Chapter 2

TRISTAN

I got down from the flight.

It felt like an eternity to travel from San Francisco to New York City.

I got in the car which was waiting for me.

"Where to go, Sir?", my driver Lance asked.

"To the downtown and this is the address.", I replied curtly and gave him the piece of paper in which the address was written.

Two years.

It took me two years to find mio fiore.

I looked outside the window and saw the sun setting​ down.

I had researched a bit about that place and soon guilt ate me up.

She was living in one of the worst places in NY. And it is all my fault.

I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair.

“Soon"

I whispered to myself.

Soon the car came to a halt.

"Sir, this is the flat and on the sec...."

Before my driver could complete the statement I got down from the car.

I signaled my driver to leave and he did as he was told.

I looked around to see liquor bottles lying on the streets with drunk men walking and gambling. Then I looked up at the building. It was broken at places and the paint was coming out.

It looked disgusting at I cringed at the thought of my fragile fiore living here.

I sighed and again assured myself that soon I will take Rose back to our mansion.

I smiled thinking about Iris and made my way to the second floor where she lived.

I looked at the door of her apartment to find it was locked.

"Must be out for work.", I said to myself and decided to wait for her.

Soon I could hear tiny feet walking over the rotten wooden steps. I already knew that it was my Rose as her smell hit me like a ton of bricks. I can never forget her smell, vanilla with a hint of roses. I love her smell.

Soon she came in my view.

She was the same yet looked so different.

Her porcelain skin looked paler and she looked weak. Her clothes looked a bit torn and she had her thick brown hair in a messy bun.

"Mio fiore."

As soon as these words slipped from my mouth, her chocolaty brown eyes met with my pale blue eyes.

Her eyes widened in fear and she took a step back. Seeing that fear in her eyes, a thousand daggers stabbed my heart.

"My love..."

"What bri-ings you here?", she stutter and started looking at her shoes, one of the things she does when she is scared or nervous.

"I am sorry.", I stated as bile of guilt and regret rose up my throat.

I tried moving towards her and caress her pink cheeks but she flinched as soon as I touched her.

It felt like I was a contagious disease, a plague to her.

"Don't touch me.", she stated.

She had unshed tears in her big brown eyes as she looked at me through her thick eyelashes.

Before I could say something, I heard rushed steps coming up to this floor. Soon a man around my age came in view.

He had blonde hair with green eyes. He was wearing a jacket. His height was around 6 feet.

He looked at me first with disgust and rage and then his eyes turned towards my Rose.

"Eri.", he said softly while looking at Iris.

As soon as she heard his voice, she turned towards him and rushed in his arms as if he was capable of protecting her from everything.

My body burned in jealousy as he started whispering sweet words in her ears.

That was my right. I was the one that was suppose to give her that comfort.

How much I wanted to hit that man but I knew that it was all my fault.

I let go of mio fiore.

But soon I will have her back in my arms where she belongs, I thought to myself.

I clenched my fist from stopping to break that man's face.

Not in front of Iris.

Not in front of her...

"Lets go inside the house. You look rather exhausted."

The piece of shit said in my Iris' ear. To which she slightly nodded.

I moved out of the way as that man took out a key from his pocket before entering it in the key hole.

Seeing the key emerging from his pocket made many questions run through my mind.

Were they living together?

What relation did they have?

Was he her boyfriend?

Did she moved on?

Each question made me more jealous. And equally miserable.

But I knew the fault and trust issues were from my end.

Soon the door was opened and that boy helped Iris to sit on the nearby old couch.

"I will get you water.", that man said while wiping tears from her cheeks and then went to the kitchen.

I stood there waiting for the man to leave us alone so that I could talk to my love.

I crouched to her level on the torn floor rug.

“You okay?", I asked.

She nodded her head slightly but without looking at me.

Ouch...

"Is it fine to ask whose that boy?", I asked her as politely as I could because my brain was about to burst with all the assumptions.

After a few second Iris answered but still looking down.

"Asher.", she said softly.

Before I could ask anything else, Asher came back with a glass of water which he handed to iris.

Then he turned towards me while crossing his arms. He was trying to look intimidating but off course he failed as I was a good 3-4 inches taller than him and had a better built.

"What brings you here Tristan Knight?", he asked coldly.

My fist clenched.

"How dare you talked to me in that tone of yours?", I asked menacingly.

"After what you have done to Iris, I have all the right to talk to you in that tone."

So Iris have told him everything.

"What brings you here?", he repeated his question.

Ignoring him I looked towards Rose who was now directly looking in my eyes with only two prominent emotions of hurt and betrayal.

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“I - you, love, I am sorry... Fuck!"

I looked at iris to see her looking at me confused.

Why am I so flustered suddenly.

I colleted myself back as I started again.

"Look, mio fiore, I regret what I have done to you. I had made the worst mistake of my life by divorcing you. I am extremely sorry for that. I want to make things right. Please just give me another chance."

I said sincerely.

I looked in Iris' eyes while waiting for a response.

"I can't.", she whispered.

But those words were enough to break my soul. Does she hate me that much. I went near her to touch her hands.

But as soon as my hands touched her, she flinched like earlier. Then she fled and hid behind that Asher.

"Tesoro, please."

"Just go, just - just leave me alone. Please!", she yelled in frustration as I could see tears forming in her eyes.

"Did you just hear what she has said. Now. Leave.", Asher said through clenched jaw.

He had no right to talk to me like that.

Iris has all the right and I am prepared for it but this boy is getting on my nerves.

"Who are you to her?", I asked Asher.

Their was a prolonged silence and Iris and Asher shared a look before Asher replied,

"Her boyfriend."