
"Let this be a warning to you, Alex. Don't trust people too much."Diva said.
"It's going to be okay, son. Soon, you'll be leaving for the state, and you'll forget all about her.".
Alex nodded, holding his mother warmly, feeling a sense of comfort and reassurance wash over him.
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The next day, after Naomi left for school on the bus that picked her up every day at the park station, Mr. Daniels came to work, sitting under the tree where he often took breaks. Mrs. Ruth approached him.
"I saw what happened yesterday. I need the truth from you - did Naomi steal that bead? Because I know she's not that type of girl." Mr. Daniels sighed sadly, "What's going on?" She pressed, sensing that something was amiss.
Mr. Daniels tried to brush it off. "It's nothing to worry about anymore. Everything is fine now."
But Mrs. Ruth sat down next to him, her eyes locked on his. "Who made you do that?" she asked, her voice gentle but insistent.
Mr. Daniels remained quiet, and Mrs. Ruth's face changed from curiosity to understanding. She realized that something was terribly wrong.
"I'm a bad father. If nature hadn't been unfair to me, Naomi wouldn't be suffering like this."
Mrs. Ruth placed a consoling hand on his shoulder.
"You're not a bad father. What you did is what other parents would do in your situation. Nobody is to blame."
"But she's suffering because of me."
"She'll get through this. With time, she won't be alone. She has Mia, remember."
Mr. Daniels sighed, feeling a small sense of comfort at Mrs. Ruth's words.
*school*
Naomi walked into the classroom, noticing the strange looks from her classmates. She wondered why they were staring at her like that, but tried to brush it off as she made her way to her seat.
As she approached her desk, her heart sank. Someone had written "THIEF" on her desk in bold letters. Naomi sighed and pulled out her handkerchief from her bag, wiping off the hurtful words before sitting down.
During lunch break, Alex sat at his table, sulking over his food. He barely touched his meal, his eyes fixed on his plate. Diva stared at him.
"Alex, why aren't you eating?" she asked, trying to rouse him from his funk.
"Nothing." He started eating, but it was clear his heart wasn't in it.
Meanwhile, Naomi sat alone in the classroom, her eyes fixed on her book. She tried to focus on her studies, but the hurtful words on her desk still lingered in her mind. She felt isolated and alone, the weight of the accusations bearing down on her.
TBC
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