A FEW DAYS LATER
Steven was sitting in his office focusing on his work, he had been very absent-minded lately and ruining all his work. He would always forget the main point that he needed to discuss and also he wasn’t able to verify the information properly.Every time during his court hearing, he would make a mistake. He felt lost and alone even when he was sitting in a courtroom that was fully crowded with people.Mr. Xavier knows why he has become like this but he didn’t dare to say anything to him about it or mention that person’s name who has changed him drastically.He was flipping through the recent case file when Natasha knocked and entered his office, Steven was as expected in a dark mood as Natasha informed him politely.“Mr. Carlos’s secretary has called again for the meeting schedule. You’re free today so should I…”Before she could get a chance to complete her words, Steven snapped angrily. &ldquo“Laura was diagnosed with a brain tumor, she was in her initial stage when the doctors found out about it, but she ran away from that hospital, afraid of everything, and also she was all alone at that time,” Augustus said slowly, he looked sad and guilty.“One day, I went to look for her to apologize for what I did, I know I acted impulsively on Lisa’s miscarriage but…”Augustus stopped sighing deeply, thinking about the past.“She looked terrible when I finally found her, and then later she told me the truth but didn’t want to get surgery,” Augustus revealed and Steven frowned, distressed.“What? Why didn't she want the surgery?” he asked, getting agitated.“She….”Augustus hesitated and then finally blurted out, “She thinks that whatever is happening to her, all the things, she deserves that, you leaving here, me and Lisa abandoning her, she thinks that, that tumor was a p
Shaking with grief and sorrow, Steven looked at Laura, his eyes softened and a layer of mist appeared in his eyes, she kept coming to him and he kept rejecting her. What would it take if he had spared her five minutes?He blamed himself in his heart.Seeing Steven’s getting depressed, Augustus spoke, “Whatever you did was justified Steven, It wasn’t your fault she is here today but you can save her Steven. When she was rescued from her apartment she was murmuring your name. Please bring her back, she needs you, she still wants you.”Augustus held his arm and pleaded softly.Steven looked at him surprised, he had never seen Augustus in a miserable state like this, hence he had sacrificed a lot for Laura and also paid back all his brutality before.Feeling a sense of thanking Augustus, Steven pulled him in his arms and hugged him tightly as they both needed this hug, they hugged each other tightly with slightly misty eyes.“Thank you for being with Laura when I wasn’t th
After an hour of pacing back and forth with worry and cold sweat on his forehead, finally, the door opened and the team of doctors stepped out with a long straight face.“What happened to her? Is she fine?”Steven held the doctor’s arm, losing his posture completely as the man could understand his state of mind, he blinked his eyes and then patted his shoulder in assurance.“She is fine, you can see her now..”Steven sighed with relief and then asked in nervousness, “What actually happened?”“Come inside please…”The doctor said wisely, he could see the way Steven was tense and anxious at the moment.“Please have a seat,” He said gently to Steven and then Steven sat on the sofa while his stare was fixed on Laura with deep worry written all over his face.“She had a seizure, it’s common to have a seizure when you have such a high fever.”The doctor told him calmly and
Laura opened her eyes wide, startled by her dream. Shocked, she blinked her eyes to analyze the place where she was with her breaths coming shallow.She then felt the weight on her hand and tried to look down, when she looked at the familiar sight, she smiled with difficulty and laid back. Her face frowned in pain.She laid quietly as her left hand was pressed by the man’s head weight and the other she was using to gently caressed his hair in his sleep feeling delighted and deeply grateful to God.Steven, who was sleeping soundly, felt extremely calm when someone caressed his hair, his nerves started to relax and that little gesture was soothing his nerves.He moved in his sleep and then realising that the touch wasn’t his hallucination or dream but reality, he immediately opened his eyes and sat up while wiping his drooling saliva from his mouth.“Hey…”Laura said weakly and Steven stared at her with shock and surprise.&l
After a long time, Augustus finally parked his car and then looked at Lisa with slight remorse.Taking a deep sigh, he got out of the car and then opened Lisa’s side door as she got out of the car. Lisa looked around at this unfamiliar place, she didn’t know why Augustus had brought her here.Augustus held her hand and led the way. She frowned looking around the greenery and villas, a thought then appeared in her mind and she blurted out immediately. “Did you buy us a new house?”“Is this why you didn’t bring kids back home, you want me to see the home first, right?”Lisa kept chatting behind him while looking around in excitement.Augustus didn’t say any word as he led her inside the villa, his heart getting heavy with each step and his guilt started to drown him slowly slowly.As he stood in front of the room where Laura has been getting her treatment for months, he turned and hugged Lisa tightly in his arms.
