Darian is here!

Upon hearing this, Rose sensed an unsettling pit in her stomach, her heart quickening its pace as an ominous feeling crept over her. David, with a hushed tone, stammered, "Rose, we'll... discuss... discuss this later," his gaze shifted towards the guard.

The guard swiftly approached him and escorted him in his wheelchair toward the exit. Rose shot a disapproving glare at Lucy, who remained bowed in shame, and then stormed outside. As she was Intrigued to identify the mysterious gentleman.

The grand black doors of the mansion swung open, ushering in three sleek black cars in .

She stood by her husband, seated in his wheelchair. The cars came to a stop, and four men emerged, all clad in black suits and pants, sporting guns in holsters and earpieces. They exuded an air as they were on a mission.

Rose furrowed her brows, observing the uniformed and robust group of around 10 to 11 men. However, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes fixated on one particular man stepping out of the car.

A man emerged from the car, donned in a pristine white shirt with two buttons casually left undone, showcasing a platinum chain draped around his neck. His fitted blue coat, buttons casually open, accentuated his physique, revealing well-defined biceps. An unmistakable aura of an alpha male surrounded him.

Taking a puff from his cigarette, he casted his gaze first upon the grand mansion, and then his eyes descended, fixing on his uncle David.

Discarding the cigarette, he crushed it beneath his polished black shoes, advancing purposefully towards David. 

With his each step, Rose felt her heart pound, as if witnessing a specter from her past. She struggled to comprehend the reality of the man approaching – was it truly Darian? The disbelief lingered, as if she were caught in a surreal moment, questioning whether this was genuine or her another hallucination. 

Her gaze remained fixed on him, but he was yet to notice her, Her trembling hands and the palpable fear in her heart betrayed the overwhelming emotions she grappled with.

Darian positioned himself in front of David, hands casually tucked in his pockets, inquiring nonchalantly, "How are you?" The resonance of his deep voice sent shivers down her spine, intensifying the emotional turmoil within her.

"Don't bother asking me that... you mean nothing to me," David stammered in ang

Rose found it hard to digest the fact that it was literally Darian standing right in front of her.

"Don't bother ask … asking me that... you mean no….nothing to me," David stammered in anger. Darian sighed in response, explaining, "I wanted to attend the wedding, but circumstances demanded my attention elsewhere. It was beyond my control." Despite Darian's explanation, David harbored resentment, feeling the absence of the only family he had on such a significant day.

"You are the only family.. family I have, and still, you were not…not present at my wedding," David said in anger, gesturing to the guard to take him inside. The guard obliged and escorted him in.

Darian sighed at the sight and closed his eyes in frustration while running his hand over his light stubble. Rose's eyes remained fixed on him; he looked so perfect, so handsome, so hot that it was difficult to ignore. It hurt a lot as she didn't want to get sad over the fact again that she could never have him. She wanted to forget about him, but her destiny always threw her in his path.

Taking a deep breath, Darian opened his eyes, and his gaze went straight to Rose. Her heart skipped a beat with the eye contact, and her chest clenched.

 His brows furrowed in confusion, seeing her here was entirely unexpected. He didn't know why she was here.

"Rose?" His voice deepened, and she immediately averted her eyes, struggling to contain her emotions. The difficulty he brought made her teeter on the verge of tears. She had been adjusting to her new life without his thoughts, but he had once again plunged her into the depths of depression.

Just then, the guard emerged from the house, bowing, "Madam, sir is calling you inside." Hearing this, Darian understood the situation. His uncle David had wedded a girl, but he had no idea it was Rose.

Composing herself, she looked at Darian and said timidly, "Please come..." saying this, she hurriedly went inside. She ran to her room and entered the washroom, unleashing a torrent of tears. Her entire face soaked with the evidence of anger, sadness, and frustration. The mere presence of him in her life again infuriated her, and the cruel reality that she could never have him intensified her despair. She clenched her hair in frustration, closing her eyes, but all she could see was his hauntingly handsome face. 

She gazed at herself in the mirror, her entire face ablaze with red. Approaching the basin, she splashed water on her face and vigorously wiped it away with a towel.

Stepping out of the washroom, she sat on the bed, contemplating that the "sir" Lucy mentioned all this time was Darian, Her breaths grew heavy at this realization. If she had known David was related to Darian, she would never have married him. 

Now, confronted with the reality of being married and unable to have Darian, anxiety gripped her tightly. 

