ARIA'S POV
That Saturday morning, Xavier dragged my suitcase down the stairs as Savannah and I walked behind him."The place won't be the same without you but we can't stop you from leaving." Savannah sighed for the tenth time that morning."I will miss you guys too except Xavier though."Xavier scoffed. "We both know that's a big lie."I rolled my eyes but I knew he was right. There was no way I wouldn't miss his bossiness and his annoying personality."I can't believe my baby is finally going out to the city." My mom sniffed when we got to the bottom of the stairs. She pulled me into a hug. "I'm going to miss you.""I'll miss you too, Mom." I wrapped my hands around her. "Always remember that I'm just a phone call away." I pulled away and wiped her tears."Be careful out there, dear." Dad caressed my hair. "As much as it bothers me to let you go into that big city alone, I know I can't keep you under my wings forever. You need to go out there and find your path."It was expected that my parents would be paranoid because it was the first time I was going far away from home. Even when I started college, they didn't let me stay in the dorm since it wasn't too far from our home.But they should have expected that I wouldn't stay with them forever."You don't have to worry about her," Savannah said to my dad. "Lena is a very nice person, I'm sure she will look after Aria."He nodded and sighed in contentment. "Very well.""Let's go before you miss your train." My brother urged as he dragged my suitcase to the door.As I moved toward the door, I stopped and ran back to hug my mom. "I'm going to miss seeing you every day." I sobbed into her shoulder. She wrapped her hands around me and my dad enveloped the both of us in a hug as we sobbed together."I promised myself that I wouldn't cry but you guys are making it so difficult." Xavier's voice cracked."Come here, will you?" Dad said, and he came closer to wrap his hands around us."Okay, I have to join in too." Savannah joined the hug.After some seconds, we pulled apart and I walked out with Xavier. He placed my bag in the trunk of his SUV and drove us to the train station as I waved at my parents and Savannah until they were out of sight.As heartbreaking as it is for me to leave my parents after twenty-two years of living under their protection and care, I knew that I had to leave someday to create the future I had envisioned for myself. I hoped Chicago would be the perfect place for me to do that.Xavier stopped the car in front of the train station and we walked in with my ticket in my hand. I still had ten minutes to spare before my train leaves, so Xavier used that opportunity to give me a little prep talk."I don't know if you already know this but the city is not all that safe. They are a lot of dangerous people lurking around in the dark and some wicked-minded people who would hurt anybody to get what they want, so you have to be extra careful. No walking around late at night and be careful who you associate with, okay?""Okay." I nodded.He took out his phone and typed some things on it. A few seconds later, my phone vibrated in my pocket."I sent some money to you, use it to get whatever you need." He smiled. "If you ever get stranded, always remember that I'm only a call away."Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I gasped when I saw the amount of money he sent. "I can't accept this, it's too much. You and Savannah need it more with the baby on the way.""Take it as a congratulatory gift from me." He shrugged."But..." I started but he cut me."Aria, I know I've not been the best brother to you and I regret that. Just let me do this for you maybe it can take away the guilt in my heart, please," he said while looking into my eyes with his hands on my shoulder."Okay." I nodded. "Thank you," I said with a smile on my face.The train's horn filled my ears as people rushed inside to take their seats. "You should get going." Xavier nudged me toward the train.I dragged my suitcase to the train and stopped at the entrance. Turning back to look at me, I said, "No matter what, you will be the best brother ever. Remember that." I stepped into the train."Thank you." He smiled at me as the door closed.I took my seat and burst into tears as the train began to move. The people sitting by me gave me a confused look but I couldn't care less as tears run down my cheeks nonstop.After ten hours, the train stopped at the Chicago train station. I alighted from the train and fished out my phone to ring Lena who promised to come to pick me up at the station.She answered the phone on the third ring, "Hey Ari, did you arrive yet?""Yes.""Good. Find your way to the entrance, I'm waiting outside in a blue shirt and white shorts by a blue Porsche.""Okay." I hung up and found