The days passed by but Laura didn’t wake up or showed any sign of improving. Steven never left her sight for a once, Lisa kept visiting her daily and still has not forgiven Augustus.Even though they still live under the same roof, she would hardly say any word to him and never respond to his words directly.Augustus had apologized a hundred times, but Lisa didn’t seem to care about his bland apologies at all.Many occasions came but it went in silence with Steven and Lisa and Augustus, and soon the new year’s eve arrived.As everyone was excited and happy celebrating new year’s eve, here there were three people who weren’t interested in celebrating it in any way but just silently praying in their hearts to make it memorable by Laura’s consciousness.“I’ll leave with the kids in the evening,” Augustus informed Lisa even when he knew she wouldn't respond to it. But her reply merely stunned him.&ldquo
While new year’s eve was proved to be blissful for Steven by getting Laura back, for Augustus, it wasn’t. He still needs to suffer a lot.The function they attended together was lively and full of high-end people, Rheena Carlos was worried about her husband, Monte Carlos’s health as she has asked Lisa and Augustus to lead the party because they are after all the ones taking care of this tradition after them.Without showing a slight disliking or indifference, Lisa followed Augustus all the way to the party but deep inside Augustus knew that it was just an act but still he felt grateful that at least she has the ability to handle things with dignity in front of everyone instead of making a huge fuss about it and degrading his position.“Lisa, I’m…”Taking this opportunity, Augustus tried to apologize again with sincerity but Lisa stopped him mid-way.“Not now, Augustus…”But Augustus stubbornly cont
Realizing the silent appearance of two people beside her, Laura turned and looked at them with a confusing look and then at Augustus.“Is something wrong?”She asked, and Augustus instead of answering her just changed the topic, “Have you eaten anything?” and she shook her head.“Let’s bring something for you to eat, first.”He said gently, and then walked out of the room, Steven followed him behind while Lisa stayed with Laura.“You and Augustus…?”Lisa asked, looking amused by their bonding.“Augustus is a good man sis, I had troubled him a lot but he endured everything just for you. He really loves you.”Laura held Lisa’s hand and squeezed it lightly.Lisa gave her a weak smile in response, just because Augustus loves her that doesn’t mean he has got the right to hide everything from her. That’s completely wrong.Sensing Lisa’s quietness, Laura knew that Augu
One Year Later“It’s a great honor to interview you Mr. Aldrich or I would say the prince?” A woman in her mid-thirties sat straight with a sharp face and a gentle smile as she began her interview.“Steven would be fine.”“So, Mr. Steven first of all congratulations on the success of your new foundation for cancer patients. This would be the third center you had built in one year. Is there any reason why you’re so passionate about it, saving lives?”“I had lost my wife because of cancer and didn’t want anyone else to lose their loved one because of it. The treatment at the right time saves many lives.”“Oh, deeply sorry to hear about your loss.”“Huh, it was never a loss for me.”“Pardon?”“Please continue.”“So Mr. Steven, what do you want to say about Miss Steva’s praises for you and your wife? It’s been 8
Steven’s bitter laugh echoed in the room and the man standing in front of him winced in discomfort.“I never wish pain for you, Steven. I was angry with you, but that didn’t mean that I would want to destroy your happiness… No… Never…”“So, then why was my happiness taken away from me, Dad, why…” Steven asked, disheartened, and then unexpectedly started crying out while hugging the painting in his arms.“Steven…” The Old Master rushed to him to console him but he looked inconsolable.“I am still hoping that it is a dream, tell me, dad, it’s a dream… I want to wake up, wake me up… Wake me up…” Steven said in a choked voice and then started hitting his face like a mad man, the painting dropped to the floor and it showed a bald, petite woman in the embrace of a man that looked like Steven.Old Master's eyes widened realizing that it was Stev
“Are you sure?” The doctor asked Laura as he handed her a paper.“I am,” Laura replied to him firmly but still he looked hesitant. “It’s going to be fine,” Laura said calmly and then scribbled on the papers.The doctor sighed helplessly and then nodded to the nurse indicating her for the surgery to get started.***“DO YOU LOVE ME?”“ALL OF ME?”“I LOVE YOU.”“LET ME GO.”It has been eight hours since Laura was taken inside the OT and Steven stayed glued to his place waiting for her to come back, her voice echoed in his ears and he kept shaking them away, tiredly.“Drink something, it will make them go…” Augustus said as he handed him a cup of warm coffee. Steven looked at him blankly and then nodding his head, he gulped it down.“She will be fine…” Augustus comforted him while sitting beside him.&ldqu
