CHAPTER 1 Run-In

Steve was driving his white-colored Rolls Royce in a very uninterested mood. His face was dull and gloomy.

Some times before he was working in his luxuriously decorated big office cabin. Everything was going well. Suddenly, once again, the same past incident which was making him frustrate, flashed in front of his eyes.  

The memory distracted his mind from work; he stood up and walked out of the office calling it a day.

He came to the parking, hop in the car, stepped on the gas pedal, and started driving the car in the whole Los Angeles city like a vagabond.

After driving for several hours for no reason, he got tired.

Finally, he stopped his Rolls Royce near a children’s park and started staring at the moving people in front of his vision. Some are pedestrian and some are moving in their wagons.

‘Ahh, at least they have a destination to go reach, but he doesn’t have any. His life becomes useless, just moving on with no reason.’ Steve thought.

After getting bore from staring at moving people, he withdraws his gaze and randomly looks towards the children’s park. 

Park is full of people; some are doing evening walks while some were chit-chatting. Some kids were on playing on swing and slides, while some are playing with balls, and some naughty kids were running here and there and their parents were running behind them to take care of them.

He was watching everything keenly. He is jealous of those laughing and a smiling face.

‘They at least have a reason to smile, but I have lost all my reason to smile, the reason to live. Ahh, that dreadful night, one mistake, and my everything is gone.’ Steve thought.

Steve was drowning in the guilt of the most unexpected night of his life, after that he lost the things he loves and values the most.

He was zoomed-in his thoughts when suddenly his gaze fell on a girl who was in dirty and foul condition still attract his attention.

She was wearing a yellow long skirt, pink top with the pink scarf on the neck but her clothes are dirty and torn from many places. Even her face was foul and stained.

The thing that attracts Steve the most was her long dark golden smooth silky hairs which were flowing in the air. She was sauntering while itching her hand, neck, and head.

Steve noticed her walk is not smooth, she is walking like a cripple. Perhaps she has some problem with her foot. 

After keenly noticing for few more minutes, he realized she doesn't have any problem with her foot. In fact, she is wearing a high heel, that too only in one foot. This is cause she was walking like a cripple.

Steve was shocked. Again, after giving a deep stare to her foot and noticing a beautiful pair of sandals, Steve changes his gaze from her foot to her face with a jerk.

He received another shock; she is blabbering something under his breath, nonstop. It seems like she is not normal, or perhaps she is a lunatic. 

She is looking like a good family but her behavior is like a lunatic.

He couldn’t reach any conclusion but felt a deep attraction towards her face, but another side his heart is aching after seeing her miserable condition.

Suddenly Steve saw, when she came in front of the park gate a few kids stared teasing her from behind. Some were pulling her scarf, some were pulling her skirt, some were pulling her top. A brat kid hit her a ball from behind.

It antagonized Steve, those kids who were tormenting an innocent beauty for no reason. Steve hates such unscrupulous kids, he wanted to scold them, but that girl turned angrily and ran behind kids to hit them.

She was chasing them but because of her heel which is only in one foot, she can't able to run fast. Being frustrated she lift one stone and threw it towards the kids.

Her aim and force of throw were not accurate and she couldn’t manage to hit any child, and till then escaped.

It was her bad luck some people noticed her throwing stones at kids and they started chasing her. The poor girl was frightened by many people’s roar and started running to save herself.

She was running like a maniac and dashed towards the road without caring about fast-moving wagons.

Now Steve had enough of the show to unfold. Hopping out of the car, he ran towards her at the fastest pace. A truck was about to hit her but Steve pulled her from her wrist and save her in the nick of time.

She strikes his chest. The crowd of people rushed to hit her, fortunately, Steve protected her and hide in his embrace. Girl being frightened hides her face in his chest and hugged him tightly.

“Kill her.” A sharp amidst the crowd echoed and people rushed forward.

Steve stretched his hand and shows his palm to halt the crowd. His tall build-up body, cold, stony face, and sharp and powerful aura made the crowd freeze at their places.

“Don't dare to near her,” Steve roar.

After a pause of few seconds, he continued. “Why do you all after her?"

“She is lunatic she always hits our kids from stones or bricks". Somebody answers him from the crowd.

Steve felt it ridiculous and annoying.

“She is mad, but are you all too?” He roars again. “Where were you all when your kids were teasing her and hitting her from the ball? If you all are so much concerned about your kids, why don't you make them behave?"

Steve’s words made everybody crouch their heads in shame. They can’t deny it's their kid’s fault. The crowd of people turned and leave.

Steve looked down at the girl in her arms and depart her from the hug. He was shocked to see her fainted. His gaze fell on her face for few minutes which is very foul and stained with mud and food, still looking pretty and innocent.

He noticed she is looking fearful from the face. Perhaps the recent incident impacted. Once again, the innocent beauty drowned him.

Steve withdraws his gaze from her face and back to his senses. He the next moment picked her in his arms, without thinking about anything placed her in his car’s back seat, and drove off towards his mansion which was just five minutes away from the park.

“Rita aunty, Rita aunty,” Steve called for her caretaker as he entered his enormous mansion.

Rita is the old caretaker of Edwards mansion. She dumps her work and rushed out to the living hall after listening to Steve’s voice. As she entered the living hall of the enormous mansion, a cloud of confusion surrounded her, seeing a young girl in foul and tacky condition with dirty and torn clothes, carried by her young master.

“What happen young master Steve? Who is she?"

"Rita aunty, please call the doctor". Rita nod and moved to call the doctor. 

Steve took her to a guest bedroom, make her lay on the bed, and remove her single high heel.

Steve noticed her feet are milky white, nails are beautifully foiled and adorned by exclusive nail art. Judging from these things, he is sure that she is from some good family.

Rita came into the room after calling the doctor and repeat her question, “Who is she?"

Steve who was busy starring her keenly, back to his senses listening to Rita’s question.

Steve releases a sigh and answers, "Even I don't know. I found her on road. Looking like she is a mentally abnormal girl.”

Few kids were teasing and hitting her, but when she tried to defend herself those kids’ parents chased after her to beat her. Poor she ran towards the busy road with acknowledging danger. On the road a truck was about to hit her, fortunately, I saved her on time. But she fainted".

Rita covered her mouth in shock. “Oh my god, poor child, god mercy her".

A maid came inside the guest bedroom with hot water and a towel in hand on Rita’s orders. Rita took that from her hand and beckon her to go out first.

Rita started cleaning her face and hand with wet towels.

When her face was cleaned, her beautiful face, milky complexion with sharp features were prominent and attractive.

“What a pretty face,” Rita said. “Seems like she is from some good family."

Steve was silently observing everything. Rita cleaned her face, hands, neck, and all her visible skin.

Steve and Rita both noticed that the pretty girl is having so many scratches and bruises on her hands, neck, foot, and a fainted purple bruise on her forehead. They felt bad for her.

They both were pitying the girl when a servant knocked on the door and informed her about the doctor’s arrival.

The doctor examines her and informed Steve her condition.  

"I think she ate nothing for few days. Perhaps because of weakness and the fear from an incident she fainted."

“Hmm,” Steve said nothing.

"Poor baby," Rita mumbles.

"One more thing Mr. Howards, she has suffered extreme violence before.”