my way to the entrance.As I stepped out of the train station, I gasped at the sight of the beautiful city before me. The night was brightened up with different colors of light as people moved through and fro. I looked around to Lena talking on the phone with her back leaning on a blue Porsche as she said.I couldn't help but notice that she looked more elegant and beautiful than the last time I saw her. Being the Head designer of one of the biggest Fashion companies in Chicago was no small feat. The city was doing well for her.I approached her but she didn't see me as she continued to talk on the phone. "Yeah, I came to pick up a friend from the station.""Lena," I called and her lips stretched in a smile as she turned to me."I'll call you back." She hung up the phone. "Ari, it's good to see you again." She pulled me into a hug."It's good to see you too." I hugged her back. I pulled away and took in her appearance."I must say you look so beautiful than the last time we met.""Oh, stop it." She swatted my arm before she took my suitcase and put it in the back seat. "You must be exhausted and hungry from your journey, but the good news is, I made you some casserole.""Really?" A smile made its way to my lips and she nodded.We got into the car and she drove us to her apartment. "Make sure you get enough sleep tonight because I'm taking you on a full-day tour tomorrow.""I can't wait then.""It's going to be so much fun having you around." She squealed. Rolling the windows down, I stared out at the busy streets of Chicago. I believed coming here would be the best decision I've made.ARIA'S POVMy first day in Chicago was pretty adventurous. Lena and I spent the entire day sightseeing, eating different food and snacks, and watching movies. She took me to places that I needed to know, so I would be able to find my around whenever she wasn't around. Lena took me to Styles company and my jaw dropped to the ground at the sight of the magnificent building that was covered in Royal blue glass. The place was closed since it was Sunday, so she promised to show me around the company the next day when I resume work.I rose from bed earlier that morning as I couldn't sleep out of nervousness. As I took my bath and got ready, millions of butterflies were having a party in my stomach and I kept doing the breathing exercise to calm down."Breakfast is ready," Lena said in front of my door followed by her footsteps walking toward the living room.Lena's apartment was spacious with a living room and two bedrooms which were directly opposite each other. The kitchen and dining roo
DAVE'S POVParking my car outside Nixon's apartment building, I picked up my phone and sent him a text to meet me in his place, knowing that he was on lunch break. I climbed down from the car and went up to his apartment on the fifth floor of the building, ignoring the group of men watching me from the black Sedan parked a few blocks away from my car.When I got to the door, I punched in the password on the keypad to unlock the door. I slumped on the couch and turned on the TV while I wait for him to arrive. A few minutes later, the door opened followed by Nixon's voice, "I can have you arrested for breaking into my apartment." He stood in front of me with his hands shoved in his pants pocket."It's not breaking in if you were the one who gave me the password." I rolled my eyes at him."Why did you make me come here? My lunch break will soon be over, do you want me to get fired for slacking off at work?" He perched on the edge of the couch adjacent to me."You can't get fired. You ar
ARIA'S POV"So Nixon, huh?" I asked as Lena and I cooked dinner together."There's nothing between us." She glared at me."I never said there was," I smirked. "But I can tell he likes you.""I know that, but the company has a rule so it's never going to happen between us." She filled her plate with spaghetti and meatballs before taking it out of the kitchen.I did the same and joined her at the dining table. "What if there was no such rule? Or what if you guys met under different circumstances? Would you have considered it?""Yeah, I might." She shrugged, putting her spaghetti-filled fork in her mouth."So you like him." I beamed. "Yeah, a bit." She pinched the edge of her finger to show me how small a bit she was talking about."Lena?" I raised my eyebrows at her.She dropped her fork on the plate. "Okay, fine. I like him, but the company has its rules so I'm never going to act on my feelings. I won't risk my career over a man and besides, getting rid of whatever feelings I have for
