One Year Ago :
" Arianna has been wanting to meet you for such a long time. Believe me, you will love her. " Sean's eyes had that gleam they always did whenever he mentioned his girlfriend's name.
" I know she must be amazing but these days I just want to creep into my shell and hide," I said feeling a twinge of nervousness.
" Pumpkin I know that it's only been a few months since we lost Dad but you can't stay like this forever. " Sean said.
" I am not doing this on purpose. I just can't help it. And I know how much Arianna means to you. I don't want to do anything that would embarrass you in front of her. " I replied.
" You know what I love about Arianna? She's one of the most compassionate people I know. And she knows what you are going through. If she would judge you at a time like this, then she wouldn't be the woman I love. " Sean blushed after he realized he had just openly admitted to loving her.
I did know that my brother was madly in love with this girl but I had never heard him openly confess to loving her.
So that day I worked especially hard on preparing myself for my first meeting with Arianna Victor. I put on my pink floral patterned shirt that Dad always liked and my most expensive pair of black pants. Despite being twenty years of age I couldn't make a decent hairstyle except for a pony. So I got Mom to straighten my hair and put it into a loose half pony. Just like the days when Dad was alive and I was happier, I spared nothing when it came to makeup.
" Goodness Sarah you are contouring your face as if it's not Sean, but you who is going on a date. " Sasha said making fun of my grooming efforts.
" Well I am supposed to meet his date and I want to look my best. Besides you are the one who said she's been the winner of the style icon award thrice in a row. If she's going to be our sister-in-law we will have to up the glam accordingly. " I said checking myself once more in the mirror.
" I hope it's only her you are trying to impress. " Sasha smirked.
" Who else would I be trying to impress ". I gave her a mock frown.
" Not her hot brother I hope. " Sasha giggled.
" Sean mentioned her brother a few times but I don't know much about him. By the way, how do you know he's hot ?" Now it was my turn to smirk.
" Duh. The magazines of course. Let me show you his picture. " Sarah began tapping on her phone screen. " Here ". She turned the screen towards me. Even though it was months ago but I remembered him. Aiden Victor.
How couldn't I make the connection? Sean had told me Arianna's family-owned Victor Enterprises so obviously this guy was her brother. And with that, I remembered other things.
" Dad told me some things about their family. " I hesitated wondering if I should mention the mafia business. But Sasha already seemed to know.
" Me and Mom talked about it. They are so powerful that even being close to them comes with its risks. But Sean is so madly in love with her. And after everything that's happened with Dad, I think he deserves some happiness. We can only pray that everything will turn out well. "
Sean drove the Prius to a secluded neighborhood. The houses were few and far apart. Nearly all of them had ornately designed wrought iron gates, surrounded by stone pillars bearing small statues of animal figures. We stopped at one such gate with a statue of a lion sitting on each of the two pillars surrounding it. Guards stood outside with guns as if it was the House of Parliament.
" You know how the law and order situation is these days ". Sean said in reply to my questioning gaze. I noticed cameras on the walls fitted on both sides of the gates watching our every move. Beyond the gates, a gravel driveway surrounded by trees on both sides led us up to the house.
I was left momentarily awestruck at the majestic sight of the mansion which was perched at a top of a hill. It reminded me of the castles I would often see in Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast. A huge stone fountain stood in front of the huge wood-paneled doors. A butler in a black and white livery welcomed us in. We were led through a huge ballroom, its marble floors gleaming under the light from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which showcased the picturesque view of the surrounding gardens. Huge chandeliers adorned the ceilings, their crystals shimmering and I imagined how brightly they must shine when they were turned on.
From here we were led up the grand staircase and were seated in the drawing room.
" I am afraid that Miss Arianna hasn't reached home yet. We will let her know you are here ". The butler said and after asking us if we needed anything left us to marvel at the gilded furniture.
" So what do you think ?" Sean said almost smugly. He was clearly enjoying my reaction to this place.
" You told me this place was grand but this is like - I trailed off.
" Amazing, right? At least I managed to get that droopy expression off your face. " He said cheerfully.
" Gold digger " I teased mock accusation in my voice. " No. I would love Arianna even if she lived in a cave. "
He had so much conviction in his voice that even if I didn't know him so well, I would know he was telling the truth. Indeed, it was only recently that Sean had come to know how rich she was. And that was thanks to Sasha who recognized Arianna from the magazines. They had met while attending a technology exhibition. And Arianna had only told him her father used to do some sort of business. It was only when things started heating up between them that Sasha finally let him in on who she was. According to Sean, this was her way of knowing if she was loved by him only for who she was.
