AUTHOR'S POV

William's mansion,
11:47 pm

Xaden lit up a cigarette and started smoking in their garden area. The birthday celebration party had ended and the silence had engulfed the mansion. He was welcomed with open arms by everyone that lifted almost all the burdens from his head but he still was thinking about everything once again, his present, his past, his family, his Hazel.

He sighed. Leaving his dream life isn't easy but Hazel's one glance at him enough for him to make everything look unworthy.

" I'll tell Tan that you smoke." Won threatening words pulled Xaden out of his thoughts.

" Go ahead." Xaden took another drag fearlessly. " I'll tell Mom that she was your crush." He added puffing out the smoke.

Won's eyes widened, he could see him smirking in the smoke. "What did you just say?" He asked with pressed teeth.

"I SAID I'LL TELL MOM THAT SHE WAS YOUR CRU-"

" Shish...shish...shish." Won covered Xaden's mouth with his palm and looked around.

Xaden removed Won's hand making him look back at him. " I've many more secrets secured. Reveal mine, I'll reveal your-" Xaden was warning Won but suddenly saw sleepy Hazel coming in their direction. Xaden quickly hand the cigarette to Won and took a step forward.

" What are you both-" She got cut off by her own gasp. " Dad, you smoke." Hazel gaped at his father.

" I-I yeah." He shook his head not knowing how to hold it. " Sometimes." He let out a nervous chuckle preventing the burning edge.

" Better quit this habit." She covered her nose.

Won nodded nervously.

" The air is so polluted here." Xaden fanned the smoke away and winked at Won. " I'm leaving." He turned.

"Good night." Hazel eyed Won up to down and shook her head in disappointment before heading to her room.

Won sighed heavily. " This kid knows too much." He absentmindedly took a drag from the cigarette.

He coughed hard bending a bit but when he lifted his gaze he saw Edwin entering who closed the main gate quietly and made his way inside with pressed feet but froze as soon as he saw Won.

Won was fast to understand that Edwin mistook him for his dad and he took that as a chance because this happens whenever Won wears something dark.

"Where were you?" He asked in a strict tone.

" One of my friends got into an accident so..." Edwin made an excuse and his ruined clothes supported his lie.

" Go back to your room now." Won tried to sound stern.

Edwin nodded getting upstairs silently.

" Poor him. But it's fun." Won giggled.

" F*ck it." Edwin groaned while going upstairs as his stomach was paining. He suddenly found Tan in the passage but thought it was Won so he casually petted his father's shoulder. " I wish you were my Dad." He went past him.

" Who the hell I'm then?" Tan mumbled confused.

Edwin went straight to Hazel's room but found her under her duvet. The bed was shaking and sinful voices were coming out.

He saw Hazel's pinned hands above her head by a muscular tattoed one. He was frozen until the duvet lowered, Xaden and Hazel's head exposed who were eating each other's faces.

" Guys-" His mouth opened and he blinked twice. The couple's head snapped towards Edwin who had his eyes on them like he was witnessing some crime. Hazel quickly pulled the blanket " Why does this seem so wrong?" He mumbled not even blinking.

Another attack of the cramp made him bend a little. "Anyone- of you... have any pills for... Indigestion?" He asked trying to bear the pain. " I ate something unsuitable." He explained.

" WE ARE TRYING TO HAVE A MOMENT HERE." Xaden finally roared.

" And I have acidity." He belched out making Xaden scrunch his nose in disguise.

" There's a-a medication box on the uppermost shelf in the kitchen next to the refrigerator," Hazel said awkwardly being crashed under Xaden.

" Thanks, Sweetheart," Edwin said turning his gaze at Xaden. " Please carry on but keep it low." He added before leaving the room.

Hazel and Xaden looked at each other's faces but the door suddenly opened again and Edwin interrupted once again. " I forgot to say... please don't make twins or triplets. I can't with this shit anymore." He added.

This pissed Xaden more but he couldn't even sit up. " We'll make Quadruplets, Quintuplets, Decuplets. We'll do whatever the f*ck we want. Who are you to count my sperm? " He yelled bursting Hazel's ears.

