Was he her Elian?
Her Elian Anderson?
Were uncle and aunt joking?
She flipped her head right and left to see some kind of a hidden camera, but found none. So, it was true.
It was her Elian.
She was floating in the air in her mind.
Now that she knew it was him, she found this man more charming than before. It would not be called cheating anymore.
Because this man was her knight.
Not only his face she was attracted to, but also to his aura. An easygoing, understanding, and calm aura which she adored most in people around her.
All the menacing intentions she had for him, turned into a pure blissful smile, bringing the angel in her out.
She still remembered how scared she was when she entered here, and how he teased her calling her a crybaby.
She was angry at first, clenched her fists in a ball, and even cried, pointing at him. Calling him a bad person and a bully.
Feeling guilty, he apologized holding his ears with both hands. He looked so adorable. He was only twelve and she, six.
That was the first step to their friendship.
Time passed by, he would make fun of her pigtails, her puffy cheeks, just to make her furious with him, and the next minute they would be playing together, laughing at each other.
He was fourteen then and she was eight.
Elian also had his friends, but family came first. He would take his time out for both of his parents and a friend like his sister.
Even if he was a child, he was sensible. He would tell her wrong, right, would make sure to protect her from all the boys of their school.
After all, all classmates of his did that for their sisters.
Her biggest wishes in the heart were: She wanted to marry him, be with him as his wife, his partner, his other half, the person he would confide in the person he would share his concerns and happiness with, and finally the mother of his cute little children.
Still, there was but one problem.
She was still a minor!
'Dear God, can't you just make me grow up?'
She could not marry him this early, so she would pray to her Lord to make her older for him, so she could be with him without any predicament or obstacle.
It seemed God had not listened to her clearly, so she had to pray all over again.
'Oh, sweet God! I promise I will not spend money recklessly. Please, oh sweet God, let me be an adult for Elian.'
Going-through-puberty Zaria was still short compared to him.
When he turned eighteen, she was saddened so much to see him leaving for his studies abroad that she did not come out of her room for two days.
She had a high fever. He affected her that much, but she understood that his career was important, too.
She waited and finally, he was here. Both of them were adults now. She could hope now.
'He is finally here!' She smiled unknowingly, even she, herself did not know that she was smiling, but he still saw her.
Even the sun could not compete with her sweet alluring smile.
She was still the little girl of his memories.
Elian, too, found it hard to believe that this girl was his childhood friend who he loved to protect from others.
'Time sure flies quick.' He smiled looking at her.
Her hair had grown longer to her back, her waist had slimmed in comparison to the past when she loved eating junk food. Her posture was straight and all that extra fat her cheeks had, had melted down, but she was still healthy-looking.
She looked like some Hollywood model but could be considered a child model. Hehe.
Height mattered after all.
He realized how much she had changed, but some things never changed.
Her pair of eyes were still the same. Brown. Shiny. Outstanding. Full of hopes. Warmth.
One which he had grown accustomed to in the following years in between growing up.
Her orbs reminded him of those autumn fallen trees which he could watch for hours, sitting on some bench.
It brought feelings of amenity and comfort to his mind. Feeling of someone always being there for him.
Another thing it brought, was relief.
Come to think of it, her attitude was still the same.
She blurted things without any conscience and blame others. Sometimes, they were at fault, too.
But only sometimes.
She treated strangers like they would bring danger to her and her loved ones-- a cautious and overprotective person.
She would rather hurt herself first than hurt others.
Her trigger-- he shook his head inwardly. Even that was the same.
Her height did grow, but she was still short compared to him, so it was all same for him. He almost laughed out loud.
His one of the favourite reasons to infuriate her. He just loved pushing her buttons; it amused him.
Now that he was back, he could rekindle the same friendship as it was years ago with her.
"So, you're that crybaby?" Elian teased.
"I was never a crybaby," murmured Zaria, though her cheeks were tinted red. She could easily get abashed if that person who was teasing was her Elian Anderson.
If it were another person, she would have retorted back, but it was her love for Elian Anderson which was on the line. She naturally had to make a good impression on him.
"Yeah, Yeah, keep telling yourself that, little lady." He chuckled deeply. He was enjoying her reactions.
She sucked in a breath.
'Little lady?'
Little lady? Had she not grown enough?
"By the way, you have to tell me all the deeds you have done all these years, young lady! I want the whole report on how many hearts you have stolen and broken all this time, and tell me the names of those boys too, so I could knock some senses into them as to why did they choose you." He flicked her forehead.
When Elian started to tease, he never stopped.
Zaria pouted.
'I never gave them a chance because I was waiting for you!'
She glanced at him. She wanted to add these words, but she could not. At least, not at this time.
'Maybe I could never confess my real feelings in front of him.' This thought made her depressed.
