TWO

~Venice Marco Polo Airport

I had my earphones on, eyes fixed on the phone screen, oblivious to the world around me. Lost in my own music, I suddenly felt the presence of someone settling onto the white sofa beside me. I glanced over and saw him, dressed in a black coat and jeans with a white sweater; he was sitting with poise beside me.

The moment I looked at him, I recognized him. He was my cousin and the heir of the Harrison family, Alexander Harrison. I recognized him not for his looks and cold expression, but because of a scar on his right eyebrow. That sign reminded me of my victory and that victory was the cause of the separation from my mother for so many years.

         

At that very first glance, I have to admit, he was exceptionally good-looking. I couldn't help but gaze at him. At that moment, I forgot that I hated him, he was a ruthless and selfish man.

The heat of my eyes alerted Alexander, but I was still staring at him.

"Why hasn't my coffee arrived yet?" he asked in his arrogant manner, turning to his secretary.

"Sir, two minutes please." She mumbles. I shifted my gaze and looked at his secretary. She was very beautiful and dressed in western clothes. She quickly departed, leaving us in silence.

Ten years had passed since our last encounter, yet as our eyes met once again, there was no emotion between us except for a sense of darkness that seemed to hang in the air.

There was complete silence in the room. Alexander was busy talking to someone about a message in his cell, while I couldn't help but feel that his mere presence was reawakening my old wounds. It was as if my entire life had started playing before my eyes like a movie.

I am Isabella, the granddaughter of the illustrious Harrison family. However, my mother and I were never truly accepted into the family due to my mother’s past as a dancer. My late father had met her at a party. He bought her for one night by placing the highest bid, but he married my mother on the same night. My mother was pregnant at that time. She wanted to abort that child but Mr. Harrison didn’t let her do it.

My father, a fearless man, wasted no time in taking my mom to Harrison Palace. My Grandfather was very angry and Grandmother refused to accept their marriage. Dad was kicked out of the house. But despite all this, he did not leave my mother's side. He stood like a rock in front of her and the outside world.

He started working for a company and living in a rented house. His life was very happy. Then one day the news of my grandfather's death reached Dad. Dad took mom to his funeral.

Grandmother said clearly that she would let him come to Harrison Mansion, but not my mother.

Dad was in a very forced state at that time. He wanted to attend his father's funeral. So, Mom was sent back home with the driver. Mom was pregnant at that time. Dad did not come back for a month. Mom was very worried. Now she started to think that dad had left her. She used to sit and cry day and night. Under great pressure, she dared to go to Harrison Mansion. Grandmother did not let her cross the threshold of Harrison Mansion and made a horrible revelation to her.

That was my dad's sudden death. My Mom fainted at that moment and fell down. When she opened her eyes, she was on the bed in a big and beautiful room. There were pictures of my dad on the walls of this room.

Left with no money to pay rent and in a dire state, she fell at my grandmother's feet, begging for shelter in the Harrison Mansion and, unexpectedly, she agreed. But there was an evil intention behind her decision. She allows my mom to stay in this beautiful mansion as a maid. Even in the state of pregnancy, she forced her to work like a maid.

And that's the only reason. All the people of Harrison Mansion used to treat my mom like a maid. Then I was born. The enmity between me and Alexander started from that day. He was ten years older than me.

I don't know why, but Alexander hated me very much and so did the rest of the family except Harry. Hence they didn’t know I was not their blood-relation.

"Ma’am your coffee..." I was so lost in my thoughts that when someone placed a hand on my shoulder, intending to remove it immediately, I jerked it off my shoulder. The secretary had a coffee mug which slipped and fell on Alexander's clothes.

"Oops." I pressed my tongue under my teeth and stood up quickly. Alexander looked at his white sweater in shock. Then he raised his gaze and looked at me with bloody eyes.

The hot coffee started burning on his chest as it passed through his sweater. He grabbed the sweater with his hand and pulled it away from his body.

"Sorry, sorry." I hurriedly took out the handkerchief from the pocket of my jeans and came close to him.

"What a trouble master." Alexander looked at me, gritting his teeth angrily.

 "Keep your dirty hands away from me." he snapped, rising to his feet in frustration.

"Dirty hands? The world can change but this frog can’t be." I retorted, gritting my teeth as I settled back into my seat.