" Just advice dude, why so aggressive," Edwin said calmly. " Anyways find another place to f*ck this is our holy mansion," Edwin said mumbling prayers under his breath.

Ruining their moment he went to the kitchen, took medicines, and a warm shower

He was unable to find if it was a butterfly dancing in his stomach or the undigested food.

After spending half a night in the toilet seat and half on his bed he got up early to arrange what he had planned for Jane.

New York,
07:49 pm.

Jane stepped out of the car sent by Edwin but he was nowhere around. She glanced up to see an imposing hotel. The entrance was wide with golden stairs.

A man closed the door of the car and bowed before her. She nodded her head in respect as he was elder than her.

" This way." The man said ushering her inside the hotel.

Her steps were slow, she was gazing around. The clicking sound of her heels was the only noise.

" Why is there no one around?" She asked the man.

" Mr. Edwin wanted it silent." The man replied quietly.

She caught a huge chandelier's reflection on the crystal clear floor. She lifted her head to see it hanging above her head. Her lips parted at the luxury.

Soon she was stopped at the wide hall. Before she could collect her dropped jaw it dropped again at the sight she set her eyes on.

A forty-seater marble dining table was waiting with uncountable dishes placed on it. A waiter was lighting up candles there. The delicious smell of food made her take a long breath.

" Please have a seat." The waiter brought her out of her thoughts.

She sat on a chair pulled by him and mumbled a polite "thank you".

A plain white plate with a knife and a fork beside it was in front of her.

Suddenly all the lights turned off and candles spread their lights around.

" Welcome to my world." She finally heard Edwin's voice which helped her relax. She saw him well dressed taking a seat on the chair other side of the table. " Please help yourself." He added.

She smiled shyly and glanced at the food. She took a tongs and tried to pick up a fried fish but it fell from her hand.

She looked around to see if anyone saw her but there was no one except for Edwin. Embarrassed she didn't look at him.

He noticed her hesitation and came crossing the whole table. He stood behind her and bent. His chest brushed her back. He took tongs from her hand served her as well as helped her cut the food.

After cutting it into tiny pieces he sat next to her. She finally spared a glance. The candlelight was highlighting his tough facial features. He looked snatched.

" Too much affection and care scares me." She spoke lowly.

Edwin sighed knowing what trauma she has been through. " I know that bad relationships change good people. Jane, I know it's good to protect your heart but it's bad to cage it."

She nodded forcing herself to smile.

" Are you missing him?" Edwin asked.

" I can't forget things easily...even if it's a bad memory or a good one. I try to erase everything I don't want to remember but I end up crying over it."

" Do you still love him?" Edwin questioned.

She shook her head after a moment of silence. " I don't anymore but I do regret loving him."

" Is it possible to stop loving someone?" Edwin asked.

Jane nodded. " It may take a while but you can do it."

" How long was "a while" for you?" He asked finding himself getting lost in her gray orbs.

"A night," Jane replied. " I ended us overnight." She added sounding weak." Once you develop that "it is what it is" mentally, a lot of things stop bothering you. But it's heart that'll never allow us to move on. It holds you tight and keeps on pulling you back to face your past over and over again. Although, I made it. Picking myself up has been the heaviest weight I have lifted. But I succeed."

" You are so brave. I wish I could do that, that fast." He encouraged.

" Rich boys do remember others?" She scoffed. "

" Not boys but men do have hearts."

" You said you want to forget someone. Did someone reject you?" She asked ignoring his blabbering.

Edwin scoffed. " Girls reject themselves after watching me." He straightened his poster.

Jane rolled her eyes at his words. He sounds self-obsessed sometimes but it's just him overloved by everyone. "Anyways I was talking about the one I've been seeing for the last half a year."

She looked back at him. "But I didn't catch you with any girl in the last months." She joined her eyebrows.

" Because I wasn't with any girl." He replied shrugging his shoulders.

" You just said you were seeing someone." She faced him properly.

" I'm seeing. Not dating her." He mumbled "yet" under his breath.

" Does that makes any sense?" She asked lifting her eyebrows.

