Chapter 1

Crystal's POV

I grew up surrounded with LOVE. I was one of the lucky people in the world who was blessed with a wonderful family.

My mornings were usually awesome. Kisses, sweet cupcakes, and the heavenly aroma of my dad's espresso would greet me every time I enter the dining room.

"Good morning, princess. Did you sleep well?" My dad, Eros Petrakis' usual greeting after I gave him a peck on his cheek. He was seated at the head of a fourteen-seater rectangular table, sipping his coffee.

"Very."

I settled in my assigned seat at his left side. There was a plate already prepared for me. It has a croissant, a slice of ham, fried egg, and three strawberries. It was paired with my favorite hot chocolate drink.

"Where's Mom?" I asked when I saw a half-emptied cup of coffee across me.

"She's taking a call. Your grandma Ruby called."

I nodded then took a sip of my hot chocolate drink.

"I dreamed that I was riding a rollercoaster."

"Hmm...maybe we should go to Disneyland after your school term. It has been awhile since we went there." He sipped his espresso and raised his thick dark eyebrows.

"Really? That would be great."

"Sure. I'll have it arranged this week so we can get good accommodation." He winked at me then took his phone. "By the way..." He paused, looking at the screen of his phone.

I waited for him to continue, but it took him awhile. "What is it?" I asked.

"I downloaded TikTok last night, and there's this new father and daughter dance craze that I think we should try."

"No way, Dad!" I laughed at his suggestion. "You know I don't dance."

"Come on, it's going to be lit."

Dad was crazy sometimes, trying to catch up with today's generation. Even using trendy terminologies that made me cringe sometimes.

"You should do it with Mom. Uncle Inigo and Aunt Chloe did the Savage Love dance on TikTok."

"No...no, count me out." My mom, Jade Petrakis, caught our conversation as she entered the dining room. "I would rather sing than embarrass myself in dancing!"

"Honey, I swear, dancing is less embarrassing." Dad assured Mom.

"Whatever. I'm not doing it." Mom said then turned to me. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby." I answered.

"Good." Mom heaved a sigh.

It was always like that in the morning. My parents would ask me if I slept well. It started when I had terrible nightmares two years ago. I would wake up shouting and crying. Lucky for me, it gradually stopped.

"So, are we going to practice our dance for TikTok today?" Dad asked Mom.

"No way." Mom's eyes grew big.

"Come on, honey. We're not getting any younger, let's do it."

"That's the point. We're not young anymore." Mom reasoned.

I would always leave the breakfast table with a wide smile. My dad would not stop teasing Mom until she would laugh aloud.

On my way to school, I listened to my favorite love radio station inside the car while pretending not to hear the flirty words exchanged between my nanny Enna and my driver/bodyguard Jack.

"I wish we're in a parallel world, Enna. I would buy an island in the Caribbean for you and our kids." Jack would say.

"That is so sweet." Enna would blush and giggle secretly.

The two obviously had something for each other. I wished they would talk heart to heart and express their feelings. They were both in their late twenties and single. They would make a great couple.

Enna and Jack would wait for me at school. Wherever I went, they were always there to keep an eye on me.

I was used to being followed by bodyguards and members of the security team hired by my father. It became normal already. I understood that it was for my safety. We avoided repeating the thing that happened to Zion's wife, Claire. She was kidnapped.

Ever since, I studied in an exclusive school for girls run by nuns. The students were very disciplined, and most of the teachers were very strict. The values in life were taught in school. . It was like entering a monastery.

There were times that I wished I studied in a co-ed school, a mix of boys and girls. Particularly at Zion and Emerald's school. But it was a very high standard school, designed for brilliant and competitive students like my siblings.

But Mom said, I was better off in an exclusive school for girls. I could not handle the pressure and the long nights of studying. My sleep was more important.

"The bullying there is getting worse. You heard what happened to my classmate before, right? He committed suicide. Who would ever think that a jolly boy like him was a victim of bullying." My sister, Emerald, relayed the story of bullying when I brought up the idea of transferring schools. "Besides, Zion and I are not there anymore. Who will rescue you?"

