My Ex Next Door

Novie stared at the triplets who are sitting on the couch with their eyes focused at their Uncle Ken.

The triplets have told her the reason why they were here and she finds it ridiculous and thought that taking a bus alone was dangerous.

"Ok. So let me be clear. You escaped from your maids and bodyguard. Took a bus and end up on the seventh floor which was the morgue and Alexa got scared and pee to the first room she found. Is that right?" she asked while looking at them with disbelief in her face.

The three nodded which made her more surprise. They are not even scared that what they did was dangerous especially they are only five.

"How did you get into the bus or pay for the fare? she grabbed the juice from the refrigerator and gave them a glass.

"We bought a ticket and wait for the bus" Ethan replied.

Novie expression went flat, she doesn't know whether Ethan was sarcastic or not.

"So your parents gave you money?" she asked as far as she knows, back in the public school, the three never held money. Ken said that their mother forbids them.

The three shook their heads one more time and she started to wonder if they pay or not.

"So you didn't pay the bus? Did you know that it's illegal" she confronted them.

"AuntNovie, are you not listening? We said we bought a ticket" Alexa blurted.

Novie was stunned. Alex just scolded her, a five-year-old was sarcastic to her.

"where did you get the money?" when she asked the question. The two boys looked at Alexa while the girl whistled and switched her eyes to a different direction.

Novie's heart skips a beat, she worried that Alexa might have done something to get the money.

"Alexa what did you do?" she asked in suspicion.

The girl looked at her and smiled, her small hand removed the strands of hair from her face and hide it under her ear.

"I sing in the streets while Leo dance and Ethan gathered the money from the generous people" Novie's lips parted in surprise, the triplet surely know how to survive if ever their parent leaves them.

Novie cleared her throat and looked at them with a serious face.

"Guys look. You can't do this again. It is very dangerous. Next time, ask your parents to bring you here, Understand?" she tried to make her voice calm but her expression differs.

The three lowered their faces, felt awful.

"Mommy doesn't want us here because she said it's dangerous. Uncle Ken has so many enemies" Alexa spoke after becoming silent.

Shock rushed to Novie's body, she always wonders why Daniella and Evan doesn't bring the triplets here but now she knows the reason, she can't help but get worried.

Daniella was right, if Ken's enemy were to find out about his situation, they will come and kill him, and if the triplets are here, they can also get hurt.

"Ok but we need to call your parents," she got up and took her phone but the triplet stopped her once again.

"Can you call them later? We really want to see uncle, Ken." Their sad voices made her heart melt, she locked her phone and said all right.

At that moment, the sadness in their faces disappeared. The three jumped out of the couch and ran towards Ken.

Novie widened her eyes when she saw them climbing in the bed and positioned themselves around Ken.

"Uncle Ken wake up. Don't you miss my pretty face?" Alexa said in a cheered voice while poking her uncle's cheek.

When Ken didn't move, Alexa's face scrunched up. Novie wanted to burst, Alexa's face reddened after getting ignored.

Leo stopped Alexa's hand from pinching Ken's face and looked at her with a flat expression.

"I don't think he will wake up like this. Remember the story mommy told about the sleeping beauty? The princess woke up after her true love kissed her" Leo explained.

Alexa twitched her lips and fell deep in her thought.

Minutes later, Alexa lowered her face to Ken's lip and about to kiss him when Leo blocks their distance with his hand.

"True love which means Aunt Novie, not you" Leo shook his head in disbelief.

Alexa pouted and slapped Leo's hand away.

"but in Maleficent, the princess didn't wake up by the prince kiss instead it was by Maleficent kiss, so think of me as Angelina Jolie," Alexa explained sarcastically.

"Yes. You're both evil" Leo murmured silently but because of their distance, Alexa was able to hear it.

"what did you just called me?" Alexa gnashed her little jaw while glaring at Leo.

Sweat formed around Leo's forehead when he realized that Alexa heard him, "I said you're both pretty" he stuttered gave an awkward smile.

Alexa narrowed her eyes in suspicious.

"I heard evil. Are you lying to me, Leo? Because mommy said lying can put you behind the bars" Alexa spoke while her eyes remained narrowed.

The boy scratches his hair while finding an excuse " partly, mommy called it white lies" Leo responded.

Alexa pinched Leo's nose and replied, "lie is a lie" she scolded him.

Saying that Alexa lowered her face while her lips pouted to kiss Ken.

(!)

Novie parted her lips in shock, Alexa planted a peck on Ken's lips and pulled her face away. When Ken didn't move, Alexa's face screwed up. Tears formed in her eyes and immediately ran down to her cheeks.

Leo immediately patted her shoulder to comfort her.

"I told you it should be Aunt Novie" Leo blamed her while removing Alexa's tears away.

"so Uncle Ken doesn't love me? Is that right?" Alexa spoke in a hurtful tone.

Novie felt awful, they are so innocent and believed the fairy tale story but the reality is different and just like Danny said, Ken will wake up on his own.

"Hey, maybe you can move away." She spoke in a panic tone after Leo and Alexa started jumping on the bed.

When she saw Ethan taking a syringe out of his bag and took Ken's arm, Novie's spirit left her body, she quickly took the syringe from Ethan and asked them to get down.

"I am bringing you home" she spoke in a deep voice and took their bags, she's not sure if she can top the triplets from killing their uncle.

The triplets didn't protest, instead, they followed her obediently.

When the entered the elevator, it stopped in the seventh floor, right there and then, the triplets squeeze their body to her side while fear overtook to their faces.

(Whoa! So aside to your mother. You have other things you're all afraid of!) She blurted inside.

She wanted to tease and scare them more but she's afraid this might bring a traumatic experience to them.

As they are about to take a taxi outside of the hospital, a black van stop in front of them, and men with guns came out and dragged inside.

Novie looked at the triplet to see them struggling their way out of the big men grasped, but their bodies are so small that they couldn't fight back.

Her eyes widened when she saw the men injecting a syringe to their small arms and little by little their rounds eyes slowly close while their bodies lay on the chair like a withered vegetable.

Terror overtook her face, she suddenly realized the reason why Daniella didn't allow the triplets to visit the hospital, she figured that the place was crawling of foxes waiting for the kids to show up, though she doesn't know the reason why they took them.

She thought this might be Ken's enemy but why would they take the triplets and if they are from Daniella's enemy then why did they took her.

A lot of questions came to her mind while adrenaline rushed to her body.

Novie tried to fight back but she got knocked out after a man covered her nose. Her sight started to blur but before that, she saw the guards from the hospital running after them and shooting the wheels of the van.