It took her time to be comfortable in the room. Even though she was exhausted from the trip, she wasn’t able to rest. Lying in the queen-sized bed, she felt as if she was going crazy with the dead silence. Even the wall clock in the room wasn’t even making a sound.

In comparison with this room, the room in her apartment would probably be labeled a ‘commoner’ room certainly. The recurring color theme was white and gold. The curtains were damask and the shade of a lighter blue and with trimmings of silver. There were beautiful porcelain wares in a shelf located on the left side of her bed, next to a vanity mirror that was probably worth a million bucks.

In line with it, there was a huge two-door walk-in closet and an elegant bathroom. To her right, she could see another Victorian-style single sofa chair with a cushioned footrest and across it, the French door that she had intentionally left ajar. The room was dim, with only the radiance of the moon passing the glass partition and white curtain.

“I bet Jen’s already sharing kisses with that jock for sure, ” Lianne expressed to herself.

She touched her moist lips and closed her eyes remembering how it felt when the mysterious man kissed her. She anxiously wanted to know who he was. She wanted to meet him again, thus planning to visit the library as soon as they return to Fortville.

“Well, it would be really odd if I would see him here. He wouldn’t follow me even here would he? And besides, he doesn’t know that I have plans to have a vacation, so it’s really unlikely. Not like I wanted him to follow me, but still...” Lianne pondered as she covered herself with the light blue rose-embroidered blanket.

She almost fell asleep when she heard a soft voice calling her. She couldn't determine if it was from a man or a woman's. At first, she thought it was just the wind outside, but she heard the voice clearly again.

'Lianne...'

“Oh God, my first night in this place and I’m hearing voices now,” Lianne shook her head.

She stood and walked out of the room and into the balcony to check out if there were people below calling her from the garden. She initially thought it was Jen or her other friends but strangely enough, when she leaned against the balustrade and peeked down, there was no one there. She was sure the voice was not just her imagination; however, for some reason, it made her heart beat fast and her skin turn clammy.

The whole mansion was enveloped with blue searchlights making it more marvelous, but it was nothing compared to the full moon shining brilliantly in the night sky. Staring at the stars, again, she remembered the words in the paper.

Find me in your dreams...

“What does he mean by that?” she expressed out loud.

The stars were heavenly beautiful. They were like diamonds shining brightly; so breathtakingly vast that she was unable to take her eyes off them for a while, until she briefly caught sight of a person, a man specifically, wearing a white shirt and black slacks standing right beside a huge marbled pergola a few meters away from her balcony. It did look like he was facing her directly.

Squinting her eyes, she was surprised to find out that it was the mysterious man from the library and in her apartment last night. She felt the sudden rush of blood in her veins then.

How?! How could he be here?!

Without thinking, she ran out of her room taking with her a robe sliding it in both of her arms while running speedily into the second floor’s hallway. She descended the stairs of the east wing like an impala sprinting over boulders, wanting to get to where her mysterious man was as soon as possible.

She took in a wad-load of air when she reached the pergola, but disappointment immediately welcomed her there. He was nowhere in sight and her attempts to talk to him again were in vain.

Recalling the way he looked at her last night, she shivered. Oh, those enchanting, striking eyes that speak a message that she couldn't decipher; a message that echoed within her heart and the questions that he could only answer.

“Who are you? Please I want to know...” she voiced out to the wind.

“It seems I’m not the only one who went out last night, ” Jen commented while sitting on a beach chair beside Lianne. She was wearing a flower-patterned short and a white tube top.

Lianne, on the other hand, was wearing a two-piece swimsuit, in white and blue stripes. She was covering her sleep-deprived eyes with black sunglasses.

Alona and Rachel, Jen’s two cousins were sitting on their own chaise lounge sunbed, their eyes fixed on Lianne, with silly expressions on their faces.

It was eight in the morning, and the group were sunbathing in a secluded part of the enormous swimming pool area, just a few minutes of walk from the main mansion. There was an extension building built southwest of the mansion, intended as a bar, entertainment area, and pool area.