" Of course it does." He scooted closer. " Look... Let me explain real quick." He took a deep breath before speaking again. " A girl caught my eyes. It wasn't love at first sight, actually, it was love at second sight for me...You know when I fell for her? It was when she was wearing a Pooh bear costume, distributing some temples. But she's recently mistaken that I was making fun of her dress at my birthday party. How could I? Sorry but my mom didn't raise me that way. Do you know? She was once a waitress. I always used to think how Dad fell for a middle-class girl more like a low-class woman like her but now I can understand him. There's no class, rich, or poor in love. It just happens and we can't control it. " He breathed out.

Jane smiled placing her elbows on the table in front of her. She intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on it looking straight into his eyes as if she knows about his feelings. " Are you proposing to me?" She questioned.

" Didn't plan but well I think I am." He smiled sheepishly. " I liked you since the very first day we met but it feels like I've been loving a rock. Never got any response. So now I want a tip from you to forget you."

" Sorry for my behavior." She moved back. " I just can't trust anyone easily, and after what Ian did to Hazel... I'm terrified of rich people."

" Not all rich people are heartless and necessitous are loyal. You need to understand that there are both types of people in both castes." Edwin sighed. " Tell me...If I wasn't rich but broke or maybe a beggar would you have accepted me?"

"Who's rejecting you in the first place." She made puppy eyes.

"You are so confusing." He moved back scratching his head.

"I'm confessing".

Jane laughed as his mouth slowly opened wide.

" Wait wait wait wait wait..." He stood up and roamed. " WHAT!?" He came back bending to her level by resting his hand on the table.

Jane nodded. " I tried so hard not to fall but you made it so easy to love you." She said watching him losing it all.

He smiled ear to ear still unable to believe if it was reality or a dream. " You look good in love." He softly spoke and lean to her face. She blinked as he closed his eyes and parted his lips.

Suddenly he felt something on his lips that was definitely not her delicate ones. He opened his eyes to see her holding a fork with a piece of food. He chuckled at his failed attempt and ate that.

" Let's eat together." She avoided his gaze and started eating.

He adored joining her for eating. Soon she said she was full only by tasting all the dishes. " Will it all go wastage?" She asked gazing at the food that looked untouched.

Edwin who has never thought about it had nothing to reply.

" Can we ask the waiters to make parcels of it? And give it to the homeless?" She asked.

" Alright." He nodded calling a waiter by making a finger snap.

They waited until they got all the food parcels.

" You forgot to pay." She said as they went past the counter.

" Thi hotel is my mum's." He chuckled.

Her mouth opened wider. " You are a Richy rich." She mumbled following her but stopped at the exit as a yellow Lamborghini Aventador was parked outside with a broad red ribbon tied on it.

" This is yours." Edwin gifted. " Remember that day when those jerks took your yellow car because of me? I searched but couldn't find that model. They said they no more manufacture it. So I brought this one, the colors are the same just the models are different. But this one runs smooth as well." He explained.

" I can't take it." Jane shook her head.

" Who says no to gifts?" Edwin asked.

" Please, Edwin Sir-"

" EDWIN SIR." He raised his eyebrows.

" Please try to understand...this is so expensive." She said looking at the car and then at Edwin.

He dropped his smile showing disappointment.

" Give any little gift. A cheap one. I'll gladly accept that." She said trying to cheer his mood.

" You won't say no, promise?" He asked forwarding his hand.

" Promise." She nodded giving her hand in his palm but suddenly he flipped her hand and placed the car keys on her palm.

" A little gift." He smirked.

" Edwin, I-"

" Wear it like a necklace." He cut her off. " Don't use the car if you don't want to but it'll be parked outside your house until it'll dispose there. " He replied angrily as she always says no to him.

Jane sighed accepting her defeat and the gift. " Thank you."

" Won't you give me a ride in your new car?" He asked.

"Sure." She smiled widely.

• When things change inside you, things change around you.

Chapter Published On: 09 July 2023.

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Thanks a lot for the 8k reads💃🏻

This chapter reminded me of this song👇👇

" My last made me feel like
I would never try again.
But when I saw you... I felt something I never felt.
Come close I'll give you...
All my love...
If you treat me right baby
I'll give you anything."

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