Love Began with the First Meeting

As the night gradually grew deep and dark, inside Ximena's ward, the air seemed to freeze, making it difficult for people to breathe. Sensing the uneasiness and discomfort, however, one would wonder whether it was because of the atmosphere or the pain the patient was suffering. All remained stationary and still, except for the infusion solution falling down one drop after another. Although it was falling down at a normal rate, people would still feel depressed upon seeing it and even felt suffocated as if the machine was connected to them personally controlling their limited breathing. Aaron was standing in front of the window and watched the night solemnly that was covered by the haze. At the moment, the only light he could see was the faint yellow street lamps in the hospital yard.

Gazing down at the solemn scene, he heaved a gentle sigh. At the thought of what had happened, Aaron's heart was filled with melancholy. What was worse was that he felt like there was no way to relieve such melancholy at all. Before today, he never knew that in addition to hate and anger, such mood would descend on him.

The little baby hadn't officially met him yet, but.... But now he had lost him forever. He would never have the chance to hold the little angel on his arms or even gaze at such an innocent face. Aside from feeling angry at the moment, he was also sad. His sadness turned out not only because his chance of starting a family of his own was aborted, but also because he was suddenly afraid that after the little baby was lost, the bond between him and Ximena which was established with great efforts and hardships would fall apart and even develop to hate against each other.

'Before, I had always been unable to understand my mom's love for that man. I always felt... that love between a man and a woman was too deceptive to be true. But now it turns out... It's not just illusory, but too illusory, so illusory that it not only made me realize that I could also fall in love with someone that much. Love had also made me hope to be with the woman I love for the rest of my life. The hope that she would never leave me alone, no matter if I have achieved great success or suffer a great loss.

That through thick or thin, richer or poorer, she would always stay by my side no matter what life throws upon us. Love, on the one hand, makes people so fascinated and longing for it; on the other hand, it makes people so scared, so at a loss...' thought Aaron. As he stood by the window his mind was filled with different thoughts and plans as to how would he react in case Ximena decided to leave him. 'Love, indeed makes people's lives more fascinating, but on one hand, it also makes people so scared of loss. Ximena, if you still love me, I am willing to work hard to treat you better and fix everything. But if you do not want to love me anymore, then I'll let you leave. Anyways, it would be fine with me, I have been used to bearing different kinds of pain caused by the wound of any type of injury alone, how much more wounds that sears through the heart. If you would leave me, I would bear loneliness alone and watch you from afar. I'm quite used to it, in fact, I'm already an expert in hiding my true feelings, 'Aaron continued to think wildly. "Ding!"

Just at the moment, his wild thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a notification from his phone. Aaron indifferently took out his phone, clicked the messaging app and began to read the message.

"Claude's daughter, Miya, died four years ago. One day she went out to celebrate her graduation from high school with his classmates. After the celebration party was over, she walked back home. But on her way back home, she was intercepted by several drunk men and gang-raped in YD Lane. One of the drunk men was Helen's younger cousin. However, the incident was covered by some influential persons so as their names will not be dragged along by the scandal. The family had no way but to swallow the suffering without telling others. Miya eventually committed suicide due to depression caused by what happened to her. Helen then showed up and settled the issue in person. She arranged Miya to be buried in a private cemetery and promoted Claude to become head of the public relations department of the Leng's Corporations. Along with the death of her daughter, Carrie couldn't stand the enduring pain and went crazy. After treatment, although she seemed to slowly recover, she was still mentally ill. Claude's embezzlement of the group's funds in the last two-year was basically used for treating her illness."

After reading the message from Ken, Aaron looked indifferently with no single expression on his face. Incidents like this were very common in QY Island, and if you were powerful and influential, you could live such a life like emperors. But on the contrary, if you didn't have the money and power, you could only grit your teeth and bear whatever fate had brought to you. One could only say his prayers and just let the gods take revenge for them. That was how it was in QY Island, and one could do no otherwise but just go with the flow. Thinking about it, however, Aaron thought that no matter how cruel and indecent the incident that happened to Miya, Carrie definitely had no right to make any acts of revenge against him and even his unborn child! What happened to her child was none of Aaron's fault nor did he have anything to do with it except with his relation to Helen.

"Send her to the police!" Ticking the keyboard on his phone, Aaron typed quickly and responded to Ken's message.

After the simple message was sent out, Aaron put the phone back in his pocket. Too shocked at the turn of events, he did not do anything personally to punish them, which was his greatest act of kindness towards them, and a good act done by stealth for his unborn child. Heaving a much deeper sigh this time, Arron continued pondering for thoughts that were running on his mind. It was almost an hour and he was still standing by the window. Though his legs grew tired, he managed to stand still with his expressionless face. It was getting late at night and the rain was still on, not knowing whether God was mourning Aaron's miserable fate or showing his wrath on the darkness of their hearts.

The rain continued for another two days, and then the sky was gradually getting lighter.

Meanwhile, at the blues cafe of QY Island, seated alone on the table by the corner, Vivi was staring outside the window, looking out at the bustling crowd and the traffic. The hot coffee in front of her had become cold and stale. "Miss Zhuang, do you want some more coffee?" asked the waiter politely.

Disturbed by his question, Vivi withdrew her gaze from the outside, her face clear and bright. The corners of her lips slightly rise up and she shook her head, saying lightly, "No, thank you."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything," the waiter responded and left. With the waiter gone, Vivi turned her head and looked out of the window again until someone sat down across her.

"Damn it," Zoey cursed angrily, pouting her lips. "I was grounded by my dad this last few days.

Hum, it must be my brother who had said something to my dad!" Beckoning the waiter, she casually ordered a cup of coffee and continued, "Even my cell phone had been confiscated. I was so pissed off. Look at what my dad had done to me? I'm not a prisoner for goodness' sake!" Listening to her complaints, Vivi's heart grew heavier and her face was filled with worries.

Sensing her worries, Zoey sighed deeply and said in a complaining tone while pouting her lips, "What's wrong with you? I didn't even tell you what happened that day."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Thinking of Ximena's exalted and mighty manners on the day she went to the villa, she was extremely irritated. "No need to tell me now..."

Cutting her short, Vivi looked at Zoey, and the expression on her face was very painful. "Why? What's the matter?" Zoey asked doubtfully.

Knowing her friend and anticipating that something was wrong with Vivi, Zoey asked, "I have been isolated from the rest of the world these last few days. Did something big happen?" Watching Zoey's puzzled and curious look, Vivi said with a complicated mood in her heart, "Žoey, Ximena rolled down from the stairs..."

"What?

Really?!" Shaking her head in disbelief, Zoey exclaimed unbelievably. Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and there was a kind of delighted expression in them as if she felt that bad deeds finally rebounded upon the doer. She then said happily, "Hum, she deserved it! Did she break any of her arms or legs during the incident? If she did, it was really good news for me..." Seeing Vivi shook her head, Zoey rolled her eyes and pouted her lips, full of disappointment on her face.

"She was well protected by Aaron," Vivi said, with a bitter smile. "Except for a little scratch, she did not have any serious injuries at all."

"She was really lucky this time,"☐☐☐☐☐☐☐