Love Began with the First Meeting

"No!"

Ximena screamed at the top of her lungs. Her scared voice showed that she was completely desperate. The python coiled up before her, preparing to spring. There were rings of blue fire around its cruel eyes. "Melina," said a sacred voice," stay away from her!"

The python's tongue almost touched Ximena's head, but Aaron was there to stop her. Flicking her forked tongue, Melina was reluctant to relinquish her victim.

"Melina, stay away from her," the voice commanded again; it was Aaron. His voice sounded ferocious and his eyes were narrowed. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was scared that Melina would hurt Ximena.

The voice terrified the python, and so it backed off and crept away from Ximena. At a safe distance, the python continued to flick the tongue, now holding its head high, looking at Aaron.

Aaron came up to Ximena. Ximena's face was drained of all color and her hands were trembling. Clinging at Aaron, Ximena abruptly passed out and collapsed in his arms.

As he looked at unconscious Ximena, Aaron's heart felt heavy with sadness, but at the same time, it was fired up with anger for Melina. With his eyes narrowed, Aaron looked murderous. All he could think of was killing the python.

Sensing Aaron's hostility, Melina stopped froze, and the homicidal rage in its eyes vanished. Even as a python, it was afraid to provoke Aaron. Slowly, it retreated, not taking its gaze off the man holding Ximena. In front Aaron, even a cold-blooded python would be docile. Gritting his teeth, Aaron's mouth twitched. Knowing that the python was trying to escape, his instinct of running after it intensified. But with Ximena in his arms, all he could do was look as the python tried to retreat to safety. When Melina was finally close to the lake, she sped up and swam into the lake. All Aaron saw was the ripples in the lake made by the animal. After that, the python disappeared.

Taking in a deep breath to calm himself, Aaron stood up and carried Ximena back to the villa. On their way, a foreign man carrying a sheep on his shoulder walked up to them.

"Your Highness?" Vernon was surprised. Looking at Ximena, he knew that something bad had happened. "Your Highness, please forgive Melina. She didn't mean to do harm," he said, his eyes begging. "I can explain, Your Highness. Please let me explain." Taking no notice of Vernon, Aaron continued walking. Carrying Ximena, he strode silently to the villa.

Knowing that Aaron was angry, Vernon left the sheep and tried to stop him, but Aaron didn't care to acknowledge him at all. "Melina got sick for a long time," he started explaining exasperatedly. "She has no strength to kill people. I just went to grab some food for her, and I didn't know that she would attack anyone!" Still keeping up with the unbothered man, he took a glance at Ximena and let out a sigh of relief. It was obvious that Ximena was someone special to Aaron, and so he said," Thank God she is okay. Please, Your Highness, spare Melina's life," Vernon begged.

Aaron stopped. After pausing for a few moments, he turned his head and stared at Vernon. With his eyes narrowed, he stated," I have given my order....Without my permission, it can not go out of the lake."

Vernon sighed, starting to feel defeated. "Melina was just hungry and out of its mind," he said, staring downward. "You know that it has been no trouble." Vernon, still eager to defend the python, said," Miss Ximena has never been to the lake before, but today she..." However, he abruptly stopped after he felt that what he was saying was making Aaron angrier. Aaron blowing up was the last thing he wanted to happen. While he knew that what Melina did was unforgivable, she had been the most obedient python that he had ever raised. He knew how she felt and to Vernon, Melina was more than a random animal. Her dying in Aaron's arms was something that he never wanted to see.

As much as cold-hearted Aaron was, seeing Vernon like this made him have pity for the animal. His rage went away. "I will spare it this time. But there will not be a next time. If it hurts Ximena again, I will kill it." said Aaron coldly.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Vernon replied, his eyes still cast downwards. Relief soothed his senses. "I'll keep my eye on Melina," he promised, and bid Aaron goodbye. In turn, Aaron nodded at him, and then continued towards the villa. Vernon watched him leave, his eyes sparkling with gratitude. Taking a deep breath, he came back to his sheep and dragged it to the lake.

When Aaron and Ximena arrived to the house, Aaron immediately called a doctor to come to check her out. The doctor said Ximena passed out because she was too weak and didn't eat too much. Because of that, he gave her an IV so that she could get specialized nutritious supplements.

Looking at Ximena, who was lying unconscious in bed, Aaron felt distressed. She looked pale and had dark circles under her eyes. Before, Ximena used to sleep well every night. At first, she was alert and serious so she had trouble going to sleep, but when she got used to life here, she slept like a baby, irrespective of whether Aaron was there or not.

At this thought, Aaron couldn't help but sigh. His eyes roamed the room and that was when he noticed that there were a lot of crumpled papers in the trash can. Curious, he decided to pick one up and unfolded it. It was a draft of a drawing.

There were layers of watercolors on it. At first he couldn't recognize what was on it. Then Aaron found that under the watercolor, there was a scribbled script. It read," Aaron, you hideous slug of a man." His eyes became narrowed.

Squinting his eyes, Aaron crumpled the paper up again. Then he looked sideways at the pale Ximena who was still unconscious. The expression on his face was very serious.

In his mind, his absence would calm Ximena down. But then he found that he couldn't stay calm when he was not with her. He thought that she would call him, that she might have trouble sleeping because he was not around, that she would ask the butler about him because she had to eat alone without him. But nothing happened. It was just an illusion. Ximena didn't care about Aaron at all.

'It's killing me. This girl is really annoying, 'Aaron thought to himself.

A grim expression started to show up on Aaron's face. The way that he has been treated has made him upset. On QY Island, Ximena was just one of those poor people who had a hard life. They belonged to two different worlds. But ever since he met Ximena, his life had totally changed. She was the person whom he wanted to marry and spend the rest of his life with.

At that realization, he closed his eyes. He was not only mad at Ximena, but also at himself. How can he be so reckless? Why would he want to be with such a girl? 00000000