Chapter 1

"Arielle!"

"Arielle!"

A girl in her late twenties was sitting in front of the mirror, she turned her head to find her father entering her bedroom. When Emir Lockheart saw his daughter dressed in an off-white gown, he paused mid-step. A smile played on his lips at the beautiful sight before him.  

"You look gorgeous, baby girl," Emir said, his voice filled with pride.  

Arielle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "Thank you, Papa."  

"Hurry up. The Anderson family will arrive in a few minutes. Your Aunt Mia just called to let us know," Emir said, his smile wide enough to rival the gods. It was clear that this was the happiest day of his life. "This is such an important day for you. I don't want anything to go wrong."  

"Papa, everything is fine," Arielle sighed softly. She could feel her father's emotions, but she didn’t want him to stress over her anymore.  

At that moment, Esme, Arielle's best friend, entered the room. She noticed Uncle Emir fussing, as he often did. "Uncle, Aunt Mia is calling you. She wants to know if the snacks are enough," Esme said with a grin.  

"I know what you are doing," Emir replied, shaking his head. "I'm just overwhelmed. It is always been my dream to see my only child get married. Do you think it was easy convincing Arielle to agree to meet this boy? It wasn’t. I’m scared she’ wil back out again. What will I tell her mom when I meet her in heaven—"  

Arielle took her father’s hand in hers and said with a warm smile. "Papa, don’t worry. I won’t back out. I will meet Gabriel Anderson today. If we both feel that we are compatible, I won’t mind marrying him."  

A smile formed on Emir's face as he left the room, quite satisfied.  

Esme sighed and turned to Arielle. "Now I understand why you said yes to this marriage. Arielle, it is not too late. You can still back out. You don’t need to marry a random guy to find happiness. I know you still love—"  

"Stop right there, Esme," Maya, their other best friend, interrupted as she entered the room. "Arielle is moving on with her life. Don’t drag her back into the past. It has been seven years already."  

"You are only saying that because you have never seen Zachary and Arielle together," Esme snapped. "They were inseparable, all their lives. Seven years of separation isn’t enough to erase what they had. I just can’t understand why she won’t try again. She and Zachary are meant for each other."  

Arielle stayed silent as Maya and Esme argued. It was always the same with them, Esme pulling her toward the past, and Maya pushing her toward the future. She didn’t intervene. Instead, her eyes fell on the mirror, and a memory flashed in her mind.  

It was the 12th standard farewell. While most of the students were celebrating the end of boarding school, Arielle had been crying while clutching someone tightly.  

"Ari, stop crying," he had said in a soft and reassuring. "We are going to college in the same city."  

Arielle had hiccuped through her tears. "What if we don’t find time to meet as often?"  

"We will make time," he had replied, his hazel eyes shining with sincerity. "Now smile, silly."  

The memory faded and Arielle found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror with a sad smile tugging at her lips. She reminded herself, yet again, that she and Zachary were over. It had been seven long years since their decade-long relationship had come to an end.  

"Gabriel's family is here," someone came to remind them. "Bring Arielle down in a few minutes."  

"Shall we go?" Arielle asked, taking charge.  

Maya nodded with a smile.  

Esme, however, stared at her with a sad look.  

The two best friends escorted her out of the room. The Anderson family was already seated in the living room. Mrs. Sophia Anderson’s face lit up the moment she saw Arielle.  

"Mr. Lockheart, your daughter is a hundred times more beautiful in person," Sophia said, beaming.  

"My Arielle has always been a beautiful person," Emir replied with pride.  

Sophia ushered Arielle to sit next to her son Gabriel as the Anderson family engaged in lively conversation with the Lockhearts. Arielle glanced at Gabriel, her heart suddenly stilling when their eyes met. Those familiar hazel eyes... it was as if she were looking at someone else entirely.  

"Mr. Lockheart, why don’t we let the children talk in private?" Mr. Garrett Anderson suggested.  

"Why not," Emir agreed warmly. "Esme, Maya, take Gabriel and Arielle to the garden area."  

A short while later, Gabriel and Arielle found themselves alone, strolling through the garden.  

"Congratulations on the success of your new book," Gabriel said, breaking the silence.  

Arielle nodded graciously, accepting the compliment with humility.  

Gabriel looked around at the beauty surrounding the house and sighed. "Now I understand why your books have such vivid and beautiful world settings. You live in heaven."  

"Have you read any of my books?" Arielle asked, curious.  

"We are in the same industry. When a writer wins best-selling awards year after year, it becomes necessary to see what all the hype is about. And I must say, the hype is real. You are truly a gifted writer," Gabriel said with a smile. "What do you think about joining my publishing company?"  

Arielle chuckled. "Mr. Anderson, here I thought we were discussing marriage, yet you are already thinking of poaching me to your company. Besides, Maya would kill us both if that ever happened."  

Gabriel laughed lightly. "We had a talk before this meeting," he said, referring to their conversation on the phone last night. "We both agreed that we are career-driven. Love has no place in our lives right now. Our parents expect us to marry, and we are compatible. Our goals align. It is a practical match."  

"You really think so?" Arielle asked, raising an eyebrow.  

"I thought my answer last night made that clear," Gabriel replied confidently.  

When they left the garden area, they went straight to their parents to share their decision. Their parents were overjoyed. Sweets were distributed, hugs were exchanged, and the joyous news brought an atmosphere of celebration.  

Arielle watched Gabriel's car drive away, a faint smile on her lips. When a drop of water fell on her face, she looked up to see rain pouring down.  

"Arielle! Come inside, child. Don’t get wet in the rain," Emir called from inside.  

Arielle closed her eyes, letting the rain fall on her face. Once, she had loved the rain, it had been her escape and her joy. But now, the same rain felt bittersweet and even hurtful.  

For one last time, she decided to let herself feel it on her skin. It didn’t matter if she caught a fever and was bedridden for a week after this. For the first time in seven years, her numbed soul was stirring. It was finally feeling something.  It wasn’t love or happiness that she felt, it was guilt and sadness.  

Why was she guilty for moving on with her life? Why did it feel as though she should have waited longer? Were seven years not enough?