Fate Being The Cupid

The mansion was already awake when she woke up at 8. She winced when she saw the time. Hastily, she climbed off the bed and rushed out towards Angela’s room. She was supposed to wake up Angela at 7 and help her with her morning ablution. She inwardly cursed herself for being so careless. It was her first day and she was already failing. 

She was used to waking up at 6 and helping the gardener tending to the garden back in the orphanage. She wondered if the old man missed him.     

Ara shoved the door to Angela’s room open and met with absolute silence. Angela was nowhere in the room. She called her but no reply came, not that she had expected.

Perhaps, she was already awake. She was so going to get fired on her first day. Ara hurried towards the kitchen to check if Angela was there. And to her relief, Angela was indeed there, sitting behind the table and eating her breakfast. 

She was turning away from the kitchen when Jennifer spotted her.

“Ara,” Jenna called her, making her stop in her tracks. She turned to her and flashed her a nervous smile. She must really be thinking of her as reckless, she thought to herself.  

“ Where are you going? Have your breakfast,” she called from the kitchen. Angela peeked at her from under her eyelashes. When Ara met her eyes, she quickly turned her gaze back on her plate.  

“Can I take my shower first?” Ara tentatively asked Jenna. 

“Oh dear, you don’t need to ask me or take my permission for anything. I am not your boss. Do whatever you want,” she divulged in a kinder tone. She realized Ara was too naive and gullible to survive in this manipulative society. 

Ara smiled and turned to go back to her room. 

She came back to the kitchen after taking her bath. Angela had left for her classes but Jennifer was still in the kitchen and she wasn’t alone. 

Ara’s steps faltered when she heard some weird muffled noises. She walked in to find out what it was. The girl regretted immediately the moment her eyes beheld the sight. Jennifer was sitting on the kitchen counter, kissing some guy who was standing between her legs. Ara promptly averted her gaze. Her feet froze and her cheeks burned with deep embarrassment.

‘Ara?” Jennifer had already spotted her.  

“Sorry for interrupting. I am leaving, you continue,” she blabbered, turning to her heels. 

“No. Stay,” Jenna slid off the counter. The man turned around and that is when she got another surprise. Mr. Brown. She pecked his lips before the man strolled out of the kitchen, flashing a smile at Ara. 

“I..I am sorry. I shouldn’t have..” 

“That’s fine,” she waved her hand dismissively. 

" Sit, have breakfast," she said

She slid the tray over to her.

"I lost my husband two years ago in an accident. Thought would never find love again. I am done for. But Robert proved me wrong. He came as a fresh breath of life," a smile floating across her lips. Ara's own lips stretched into a smile.  

"We are soon going to make it official but till then he said, we would have to do with our sneaky romance and hushed kisses," she said.    

Ara’s cheeks were still blushing red. Her reaction amused and intrigued Jenna.

“Have you ever been kissed, Ara?” she popped the question. Ara looked up at her. Her cheeks had turned scarlet now. 

“Have you ever been kissed?” she asked again, enjoying her flustered state. 

She briskly shook her head, blushing even more. Ara had spent her entire life in the confinement of her orphanage which was only for females. She didn’t know any male except for the gardener, Sister Violet’s secretary, and a few other staff members. 

“Never?” Jenna found it difficult to believe. Girls of her age are usually experts in this stuff.   

“ Why?” she urged on

“Sister Violet used to say that a girl should be intimate only with her husband, who is your one true soulmate. It’s a sin to kiss other boys,” she explained, lucidly. Jenna nodded, comprehendingly. 

“So you are saying you will kiss only your husband, who also happens to be your soulmate?” she asked. Ara nodded. She was finding the conversation awkward.     

“And how would you know, let's say, an X person is your soulmate?” she asked not curious but amused by her immature view on life. 

“God has plans for all of us. He will tell me in his own ways,” she shrugged and replied. 

“Naive..naive girl,” Jenna shook her head and muttered under her breath. Ara couldn’t catch what she said but she was glad that the awkward conversation was finally over. 

….

Angela was playing with her dolls when Ara got into her room to have a chat with her. Angela was busy making her own scenarios to be able to sense her presence. Her blond pigtail swinging with each shake of her head. She was sitting in her wheelchair while talking to her dolls. 

Ara sat quietly on the edge of her bed and that is when the little girl noticed a foreign presence in her room. She gazed up at her before looking away immediately. She stopped playing.

Ara decided to take things in her hand and initiate the conversation.   

“This doll is so beautiful,” Ara picked one of the dolls. Angela didn’t say anything

“She has beautiful hair just like yours. What do you call her?” Angela didn’t respond

“Alright, it seems you haven’t given her a name. Let’s call her brownie then,” she suggested while combing through her brown hair

“Ewww, that’s a horrible name,” Angela scrunched her tiny face in distaste. 

“Really? I thought this will suit her,” she feigned surprise

“No, her name is Anna,” she revealed 

“Anna. It’s such a pretty name,” Ara smiled down at her. For the first time, Angela’s lips stretched into a childish smile.

“Anna is my favorite after Kisto ,” Angela’s eyes twinkled. 

 She grabbed another doll and shoved it in front of Ara’s face. 

“He is Kisto. Anna’s boyfwiend,” she explained usually. Ara eyed her incredulously. The little girl knew a lot. 