" Hello there. You must be Sean. " Aiden Victor stood in the doorway. The pictures didn't do him justice. They had failed to capture the true extent of the elegance and authority he exuded. Anyone can look handsome with a little bit of grooming but few had this sort of persona. After shaking hands with my brother he turned to me.
" This is my sister Sarah." Sean introduced the two of us. Aidens hands were warm, his grip gentle yet strong at the same time. For some reason, they reminded me of my father's hands. Removing this absurd comparison from my mind, I turned to Aiden, who had seated himself on one of the sofas.
" Arianna must have gotten held up due to traffic. She'll probably be here in a few minutes. " Aiden's smile and tone were warm yet had an air of formality. Like a politician giving an interview. We being the journalists. Sean, ever the extroverted one was smoothly carrying on the conversation. But I knew him well enough to see that he was holding himself back a little. A servant came bearing tea and cookies on a trolley. It seemed like one of those tea parties in Jane Austen, and everyone was polite yet reserved.
Just then, the door burst open. In came Arianna. She sported a light tan, her thick wavy brown hair fell in waves on both shoulders, and her dark brown eyes reflected intelligence. She gave Sean a dazzling smile. And the next thing I knew, she had engulfed me in a big hug.
" You don't know how much I have been wanting to meet you. Sean talks about you all the time." Arianna beamed at me, and I liked her instantly. Around her, even Aiden seemed more open, his smile more welcoming.
" So what took you so long in coming here ?" Sean asked her.
" Something came up." Arianna's tone was nonchalant, yet the way she seemed to stare into Sean's eyes conveyed there was more to it. Aiden seemed to sense it, too.
" What came up exactly ?" He probed.
" Nothing of importance, mom. Seriously. " Arianna laughed, but for some reason, it seemed forced. As if she was trying to get rid of Aiden, she suddenly suggested that he show me the grounds.
Aiden got up without any argument, but I knew he wanted to probe further. He led us out a staircase connected to the drawing room, which led straight into the grounds. The freshly mowed grass was interrupted here and there by patches of lush flower beds. Hybrid multicolored roses in shades ranging from bright yellow mixed with splashes of pink and black stood surrounded by marigold flowers in bright orange.
" Wow," I breathed.
" You like them? I like tending to them whenever I get the time. "He smiled proudly. But it felt like a genuine smile. Like one exchanged with a friend.
" I don't remember the last time I felt so peaceful. " I said honestly.
" Oh, Arianna mentioned something about your father. He - -".
" He passed away three months ago." I interrupted him before he could ask. I usually found it hard to talk about my pain.
" I know everyone's pain is different but I lost my father only a year ago and I think that I can understand how you feel to an extent. " He said and when I saw his face I knew that he meant it.
" It's very hard talking about it ". I said looking towards the ground. The sympathetic expression on his face had melted the wall I had built around my emotions. And the tears now threatened to fall.
" If you want to cry or talk about it please do so. Don't keep all that grief bottled within yourself or you will never heal. " He said and at that, the tears started rolling down my cheeks.
" I don't think I can ever heal. No matter how much I cry or mourn over it, the pain doesn't go away. " I buried my face in the crook of my arm.
" Our scars may never go away, but we eventually learn to live with them. " He said gently.
So I told him everything. How my father's case was mishandled by the doctor. How I tried contacting every influential figure for justice but no one responded.
" I even tried writing to newspapers and magazines but no one is willing to publish my articles against this hospital. " I sobbed.
" Send me your article as well as the link to the online petition you created. I will try to get the articles published as well as get all my contacts to sign the petition. " He said.
He thankfully didn't ask me why we didn't file a legal case. Because I wasn't in the mood to tell him that Dad's so-called treatment had cost us almost everything we had. And no lawyer out there would take on such a powerful organization without charging us money we did not have. Either Arianna told him about our financial crunch or his people skills were just amazing.
" Hey, I have got to show you something ". He helped me up and started leading me toward the edge of the grounds.
As we neared the edge, the wind started whipping around my face. It smelled exotic like a sea breeze. And soon enough we found ourselves on the edge of a cliff. Down below for miles, all that could be seen was silver sand until it met with the sea. The water shimmered with shades of orange due to the rays of the sun setting over it.
" It's beautiful " I whispered amazed. I looked at Aiden whose hair had become tousled due to the wind. He was more than the person I thought him to be. He was just as beautiful inside which I thought was rare. Even though I only knew him for a few hours I was convinced that his soul was more beautiful than the breathtaking view of the horizon before us.
But illusions last only so long.