Love Began with the First Meeting

After more than twelve hours of flight, the plane finally landed in London early in the morning. Unlike the frosty world of A City due to the heavy snow, London was sunny even during the winter, the early morning sunlight casting in every corner and bringing subtle warmth during the day.

As soon as they disembarked the plane, Molly took Mark to pick up their suitcases. Seeing as it was not her first time in London, and having lived abroad for several years, she no longer felt at a lost or helpless in the airport.

"Mommy, where are we going?" asked Mark, looking up at his mom. The tired boy rubbed his eye sleepily, yawning whilst looking around in a clueless manner.

Shaking her head, Molly leaned a little and said, "After we get our luggage, Mommy will take you somewhere to have dinner. I noticed that you didn't like the food on the plane..." At which, his son nodded in understanding. Straightening up, they continued to chatter while waiting for their luggage to show up.

While both mother and son were preoccupied with finding their luggage, Ling - who was hiding behind a post, grimaced at the sight of them. 'Oh my god,' she thought to herself. 'Molly and I must have taken the same flight.' Knitting her eyebrows, she did not dare to emerge from behind the pillar. If they ever saw her, there was a possibility that Molly might speculate about Brian's and her acting. So in an attempt to avoid being exposed, Ling had no other choice but to wait for Molly and her son to pick their luggage and leave. When she was sure that they were long gone, she rolled her eyes, and walked out from her hiding spot to get her suitcase.

The moment Molly and her son reached the exit of the airport, they were stopped by a man with blonde hair and eyes. After a quick once-over at Molly, he asked, "Hello, are you Miss Molly?"

Confused, Molly nodded and asked, "If I may ask, who are you?" The man smiled upon her confirmation.

"Hello, Miss Xia. My name is Alan," he said, his voice changing instantly. "Prince Victor sent me to pick you up."

"I'm sorry but... Prince Victor?" The woman grew more confused by the second. For one thing, she didn't know Prince Victor at all. So it came as a surprise to be picked up in the airport by a complete stranger.

"Yes," said Mr. Allen nonchalantly. "Miss Xia, please follow me." Doubt was apparent in Molly's eyes as she looked at him suspiciously.

Then she turned to his son, as though she wanted to hear his thoughts about the situation.

Pursing his small lips, Mark looked at Alan and said in a loud voice, "Mommy, before we flew here, didn't you receive a call from some stranger? Could it have been from the prince?" Blinking furiously, she pondered about the likelihood of Mark's hunch, and nodded in agreement.

"It sounds that way. How else would he have known that I was on that flight?" she asked with a certain degree of uncertainty. "Mark, let's go..." Frowning, Molly did not let fear get the best of her, as she was filled with a strong sense of belief to fulfill her purpose. There were better things for her to worry about.

When they followed Alan, he escorted them to an extended limo. As soon as Molly got in with her son, the luxurious car started to drive away. To what destination, neither of them knew. Looking at the streets of London, Molly's mood began to shift drastically as she reminisced. "Mark," she said, looking at him with a wan smile. "This was the place where I found out I was pregnant with you."

"Daddy told me that!" The young boy was elated to hear about the story. At the moment, the only thing that mattered to him was that his mom did not want to leave his father. For now, however, Mark had to work hard with Mommy, before they could go back and look for his Рара.

The ride lasted for two hours. By the time the limo stopped, they were in front of an old castle surrounded by mountains and rivers. Upon seeing the solemn guards, the visitors noticed the heavy and somewhat confining atmosphere.

Looking around the castle, Molly and Mark seemed disinterested. Maybe it was because Brian had taken them to similar places plenty of times, so their hearts had become acclimated to the unusual. Nevertheless, something about the castle, in particular, kept nagging Molly. It was almost as though she had been there before.

"Miss Xia, the prince awaits for you at the racetrack. Come with me, please," Alan said, and signaled the servant to take Molly's luggage to the guest room. In neither an overbearing nor subservient way, he looked at Mark and said, "Besides, I have arranged an afternoon tea for Mr. Addison Long,"

Molly glanced at her son with a bit of concern. After all, it was a strange place, and she did not know who she was about to meet. It just seemed reckless to leave the child's side in a place where she didn't feel too safe. Even though she was willing to take full responsibility for her reckless decision, the one thing she could never allow to happen was put Mark's life in danger. So she hesitated, and wrapped an overprotective arm around Mark's shoulder.

Her worries did not go unnoticed by Alan. "Miss Xian," he said, "Please don't worry. Your son will be in safe hands. It's just that the prince wants to have a private word with you." "And if we had wanted to do something less than virtuous," added Allan with a gentle smile. "Do you think there is room for resistance in this place?"

Curling her lips, she nodded without another word.

Still fraught with uneasiness, Molly watched the servant take Mark away. As soon as he disappeared from her sight, she followed Alan into a small vehicle, and went to the racetrack. Upon arriving, she saw a man in a white riding suit with a whip in his hand, and racing along the track. For such a wild sport, the man showed a rather soothing grace, making it look easier than it obviously was.

Enchanted by the white figure running around the race track, Molly lost track of time until the man finally strangled the bridle, jumped off the horse in a graceful manner, and took off his hat. On his way towards her, he threw away the bridle without a care in the world. Only when he stood in front of her, did she see his face clearly. It was a handsome, delicate face with deeply sculpted features. Anyone who was fortunate enough to see it would be drawn to it like insects to flowers. Moreover, he had the distinct charm of someone who was mixed-blood, exuding an aggressive yet noble elegance.

Prince Victor watched the woman carefully, glancing at her from head to toe, and waved at Allen to leave them alone. "Do you mind taking a walk with me?" he asked her.

She shook her head in response, and walked alongside the man. Racking her brain discreetly, Molly failed to recall any memory of encountering the man in the past. Once she was sure that she did not know him at all, she asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Smiling at her, he answered, "I promised someone." He halted upon seeing Molly's increasingly confused face. With an elegant smile, he continued to say, "I owe Brian a favor. It hadn't been easy to pay him back. But now, the opportunity to help you presented itself. So I have to make sure to grab it, or else, he'll demand for more from me one day." His elegant voice sounded like an alluring melody produced with a piano instrument.

She looked at him meticulously. Despite the lavish outfit, the man did not appear to be a prince of the British royal family to her.

"He's suffering from amnesia," Molly said seriously. "Even if you can help me, you won't be returning his favor at all. He remembers nothing."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