She was right. Who would ever rescue me?

I saw the big age gap between me and my siblings a disadvantage sometimes, Emerald was eight years older than me, while there were fourteen years between me and Zion. Too many things were not relatable to me—the stuff they did, what they were up to, what they were feeling, and other things. And when I started to catch up and understood them, they left home and got married.

Zion married the love of his life, Claire. Eventually, Emerald followed. She married a wonderful guy, her first love, the prince of England—Prince Philip, also known as Harry. Like our parents, they were very lucky that they found their destiny, their one true love.

Dinner was my favorite part, especially during weekends. My siblings, along with their spouses, would join us for dinner. We were all surrounded with LOVE. I could even see clouds of heart floating everywhere.

I wished I could find my true love one day. Survey said that most of the girls found their true love at the age of sixteen. One year more, and I would meet him—my prince charming, to whom I'm saving my first kiss.

My day would usually end well. I would go to bed with a smile on my face, dreaming of my own fairytale story and my very first kiss.

I was very excited when I turned sixteen. The age when I thought I would meet the man of my dreams. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. Instead of meeting my prince charming, I met the wicked villain.

It was during my cousin Alessandro's wedding to his great love, Lisa.

Lisa was a cool, pretty woman. She was also very smart and funny. The first time Alessandro brought her to the Petrakis family dinner, we sat beside each other at the long table. When we started talking, we could not stop. We instantly became good friends.

She told me that she had an eighteen-year old brother, Liam, who was way cooler than her. She was certain that we would get along well, too. I was very excited to meet him and finally, we could at the wedding.

I took special care in dressing up, not just for the wedding but also in meeting Liam. I wanted to create a good impression. Who knows? He could be the one.

I picked a short sleeved and below-the-knee, pleated peach chiffon dress that resembled the wedding's color motif, with matching peach shoes that added two inches more to my 5'6 height. I put a diamond studded clip at the back of my head to make my dark brown curly hair cascade neatly on my back. With a light natural makeup, I was set to go.

The wedding was held in Connecticut, in a small church on top of a hill. The inside of the church was decorated beautifully. The sides of the aisle were covered with beautiful white and peach flowers all the way to the big arch near the altar. The gleam of the crystal chandeliers was dancing brightly, illuminating every corner of the small church.

It was my dream wedding. A simple wedding and only the close friends, family, and relatives of the bride and groom were invited. The ambience was solemn, and the scenery above the hill was so breathtaking.

My family and I settled inside the church. Dad, my brother Zion, and Harry went to talk to Alessandro who looked so dashing in his gray suit. Zion and Harry were among the groomsmen, they were also wearing a gray suit, a bit identical to Alessandro's.

My mom and I went to sit beside the rest of the Petrakis family. We arrived thirty minutes early so everyone was just talking while waiting for the wedding to start.

"Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."

My mom's eyebrows rose questioningly because we had just arrived. She always told me to pee before leaving the house to avoid using the public toilets.

"Ask Enna to go with you." She said then turned her attention back to Aunt Chloe, who was showing her latest Hermes bag.

I stood up and ignored her suggestion of asking Enna. Enna and Jack would keep an eye of me anyway, discreetly. They would not interfere until I would raise my hand above my head. A signal that I needed intervention.

I found my way to the bathroom and eased the pressure of my bladder. I was done and ready to go back inside the church when I saw the beautiful garden at the back of the church.

There were plenty of flowers, in different kinds and colors—tulips, roses, daisies, lilies, gardenias, and many more.

It was still early, the bride has not arrived yet. So I decided to explore the garden, to touch and smell the beautiful flowers.

I crossed the small stone bridge to get to the garden. Below the bridge was a manmade pond with gold fish and floating water lilies. With my hands on my knees, I leaned my body forward onto the pond to take a closer look at the fishes. I was caught off guard when suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and swung me forcefully against him.

It happened so fast. I was thrown onto the body of a tall young man. For some reason, our face collided, and our open mouths clamped together.

Oh shit! My first kiss. This is not happening!