Chapter 04

 "Isn't the morning a little bit brighter today?" 

That was the first thing that came into Jane's as she stirred awake in the early morning,  a gentle glow filtered through the curtains, casting a warm embrace upon her face. 

Her mind immediately drifted to Liam, such a  little bundle of joy he was! His thoughts alone made Jane an optimistic person.

Children are angels. a bunch of hopes to give you peace in this cruel heartless world.

Without fail, every day upon returning from her coaching sessions, Jane had to play for at least one hour with Liam.

He made her feel happy, dispelling the shadows that had clung to her soul in recent years.

She also met Aunt Kathy, twice after that day. There was an undeniable allure in her motherly aura, a comforting essence that tugged at Jane's heartstrings. Jane liked her already.

It was Sunday so she didn't have any classes. The promise she had made to Liam and Aunt Mary to go to Central Park loomed ever closer. A bubbling excitement brewed within Jane's core, It's definitely going to be an exciting day.

With full spirit and a skip in her step, Jane entered the bathroom to take a shower.

……..

" Jane, can you please take Liam to the park alone? I have an emergency at my NGO. I am feeling guilty but I need to go right now." 

 Mary said the words looking at Jane apologetically. She didn't want to spoil the first ever plan they made after Jane came to the city.

" It's fine Auntie.No really, please don't feel bad." Jane tried to make Mary feel at ease.

"I will take Liam to the park. We will have lots of fun. Right, Liam?" Jane playfully looked at Liam asking for a high five.

" Yes sissy." Liam jumped in joy and returned her gesture with the same enthusiasm. 

" Great. As soon as I am done with my work I'll join you." Mary smiled warmly at Jane.

" So Mr.Liam, should we get you ready now?" Jane asked Liam, slightly pulling her cheeks.

" Yes!" Liam gave Jane a cheeky smile making her feel happy.

……….

"Uncle, look, my friends are over there. I am going to them. Bye," Aria, Adrian's little niece exclaimed, darting off towards her giggling group of friends.

"Ok, but..." Even before Adrian could complete his sentence Aria was gone. Adrian let out a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his temples, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

 "What the fuck am I even doing in this silly park?" he muttered to himself, silently cursing his brother.

Andrew, his brother, should have been the one to accompany Aria to the park. After all, he was her father. Adrian couldn't help but feel frustrated that his father and idiotic brother couldn't even take a break on Sunday. 

It was precisely moments like these that made him hesitant to officially take over the family company as CEO. He wanted to live life to the fullest. 

 Of course, he was damn hard-working and always liked to be on top. But he knew how to enjoy his life too.

Unfortunately, his stupid brother didn't know that So Adrian found himself in this absurd situation, surrounded by children.

He never liked the little troublemakers.

 His niece was the only exception.

Aria, being the cunning little manipulator she was, knew exactly how to exploit his soft spot for her. She had managed to drag him to the park with her big puppy eyes.

Now standing in the middle of the park he didn't know what to do. He started questioning every decision of his life.

"God I'd never have children." His frustration mounting.

This was the worst way anyone could spoil their weekend.

Taking a deep breath, Adrian glanced around, his eyes scanning the surroundings for anything that might catch his interest. 

His gaze roamed around lazily until it settled upon a pair of captivating light brown eyes. Time seemed to freeze as his breath caught in his throat.

There she stood, a vision in a yellow knee-length sundress, which is modest but still not enough to save her delicate figure from his hawk eyes.

A playful giggle escaped her lips as she lovingly interacted with a lively puppy, filling the air with pure joy.

 Oh God, her smile! Her smile directly invaded his soul. His heart quickened its pace, as if under a bewitching spell. It wasn't under his control anymore.

An alien warmth spread through his chest. A head swirling, mind-boggling, heart-wrenching, all-consuming warmth !

The sunlight, like a divine spotlight, caressed her shoulder-length auburn hair, casting a halo of radiance around her. Her plump cheeks and doe-like eyes were screaming innocence, tugging at the deepest corners of his heart. 

And those lips, Oh, those perfectly shaped lips!

" I bet it tastes sweeter than honey," Adrian murmured as an irresistible not so holy desire evoked in his mind. 

"Stop Adrian! "

he commanded himself, his mind struggling to regain control before it surrendered to unholy thoughts. 

But his mind rebelled against his will, for she was a magnet pulling him closer, ensnaring his senses in a captivating dance.