The building had a Mediterranean structure, mixed with Gothic arches and lovely Greek pillars. The pool area was surrounded by palm trees and the turquoise pool itself was shaped like a big letter ‘S,’ exactly living up to the name of the resort.

Lianne, upon seeing the way her friends looked at her, raised a confused brow and questioned them. “What? What’s up with those funny faces of yours?”

“By some way, you didn’t have some mischievous activity last night Lianne did you?” Jen answered with a calculating look on her face.

“What! How could you ask me that Jen?” Lianne's eyes rounded, taken aback by her friend's inquiry.

“Well, you look very sleepy right now and you barely touched your food. You are even more tired-looking than me who basically had five rounds of marvelous sex last night.” Jen grinned in a goofy way.

Lianne pretended she didn't hear the more-than-honest confession. “So?” She cocked her brow up and sipped the her pineapple juice.

“Rachel here actually saw you running down the stairs like a mad woman just wearing a robe and then went outside the east garden. Would you care to explain that event if you would deny you’re not doing ‘something’ with ‘someone,’ hmm?” Jen teasingly addressed, twisting herself on the chair so she could face her friend.

“Oh, you saw that huh?” Lianne stated as she cleared a lump in her throat. Under her sunglasses, her eyes shifted warily.

“So, com’n Li! Tell us what happened? Is he handsome?” Alona asked curiously, her eyes shining with anticipation as she gazed at Lianne. She was sitting beside her, on the right side, wearing a skimpy pink bikini covered with a light gauzy material.

“Well...” Lianne followed while touching her neck with both of her hands. “I did do that because of a guy, and yes Al, he is what you think he is; actually, more than that. For me, he is like a weird stalking ‘prince.’"

"Oooohhh," the trio chorused an approving sound.

Lianne rolled her eyes heavenward in response. "But honestly, nothing happened to us in the garden really. So, all of you quit asking me because you’ll never juice up any other information, alright?” She folded her arms to her chest and went to relax on her beach chair, hinting them she’s not an open book.

Jen however understood her. She knew Lianne wouldn’t open up sensitive issues like that with the rest of the gang.

“What?! That’s all?” Alona shouted. “I thought you were going for it really. But, what do you mean ‘stalking prince?’ Is he stalking you all this time?”

“Alona! There’s really nothing more to know. That’s just it,” Lianne answered with a huff.

“You know her Al, she is one hard-to-get girl,” Jen defended.

“Well, thank you for the compliment,” Lianne bit out.

“I think there’s something fishy in here,” Rachel abruptly announced and stared at Lianne in an unsettling manner. “You're holding on telling us because you don't want to admit that you're in love,” she coolly expressed.

Hearing the 'L' word made Lianne feel nervous for no apparent reason. Then, a flash of a scene came to her mind showing what happened in her apartment when he kissed her. Remembering his taste, his warmth, and how her body reacted openly to him, it all made her blush in a deep shade of red.

The three of them stared at her eagerly, waiting for her reply.

“Huh... you’re kidding Chel right? I hardly even know who the guy is, why would I be in love with him?” Lianne reasoned.

Rachel shifted and returned to lie on her sunbed, then she announced, “You look like you do last night though.”

“Really! Awww!” Jen exaggerated her reaction.

Lianne, on the other hand, adjusted her sunglasses and decided to stay silent.

‘I don’t know... I really don’t know,’ she thought to herself while wondering where he might be right now.

“Hey, Li!” Alona called after a few minutes. “I couldn’t help but ask if you have posed for a painting before? Not a nude painting but one with a proper set-up.”

Lianne turned to face her and raised her eyebrows in confusion. “No, I haven’t, why’d you ask?”

“Well, uhm, I remembered the co-owner telling me yesterday that there was a painting of a lady that looked astonishingly like you. It is kept in the basement. She said if we have time, we should go and check it out.”

“I do think now would be the best time,” Jen replied.

“Yes! Why don’t we go there right now? Aren’t you curious, Li?” Alona asked, her eyes lighting up.

“I think so,” was all Lianne’s answer, but deep inside, what she wanted to do was to look for him in the whole of the resort.