He would only stop when the certain person he teased would beg him to stop embarrassing her with her puffed red cherry cheeks and eyes.
It had always been like that.
Mia Anderson and John Anderson were contented and satisfied to see the interactions between their children, but Madam Anderson was extremely happy. Her Zaria did not need to miss her Elian anymore. Her life mission could happen now.
Madam Anderson knew Zaria's feelings for her son and she could never be even more pleased than she already was. Daughters-in-law like Zaria were one in a million. She would be protected by all means if she stayed in Anderson mansion all her life.
Women love matchmaking their children with others, and as a woman how could Madam Anderson not do that!?
Of course, she had wanted to do it all this time.
Now that her son was back, she should start her matchmaking, so she could brag this to her cousin, Amelia White who loved to praise her daughter-in-law in front of her, directly rubbing it on Madam Anderson's face due to lack of a daughter-in-law without any shame.
Master Anderson gazed at his wife from the corner of his eyes and saw her grinning like a Cheshire cat.
He knew what she was thinking, and he could only shake his head silently with a small smile.
His wife was still cute even at this age!
Madam Anderson took both her son and future daughter-in-law's hands in her own and pulled them together to sit with her on different sofas. Elian alone, and Zaria with her. As usual, her husband gladly followed her and sat on another sofa. For Zaria, it was surely awkward. How could she not feel restless when Elian Anderson was sitting right in front of her? From time to time, their eyes met and Elian would smile at her and she would avert her eyes with her scarlet hot cheeks. She still could not look at him in the eyes! Why did he get so handsome? It was his fault! Madam Anderson since forever, wanted this. She resembled an excited child who had been given candy for her accomplishment and hard work after the exams. She wanted a great result. She cleared h
When Elian just left for his room, the shyness of Zaria started to fly away. But still the thought of seeing and having Elian up so near her, her cheeks heated again, so she put her hands to cool them.Foo. Foo.You are an adult, Ria. Act like one.Excusing herself to her room, a minute passed or two, she was found squealing and jumping on the bed.Elian came back.Elian talked to her.Elian smiled at her.Elian teased her.Exhausted, she finally threw herself on her bed. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it closely to her chest, biting her lips in utter exhilaration. Her eyes, glimmering with her pure, innocent dreams and hope.She still could not believe that he was here."Don't be sad. I'll be back again to you, little lady Ria." She could hear his words in her ears.It was the time he
The faster she ran upstairs in her sandals with a tray in her hands, the more sound she produced. Now, everyone in the Anderson mansion knew she was holding a tray. Not looking into their prying eyes, she kept walking forward and forward. Knocking gently on the door, she expected Elian to be awakened by now, but who would have thought that he was still sleeping like there was no tomorrow. Oh, she forgot. He was a heavy sleeper. "Elian, are you awake?" Zaria's voice was gentle and soft as a feather. Very gentle which was a little incredulous. If someone on her campus were to watch her like this gentle, they would feel dizzy. Gentle Ria was totally different from the Indifferent Bossy Ria. Everyone remembered how she beat a boy when she was in her sixth grade and
Zaria was still in the clutches of her memories when someone broke her out from her reverie. "It's amazing, right?" A low and hoarse voice entered her ear. "Yes, it is... very amazing." She was still picturing Elian. Elian, laughing with her. Elian, smiling at her. Elian, holding her hands. Elian's face getting closer to her. But other than herself, who could talk with her in her fantasies? Hold on. The revelation dawned on her suddenly. She was crouching down on the floor, face to face to his level. Amidst lost in the memories of past, she did not even realize she was on the floor at this moment and he was leaning down. He was smiling at her with half-lidded eyes indicating that he had awoken just now.
"So, shall we go now?" After finishing his morning breakfast of bread toasts and fried egg, he wiped his face from the table napkin gracefully. His movement was so elegant that it could be recorded in a camera and put on a replay button. "Are you both going somewhere?" Her aunt Mia was curious. She had not even started her plan, yet all the tides were going in her direction? Elian nodded happily. "Yes, she promised to take me out on a city tour today." His mother nodded, too, pleased with the progress. "Dear, are you planning to take a day off from campus then?" Mia Anderson looked at Zaria with an adored countenance. She really dotted on her. Her grandchildren would be so cute considering both Zaria and her son's genes. Zaria Smith faltered. The silvery knife and fork in her hand stilled. She actually
"Ah! Mathematics is complicated and tiring. Mr Alfred was boring people out." Sofia yawned, "In the whole class I was thinking of wanting to see the newly released movie, so when are we going there exactly?" Sofia Brown stretched her arms. The sun rays kept hitting her skin. With her natural auburn red hair and golden tanned skin tone, she looked radiant in the sunlight. Just like an enchantress. Her charm was overwhelming. So much beautiful that she unknowingly made a guy nosebleed and stumbled while walking straight. "I really had fun today! Chemistry is so interesting. Imagine everything being made up of tiny atoms, and then whoosh! The tiny atoms get formed into molecules and elements and at last, the compounds! Our body is made just like that! Can you all believe it?" Mason Waters was the nerd of the group. He was from another section but had a great friendship with Zaria's g
As a girl, Ria had no problem in telling everything in a long story short. This thing only took some of the minutes. Sofia was stupefied. She did not know her best friend who was only eighteen was in that deep. Deep enough to think of settling with only one person. She never took a man seriously. Thought of only a single man bored her. "As long as you're up for it." Jessica patted on her shoulder stiffly. She often got awkward real quick when cheering for and comforting people. "Are you guys done?" "Yes." Zaria nodded with ecstasy. The tense atmosphere between her and Elian had diminished a little and now she did not feel much of a stuttering person. Elian was easy-going and he made things easy-going. According to her girl friends, they could be like an ideal couple.