The dinner went well, Steven didn’t ask Laura anything related to Steva and neither did Laura say anything to him related to her or his past.The next day, Steven left with Laura early in the morning afraid that Tyler would try to stop him, he can’t ignore Tyler’s plea. In his eyes, he is still a child. He had already informed Arthur about his leaving so he would be able to convey his message to Tyler.After what happened last time at the beach he didn’t want to repeat it as he took Laura away from this place as soon as he can.“Here we are,” At the request of Laura, Steven had brought her to meet her mother. “Can you come after some time?” Laura requested Steven as she didn’t want him to go inside with her, she needed some alone time with her mother.“Laura…” Steven was going to refuse her request but Laura pleaded softly, “Please… Steve…”“Fine…
“STEVA."Laura looked from the woman’s shoulder and saw Steven standing behind her with a bottle of water in his hand. His face looked angry as he clenched his jaw and then started pulling Laura with him in a rough way.“Steve…” Laura was completely taken aback by the sudden anger in him but he turned a deaf ear as he kept dragging her with him to the castle not caring about her health.By the time, Laura entered the castle, she was panting heavily and in desperate need of oxygen, at this moment she wasn’t even able to form a word but gasping for air with difficulty.Looking at her state and his brother’s stern face, Tyler rushed to them with a worried face.“Brother, what happened to sister-in-law?” He asked anxiously and it was only then that Steven realized what he had done as he turned and exclaimed, “Laura…”Laura's body fell to the ground as soon as he let go of her hand and
PRESENT“Steve…?” Laura looked up at Steven who was lost in his past with his hand pressing on his chest as though he was feeling the pain from it.“Huh…” Steven’s trance from the past broke and he looked down at the small face of Laura.“It’s alright… It’s gone…” Laura said while taking his hand away from his chest.“Hmmm… but it still haunts me…” Steven confessed in a hoarse voice.“Steve, people can’t change their past you need to move on with it,” Laura told him and he sighed agreeing to her words.“You were just like me, remember the first time, when I saw you crying for Augustus in my room, I knew exactly at that moment that if I won’t help you, you would end up the same way I did. Maybe that is the reason I never wanted to leave your side and stay with you every time so you won’t end up regretting just li
“Steve, do you love me?” Steva’s question made his heart skip a beat.He tilted his head in her direction and said with a bitter smile, “Do you still have a doubt?”Steva smiled with painful dimples and gasped in pain, “Why… Why Steve? Nobody loves me, so why do you?” She started sobbing.“I don’t have any reason to love you… I just love you…” Steven said truthfully and held her face closely and sealed the moment by kissing her lips, she tasted sweet just like she is, he couldn’t help but devour her deeply and then a sudden thud made him fall on the sand heavily.BOOM“No…” Steva said looking flushed and distressed and then ran away from Steven.Days passed to this incident, neither did Steven see Steva after that and nor did Steva try to contact him. They both again went back to strangers burning all the blissful memories of the past.But no m
THE UPCOMING STORY IS RELATED TO STEVEN’S PASTA middle-aged woman wearing a knee-length dress in a light pink color was chatting and laughing happily and then after a while, she turned and called the young boy who was standing near the door looking shy and flushed.“Steven.. Come here.”The boy wearing a plain shirt and trousers walked nervously to her.“Here, that’s my son, Steven.” Sofia Aldrich (Old Madam) introduced her son with a wide smile to the woman sitting in front of her. “Steven, Hello, I am Steva.” The woman offered her hand with a polite smile, Steven shyly stretched his arm and shook his hand with her.“So, tomorrow we will start the class, ok. I don’t want you to be late.” Steva said in a strict tone but her sea-green eyes were soft on him. Finally, Steven passed a smile to her and then nodded his head.“Great… Thank you so much Steva for agreeing on it&helli
After burying Old Madam in peace, Steven stayed behind with his father, and brother to complete the last honor and sent Laura back to the castle because her health condition wasn’t particularly good at the moment.“It’s the young master’s order.” Mr. Xavier informed her as he started pushing her wheelchair towards the car. Laura turned to look at Steven, reluctant to leave him, she spotted him standing under a large tree, his eyes staring blankly at the particular space.Soon, she saw a woman approaching him, when Steven noticed the woman’s presence, he frowned badly and then walked away with a stern face. Laura tried her best to have a look at the woman’s face but her face was partially covered by a long hat.“Mrs. Aldrich…” Xavier’s voice brought her back and then absent-mindedly she sat in the car.***“Laura…” As Laura entered the castle, she saw a woman standing in the