His unruly eyes kept going down and down, mesmerized by every detail. Strands of her hair clung to her slender neck, glistening with a sheen of sweat. 

The neckline of her dress gave a hint of her cleavage, those delicate bosoms, her beauty bloomed before him, begging to be admired.

"Darn it! Control Adrian control," he muttered, his voice laced with a mixture of frustration and desire. With a sharp intake of breath, he attempted to tame the storm raging within him.

But no matter how much he tried, the sights before him refused to be cast aside. Each image etched itself deeper into his consciousness, fueling the restless turmoil within him.

"What's happening to me? Oh God? Am I drunk? But I didn't drink last night. Then?"

he whispered, a mix of confusion and wonder tainting his voice.

he attempted to divert his mind forcefully, looking around.  But whatever he saw didn't really help him to calm his restless mind down.

 some of the middle aged men were looking at her like a piece of meat. Adrian clenched his jaw and pressed hard onto my knuckle so that he wouldn't end up plucking their good for nothing perverted eyes.

'They are probably with their children here.. Fucking nasty piece of shit.' Adrian murmured with fury.

" But why do you care by the way? Aren't you ogling too?" His subconscious mind never missed a chance to tease him.

"Shut up. I don't. And I am not ogling at her. It's just that she looks so delicate and magical." Adrian tried to resonate with himself.

again his eyes found their way where they wanted to be. There she was,smiling without any care of the world. He could bet she was oblivious to all the eyes that are on her right now.

so damn pure! So fucking innocent!

Suddenly he got out of his trance seeing some child tugging her dress from behind. She looked back and gently smiled at that kid, kissing his cheek.

He saw her receiving a phone call and talking with a broad smile on her face.

'Huh! Lucky kiddo.' his thoughts weren't at his mercy anymore.

"What the fuck man! You just didn't say that!" Again his subconscious mind.

But who was the boy by the way? Could that be her child?

 Fuck! No way! 

She looked way too young to be a mother. Her brother probably.

"But wait! Why does that kid look familiar?" Adrian said in his mind, surprised.

 He had seen him somewhere. But he couldn't remember where! What if Aria knew him?

Adrian went to search for Aria, but not before taking a last glance at her.

"Aria…Aria !" Adrian shouted a little louder.

" Yes, Uncle", She came running.

"Come with me. I need to show you something." Adrian said in haste.

"What now? But I am playing with my friends". She started whining m

" I also want you to meet one of your friends. Come! I'll buy you anything you want. How about the latest video games!" 

Adrian tried to make a deal with her.

She pretended to think for one minute. 

" No. Buy me an ice cream tub then." Aria replied innocently.

Adrian looked at her weirdly. 

"Who would prefer ice cream over video games? Of course, children." Adrian heaved a sigh.

" Ok done. Now come with me." He said hurriedly.

" Where?" Aria asked, looking around. 

"Oh, He is just…" his eyes landed on the exact spot only to find. Nothing! 

His eyes frantically searched for that one particular figure in a yellow sundress but all he could see was some random people and children.

" But they were just here". He murmured.

" They? How many of them were here?." Aria asked, a little surprised.

"Huh! No nothing. They are probably gone. You go and play. I'll buy you ice cream later." Adrian said, lost in his mind.

He didn't have to repeat before she sprinted towards her friends. 

"But she was just here. Was I dreaming? No. That's not possible. But it's like she just vanished into thin air!" Adrian exclaimed.

"Urgh! It's not that I care. She looks so young anyways. Probably some teenager."

After a long time, he got back control over his mind.

" Eww! How can I get attracted to a teenager! Did I become that awful? I seriously need to get laid. Probably need to see a doctor too. I am not feeling well at all."  

Adrian thought, jerking his head frantically to get rid of those thoughts.

It's probably one of the rarest times that he and his subconscious mind agreed with each other.

Adrian went to a corner to clear his mind. When his eyes again caught the figure near the gate. 

 His burning gaze was fixed on her.

Adrian smirked when he saw the girl stop and looked around. She must have felt his gaze. 

With a mischievous smile and unknown feelings in his heart, Adrian saw that within a minute she shrugged her shoulders and went outside with that kid, probably thinking of it as paranoia.

 She looked radiant as ever unbeknownst to a certain pair of dark eyes that belonged to an upcoming storm.