"Lisa, come on! You have to come with us. We can also bring along Felicia." Lisa shook her head. Just like Madam Anderson, she also wanted to give them space for their relation to bloom. Only by creating such opportunities, could the outcome they wanted be fruitful. At last, she had seen this Elian Anderson who was in her best friend's heart, and the one whose name she never got tired of from calling. Zaria was right. He was like a person who had come from a fantasy world. He treated them with respect, and not once with disdain that they were just mere servants working for him and his family. This made Elizabeth relieved with her best friend's choice. He was a good man. Zaria sighed at the person who knew her the best. When she asked Felicia, she also said she had some studies to do. Now, how could she go alone w
"Sofia, so you have finally decided to leave this house for good?" A loud voice sounded in the room, and soon the smashing of objects followed. Her little sister, Abigail winced. To her, it was a norm. Her mother's hysteria, coercion, and in the end, her guilt. Abigail sighed. She knew what the outcome would be if she let it continue. "Yes, I want to leave, and I will leave." Sofia was hell-bent. One of the reasons she wanted to escape was this. Ever since he left, her mother was never the same. For years, she tried to get her mother to accept reality. That she had to learn to live without him. However, it all went in vain. Her mom never understood. He was her everything to the point that her daughters had no value in her eyes. Everything started with him. Everything also ended with him. "You aren't going anywhere! I dare you to leave!" "Watch me." Sofia shrugged. "No! You can't leave. You will not leave." Helene Roderick grabbed her daughter's arm. A hysteric glint flashed i
"Excuse me, Miss?" Someone shook her. Blinking her eyes open, she was greeted by a man in a white coat. She was a little dazed."Huh?"The light was encircling the place when she came to her senses completely and moved her neck which hurt. Sleeping in a chair and that too on a cold night with no blanket made her body freeze in some places.Albeit the area she was in was a secluded corner– away from the hospital, still, she could hear the faint bustling of people, the stomping of their hurried feet, and the sounds of wheelchairs screeching on the floor.Last night it was all too quiet that she forgot she was in a hospital and slept. One short nap became a thorough sleep and the long night evolved into a day.Her phone buzzed.Mumbling an 'excuse me', she checked her phone to see 6 missed calls from home and got worried."Hello?""Ria, we're trying to reach out to you but you weren't answering." Nanny Mary's voice filled with concern greeted her. "Is everything alright there?""Yes, yes
2 Days Later.The City Hospital. 8:28 pm."Mom! Where's mom?"The doctors and patients who were in the hospital gazed at her strangely. Zaria Smith did not care about anything.The only words that were playing in her mind like a reel were that her mother-in-law collapsed. A mother-in-law who loved her more than anything in this world.And she could be- No, she was the reason she was in danger."Young Madam, you're here!" In the waiting room, an old woman stood up.Nanny Mary hugged Zaria. Slipping into a familiar embrace, Zaria felt calm and her breathing turned even. Her voice was very low, lacking energy."I don't see Dad here.""Old Master Anderson is with the doctor discussing Madam's tumour."Zaria sucked a breath."What happened to Mom, Nanny Mary? How could she collapse all of a sudden?"Nanny Mary's grip on Zaria loosened and she sighed."Old Madam... She was thinking very hard these past few days. Her expression was also not happy. Perhaps she was under some unknown stress."