“She is looking for Elsa. Kisto is helping her in finding her,” 

“Who is Elsa?” Ata asked confused

“You don’t know?” the little girl asked, surprised. Ara shook her head

“You haven’t seen Foezen?” 

“No,” she shook her head again. 

“Then how would you know? Elsa is Anna’s sister,” Angela rolled her eyes as if talking to a kid. Ara hummed in understanding. 

“It sounds interesting. Why don’t you tell me more about Elsa, Anna, and Kisto guy?” she arched her brows in anticipation. 

“You want to know,” Angela asked excitedly. 

“Yes, princess,” Angela blushed at the nickname she gave her. 

Ara burst into a fit of laughter after seeing her blush pink. She was a cutie.  

………….

The whole press was crowded outside when Killian and Elena came out of the building. The crowd stirred instantly and journalists started vying for their attention. 

His company had recently ventured into the fashion industry and tonight was the first night of the fashion week that his company had organized. Elena had walked the ramp and Killian was there to cheer his “fiancee.” His advisers believed it would be good publicity.

“Sir, when are you two getting married?” one of the journalists asked

“You’ll find out when the date will be fixed,” he answered dryly. He didn’t want to talk about marriage.  

“Very soon,” Elena chimed in. She had put on her dazzling smile.

“What do you have to say about the new flight that your company has taken?” someone asked. Killian was pleased by the question.

“Serrano Group strives for excellence. My company has been successful in all the ventures it took. I am confident that the fashion industry is going to be added into our list of conquests very soon. People have already started….” he halted when he felt a hand rubbing his arm. He turned his head towards Elena who was looking at the press smiling smugly while clinging to him. Irritation flared inside him. 

“What are you doing? Get your hand off me,” he stated rudely without caring that the whole media was watching them. Elena was taken aback by his statement and so was others. She looked over at him in disbelief. He arched his brows in question. She removed her hand as embarrassment coated her face. But she was quick to recover. Her old dazzling smile crept back into her lips, this time it was forced. 

……………

2 months later

“Put the white rose in the middle. Yes, just like that,” she was helping Angela in making a flower bouquet. Today was Sunday and they were preparing to visit the church. It had become a routine. Every Sunday they would visit the nearby church and offer their prayers along with the flowers. 

Ara’s bond with Angela had only consolidated over the months. Everybody noticed the positive changes that Ara had brought in Angela. The little girl had started to open up and smile often. 

Angela had become her shadow, always following her around. Jennifer and others had even started teasing that Angela was now turning into a mini version of Ara. 

However, there was one big difference between them whereas Ara was meek by nature, Angela had her mischievous streak a mile wide. She loved to pull pranks on staff. Her favorite being Mr. Brown, from drawing a face on his bald head while he is sleeping to feeding him salty cookies, she never missed an opportunity. 

“Ary, which is your favorite flower?” Angela asked while wrapping a string around the flowers. 

“My favorite flower is a white rose,” she replied while knotting her own bouquet of flowers.

“Why?” Angela’s tiny brows wrinkled as she glanced up at her.

“ Because it brings a sense of serenity to me,” she replied

“Swenity?” Angela’s brows crumbled further. She laughed softly at her adoring innocence.  

 “Do you know what white rose signifies, Princess?” Angela took no time in shaking her head in no.

“It signifies peace and hope, the purity of soul,” she playfully flicked her nose. Angela rubbed her nose. 

“What is your favorite flower?” she asked 

Angela gave her a sheepish grin and answered, “White rose.” Ara laughed at her reply. 

…………

“Don, we have found their location,” 

“Que?” He pressed the phone tightly to his ear but was not able to listen properly due to the constant screaming of the man who was bound behind his back. He strode further away to listen clearly but the bastardo

wasn’t quitting. He ignored the noise quite a few times. 

“déjame ir, Por favor,” the blood-soaked man screamed again frantically, desperately tugging at his bounds. (Let me Go)

“que dolor en el culo,” he cursed under his breath, irked. Kilian raised the gun and pulled the trigger without looking in the man’s direction. The fire shot through the man’s heart, silencing him for good. (What a pain in the ass)

“Now, speak,” he commanded when the warehouse became dead silent.

“We have found the location of the men who had attacked Sebastian,”

“Where?” he fished out a cigarette from his pocket, shoved it between his lips. Taking out the lighter from his pants pocket, he lit the cigarette. 

“They were seen in London yesterday,” 

He took a long drag on his cigarette

“My men are trying to locate their current position. They have been cooped up in a hotel,” he explained. Killian puffed out smoke along with a sigh.. 

“How long will they take to locate those fuckers?” he asked, irritated. He expects nothing less than perfection from his men.

“Not long, boss. Just a few hours. What are your orders for us ?” the man asked. Killian blew out the smoke. 

“Don’t touch them. They are mine to deal with,” a menacing glint flashed in his eyes. The hunger for revenge flared up with full force inside him. 

“I am coming to London tomorrow,” he added.

“Very well, boss,” the man said. Killian disconnected the call and put the phone back in his pocket. 

He exited the warehouse, not caring about the body that laid behind him. He took another long drag staring off into space. 

Time to collect the payment, he thought to himself before his lips tilted into a diabolical smirk.