DAVE'S POVAdrenaline pumped in my vein as I dashed through the woods, letting the dirt under my shoes fly behind me. The music playing from my headphone gave me the drive to continue jogging for more than thirty minutes before I stopped at the edge of the waterfall at the end of the woods.My chest heaved up and down as I stared at the water pouring down, making me remember the times that my brother and I spent together. FOUR YEARS AGO"Dave, come on," Daniel shouted as he ran ahead of him with the wind blowing his shoulder-length raven hair behind him.I picked up my pace to catch up with him but he was too fast. He stopped at the edge of the with his back turned to me while I caught up with him, squatting beside him. His amber eyes looked at me with a smile on his face and his breathing regulated while I was still struggling to catch my breath."How are you not out of breath?" I raised my eyebrows at him."Because I'm not a weakling like you," he spat.Rolling my eyes at him, I st
DAVE'S POVThe beeping monitor and my Dad's raged breathing were all that could be heard in the hospital room as I sat on the chair in front of the bed staring at him. My mother sat beside him, holding his hand with her head resting on it fast asleep. I remembered the last time I was in the position, it was when my brother dropped me off at my penthouse after our little vacation. A few hours later, I got a call from my dad that my brother was in the hospital. It was when I got there that I found out that my brother was dying from Liver cancer and it has already developed beyond control before he found out.It came as I surprise to me that I didn't notice that he was dying after spending the whole month with me. I only understood why he did that through the video, but that didn't stop me from getting mad at him. He passed away in the hospital the following day after saying his last words to me, "I'm sorry." I remembered that moment like it was better which was why I got more scared w
ARIA'S POVThe company was in disarray at the news of the President collapsing but the Assistant managing director managed to calm everyone down and assured us that the President was fine.Everyone went back to work but we could hardly concentrate because Lena and Nixon who went with the ambulance that took the President were not back to give us any news of his condition.I hadn't gotten the chance to meet the President but according to Summer, he was a very nice person but strict at the same time which explained why everyone was sad because of what happened to him.The paper I was sketching on was long forgotten as I kept staring at the door, waiting for Celestine to come back with some sort of information concerning the President. Everyone else was either listening to music or sleeping at their desk because none of our brains were settled to continue working on our project.As the door opened, everyone shot up their desk and approached Celestine who walked in and closed the door beh
ARIA'S POVThat night, I was up way past my bedtime talking to Savannah about how I was adapting to my workplace and things that I have occurred in the few days I'd been here. We got off the call by one in the morning when I told her that I had to go to work early the next morning. "Ari, wake up. We are going to be late," I heard Lena's voice in my sleep before the quilt got yanked off my body. "Five more minutes." I groaned as I curled on the bed."Do you know what time is it? It's 6:40." She yelled and I shot up the bed with wide eyes."Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" I climbed down the bed and rushed into the bathroom. "That is because I wasn't expecting you to still be sleeping by this time," she shouted after me. "Hurry up and meet me in the living room, we have to stop by the hospital before going to work." "Okay." I stood in front of the bathroom mirror to brush my teeth. It was all Savannah's fault that I was getting late for work. If only she hadn't kept me awake til
DAVE'S POVWhen Nixon broke the news of my taking over the company to my parents, they were over the moon. My dad was all smiles that day and the doctor was surprised to see my father's health improving faster than usual. My Mom concluded that it was the good news that fastened his healing process. Dad joined in by saying if he knew collapsing in the conference was all it would take to make me join the company he would have done it a long time ago. Before we left the hospital that night, he instructed Nixon to put me through everything I needed to know about the company. They planned to officially make me the president of the company when my dad recovers fully.At first, I wasn't happy about my decision to join the company, but seeing how delighted my parents were made it all worth it. Since my brother died, I had never seen my parent that happy which made me satisfied that I had granted my brother the favor he asked of me. That night, Nixon spent the night in my penthouse, teachin