Breaking News: Rumour confirmed. The Male Lead of the highly anticipated adaption of the famous novel is Malcolm Augustus.Star Entertainment too has confirmed this news and requires lots of support from the fans and readers.The worst came true.The exhilaration and anticipation she had for the movie– it was as if someone had poured cold water on her head.Malcolm Augustus was the Male Lead of her favourite novel, the one she was looking forward to seeing in the movie theatre.Now she had to watch his annoying face on that big screen.A fierce and intense fight on the Internet began and Sofia Brown's phone buzzed crazily."Sh*t." Sofia cursed under her breath for the hundredth time and rubbed her head.Ever since Malcolm's scandal broke out, the entertainment industry and fan and anti-fan groups were in chaos. After Malcolm, lots of scandals appeared and many stars became the target of netizens and public hatred.However, Malcolm's scandal was the biggest of them all. The gentle pers
Zaria Smith knew the moment she saw this woman named Christina Norman, she was going to be a thorn in her relationship with Elian. For 3 days, Zaria did not see Elian and Christina. She had no idea what they were doing. As she passed by the hallway, she heard the low whispers of the servants, their eyes following her and observing her moves as if she were a criminal who had done a heinous crime. Were they blaming her for Christina's state? Was it Ria who forced Christina to eavesdrop on her conversation with her husband, Elian Anderson? Deep in her thoughts, she did not realise she had bumped into Sebastian. Startled, Zaria shook her head, her mind disturbed. "I wasn't looking clearly. Forgive me, Uncle Sebastian." "Young Madam, I..." "What is the matter, Uncle Sebastian? Why are you so pale?" Zaria was getting worried. Why was he so quiet? Butler Sebastian was silent as he kept his gaze low. "Is it about Elian?" "Young Madam, you have to promise me that you must stay calm
'I will finally talk to him! I can't tolerate her presence anymore. Humph, if she has no recollection of 2 years ago, she better make new memories if she can't recover the old ones.' Zaria was thinking when she stilled and watched the scene unfolding. "Elian, you're back!" Christina leapt into Elian's arms happily. "Mmh." "When are you planning to bring your friends here, Elian? I haven't seen them for a long time and I want to meet them." Zaria was in disbelief. This Christina had met them, but Zaria.. Elian had never introduced his friends to her. Not even a simple description of how they might have looked like. He always had dinner outside the house when he visited his friends. "They are busy nowadays," Elian answered and tried to separate himself from Christina but she would not budge. "Well, forget them. Do you feel the difference here?" "..." "Ugh, look around! I have changed everything." Only after that, Elian's dark eyes went to every corner. "The previous setting w
"Good grief!" The next morning when Butler Sebastian saw Zaria, he was flabbergasted. "What happened to you, Young Madam?" "Uncle Sebastian..." Zaria Smith could not get a single wink last night. The moment she would shut her eyes, she would see Elian together with that woman. She had black bags under her eyes and slightly puffed cheeks, giving a great impression of a panda. The torment she and her soul went through was intolerable. None of her friends was here. Who should she confide in? Past, he said. Was she truly just a past? Then why did he keep her here? Butler Sebastian was concerned. Was the task not successful? Since he could not get a word out from Zaria, he sighed. "Young Madam, have something first and then resolve the matter." "Resolve the matter? Will he let us do it?" Zaria muttered, a bitter face forming. "Yes?" "Oh, nothing." As she proceeded to go to the kitchen, she heard some maids speaking. "That guest staying in the room opposite the hallway, isn't she
The dinner ended in silence. Zaria waited for Elian to say something or start a conversation, but he did not. He seemed distracted. The atmosphere was romantic and dreamlike yet the tension and nervousness somehow kept coming in. Under the table, Zaria clenched her fists apprehensively. "Elian, I need to talk to you." Elian was brought back to reality as he sensed Ria's gaze on him. Blinking, he cleared his throat, "I have been meaning to tell you something for quite a while as well. I can only let this out today now that I have got the chance." Zaria's heartbeat accelerated. Was he too- She gratefully thanked her ancestors and the heavens for this moment. With a shy look, she shook her head, her voice soft and she gazed down. "You can speak first. I can wait." "Are you sure?" Elian asked seriously. "Mmh." After all, whether she said it or he said it, it was the same. Sighing, Elian made eye contact with Zaria. He was holding this girl for a long time knowing that she could h
2 Years Later: "Young Madam, all preparations have been carried out. Anything else that you require?" Zaria, who was watering the vibrant coloured flowers, stopped and turned around. Noticing Butler Sebastian, a smile took over her. So much had changed in these two years. Both Zaria and Butler Sebastian got to know each other and went along well. Butler Sebastian assisted her in many things which helped her become a perfect madam of the family. Sasha had begun to treat everyone softly. Although, sometimes she did lose control. The manor was peaceful and tranquil most of the time. Her relationship with her husband had become better and now they did not feel reluctant around each other. The Old Anderson couple would also visit them once a year and would return happily after seeing their children were happy. Her feelings had also somewhat become stabilised. "Nothing else other than him." "It's our second anniversary. He'll be on time, right?" "Young Madam..." Sebastian started h