She lay on the bed, a wave of weakness washing over her. She hid her face with a pillow and closed her eyes

~~

A young Rose sat on a bench in the play ground while staring at a group of boys playing football. However, her mind was elsewhere; she wasn't seeing those boys, but rather, she was searching for Darian among them. Every day, at this time, she came to the ground where he used to practice football, but now, he was not there. It had been a month since he left this town, and she craved to see him. Unfortunately, she didn't have any contact information for him, and even if she did, she couldn't summon the courage to call or message him.

Sighing, she looked down at her thighs, where a sketchbook rested. Opening it, she beheld his sketch, her fingers grazing over the lines capturing his intense eyes and strands of hair falling on his forehead. The sketch portrayed his exceptional charm, but she knew that the real Darian surpassed a thousandfold in exceptionalism.

After her sister's death, he left the town, and she didn't know why. A lingering question haunted her: Did he truly love her sister, and did he leave because she was gone? Her breaths grew heavy thinking this but suddenly, someone snatched the sketchbook. Startled, she looked up to find a boy standing there, accompanied by two or three others who had been playing football earlier. All of them peered at the sketch with interest.

Her heart thumped wildly, fear seizing her. What if they disclosed that she had sketched Darian? What would people think? What if they told Darian about this? As she contemplated this, the boy smirked and said, "So, we have a little fan of that jerk Darian here."

"Give it to me," she said, trying to sound courageous, though fear and shame consumed her.

The boys laughed at her request. "What's the rush? Shouldn't we show this to your crush, Darian?" the boy teased, glancing at the sketch. Another boy chimed in, "Hey, you look like a schoolgirl and you are in love with this older hunk."

Their laughter echoed, and tears welled up in Rose's eyes from the shame. Determined, she approached the boy, attempting to retrieve the sketchbook. However, it proved impossible to free it from his grip. She pleaded, "Please, give it back."

Despite her tears and pleas, they relished in her fear and dread, enjoying the act of blackmailing her.

In her attempt to snatch the sketchbook, she tumbled to the ground as the boy callously pushed her. The impending dread gripped her – the fear of being judged and the thought of Darian finding out. The echoes of their laughter seemed to reverberate in her ears, causing her head to spin.

Then, a loud voice shattered the moment: "Hey!" Looking up, Rose saw Walter. He swiftly approached, delivering a forceful punch to the boy's face, causing him to collapse, and the sketchbook slipped from his grasp. Seizing the opportunity, Rose sprang to her feet, rushing to retrieve the sketchbook and cradling it tightly to her chest.

"Leave, or I'll have to report this to my father," Walter warned as his father was the town's mayor. The boys were now scared and they hastily retreated. Once they were gone, walter turned to Rose, reassuring her, "Don't worry, Rose. They won't bother you again."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Rose gathered herself. When Walter inquired, "Why were they after this sketchbook?" panic surged through her. How could she admit they were teasing her for sketching Darian?

"I... I was making a sketch of my favorite hero, and they were making fun of me," she stammered. Walter shook his head, remarking, "These guys are assholes. Tell me if they bother you again." She nodded gratefully, managing a smile as she wiped away her tears.

~~~

"Rose, we'll find the cat. Don't be sad," she heard David and lifted her face, spotting him in a wheelchair with Lucy by his side.

"Mam, I'm truly sorry. I promise I'll do my best to find the cat," Lucy apologized, bowing her head. Rose sat up on the bed, turning to David, and inquired, "Who is he?" David understood her question and replied, "He is my brother's son, Darian—my nephew."

The revelation hit Rose hard; she now discovered she was the aunt of the man she had been crushing on all her life.

Late at night, Rose was sitting on her bed, watching TV. Both she and David had their dinner in their bedroom, maintaining a distance from Darian. David didn't wanted to talk to his nephew so he retired to sleep after dinner. However, Rose found it challenging to sleep peacefully. Outside, Darian and his group of friends, around 11 to 12 men, were creating a chaotic atmosphere in the living room. 

Gripping the remote tightly, Rose tried to convince herself that Darian didn't paid any attention that she was now married with his uncle… she doesn't matters to him. With that thought, she turned off the TV and nestled under the blanket.

After a while, she woke up feeling thirsty. Glancing at the nightstand, she found the jug empty. Frustrated, she sighed, realizing that all the maids were occupied with Darian and his friends downstairs, forgetting to refill the jug.

Getting out of bed, she draped her net robe over her maroon satin knee-length nightdress taking the jug she stepped outside. 

The living area was empty, suggesting that everyone had gone back to sleep. She went to the kitchen to fill the jug, but as she heard some movements in the living room, she furrowed her brows.

 Placing the jug on the kitchen platform she cautiously approached the living area. Her steps halted when she witnessed a shirtless Darian wandering around, engaged in a phone call, a glass of whiskey in hand and to add to the surprise, her little kitty was perched on his  shoulder.