Love Began with the First Meeting

"No! No, please... no... please..."
The sobbing continued. Molly was horrified and mumbling in her sleep. Her lips were dry, her eyebrows furrowed, and her face
was twisted in pain.
"I'll... I'll pay the money back... Please... please trust me..."
The mumblings left her mouth continuously. She closed her eyes even more fiercely and shook her head uneasily.
"AHHHHH..."
A sudden, frightened scream broke the silence of the house, piercing the darkness all over. Molly abruptly sat up, woken from
her slumber by a monstrous nightmare. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air and breathed deeply.
Slowly, she tried to compose herself and gulped. Although she was still hazy from her terrifying incubus, she scanned her
surroundings.
The room was decorated mainly in white and purple, which somehow helped her calm down and feel at ease. The design inside
wasn't fussy. Rather, it was a simple decoration that showed the owner enjoyed simplicity and freedom, but was also arrogant at
the same time.
Immersed in her thoughts, Molly tightly compressed her lips together. As the memory of everything that had happened the night
before came to her, her face suddenly went pale. She was wondering how she had gotten into this bed. The last thing she
remembered was having a blackout and fainting. Everything beyond that was blank.
Her face changed expressions with her changing thoughts. She removed the quilts and, without bothering to put on her slippers,
ran towards the window. When she drew the curtain, a cloudy sky greeted her eyes.
It was snowing again!
The weather had remained sunny only for two days, and now, the overcast sky was dropping snow. She felt there were more
snowy days this year.
"Rat-a-Tat!"
There was a sudden knock at the door, startling Molly out of her meteorological musings. Jerking around, she saw the doorknob
being turned and the door was pushed open from outside.

"Miss Xia! Good morning!" Lisa entered the room wearing her usual kind smile. "I assumed you would be awake, so I decided to
inform you that Mr. Long called just now. He said that he would come back to pick you up later."
"Why? Where's he going to take me?" Frightened, Molly stepped backwards and hit the windowsill.
Lisa merely smiled and shook her head. "Breakfast is ready, Miss Xia. Please freshen up and come downstairs."
Having finished her words, she turned around and left the room with the same kind smile.
Outside, she closed the door and stared at it for a moment or so. Then she shook her head with a sigh and went back
downstairs.
Downstairs on the ground floor, Lucy was staring angrily towards Molly's bedroom, murmuring something under her breath.
Seeing Lisa come downstairs, she complained resentfully," She is only a pet to Mr. Long. Why does she get to sleep in that
bedroom?"
"Because besides Miss Yan, she is the only person Mr. Long has brought to the villa so far!" Lisa replied carelessly. She was well
aware of the thoughts that prevailed in her daughter's mind. Though Lisa didn't try to stop Lucy's intention, she didn't agree with
it either.
According to Lisa, their whole family owed Mr. Long a lot and were obligated to serve him well. But she hoped that Lucy wouldn't
be involved with him and would marry a common man, and live a common, happy life.
Of course, that was only John's and her wish. Since Lucy had grown up and had her own ideas, there were things which even
they, as her parents, would be unable to stop from happening. They couldn't control their daughter's life.
"Mr. Long loves Miss Yan a lot. This woman can't compete with her!" Lucy snorted and slammed the glass of milk in her hand on
the table, spilling some out in the process.
Lisa glared angrily at her. "Lucy! Remember your place and mind your own business! Don't poke your nose into what Mr. Long
does or does not do!"
Lucy seemed like she would retort but her mother's darkened face stopped her and reluctantly, she cursed Molly in her mind only
instead of saying anything more.
After she had washed her face, Molly came downstairs and Lisa brought her breakfast: a glass of orange juice, a sandwich, and
a poached egg. A simple one, but her favorite!

"Mr. Long asked me to prepare these for you before he left," Lisa explained as she saw the confusion in Molly's eyes.
Perplexed, Molly looked at Lisa, as if what she had heard was unbelievable. Brian Long was a cruel monster! But was it possible
that he would be considerate enough to have her favourite meal prepared?
There were a lot of questions in her mind but she didn't bother to ask anything more. Slightly grinning, she merely nodded and
began eating. One month! Just one month! If she could tolerate him for just one month, she would be able to leave.
The door opened suddenly and interrupted her thoughts. Jerking around, she looked towards the door and saw Brian's deep
look.
She was frightened instantly and the sandwich dropped from her hand to the plate. She abruptly leapt up from her chair,
knocking it down in the process.
Her reaction made Brian frown. He put on a poker face, but deep down, there was displeasure in his eyes. Walking towards
Molly, he picked up the chair himself and pressed Molly's shoulders slightly to make her sit down. "Why are you so careless?"
He rebuked her frivolously. There was tenderness in his voice that confused Molly even more. It sounded almost as if this wasn't
the cruel man from the night before!
The mint fragrance from his body froze her completely and she didn't respond.
Brian sat down next to her and, taking out a wet tissue, casually grabbed her hand and began wiping off the crumbs from her
fingers. Making a helpless face, he gently scolded her," What a slob you are!"
She didn't move and merely let him wipe her fingers, as she fluttered her eyelashes and perplexedly blurted out," Who are you?
"