Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 1400 Extra Story 3 Of Mark Missing

Many years ago, all Sally wanted was to be with Addison forever. It dawned on her later that this simple wish turned out to be just fantasy.

*

Sally's heart missed a beat. Addison's words sounded casual but she could feel her stomach twisting. "I thought this was Henrik's car." She tried to keep a firm, tight rein on her racing mind. "It was just an accident."

"An accident?" Addison repeated scornfully, fixing his black eyes on her face which looked exactly the same seven years ago, but this time, it looked rather cold. "Then was it also just an accident that you suddenly stepped into my life?" Sally opened her mouth but at last closed it. She was so upset with Addison that she said something that she didn't really meant. "Addison, I didn't step into your life. You forced me!"

Such hurtful words would break anyone's heart. It stung not only Sally but also Addison.

Addison stood in front of her, lost in thought for a long time as if he was driven into the hell by her cruel words. Well, she was right. She was always right.

"Well, Addison..." Sally regretted her words when she saw the look on his face. She tried to explain but she couldn't say a word. The past was just that now-the past. She already felt bad enough. Addison didn't need to fell that too.

He could be the possible ruler of the Dragon Island in the future. Since he was the president of the world-famous Dragon Empire Group, she didn't think she could measure up to him.

Sally tightened her lips and kept her mouth shut. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders proudly.

Addison stared at Sally for a long time before turning around. When he did, he said, "Wyatt, send her away." Meanwhile, he was walking towards the villa. There wasn't any hesitation in his stride as if nothing had just happened, as if Sally was nothing but a stranger to him. Wyatt lowered his head respectfully. "Yes, sir!" He then approached Sally with a blank expression and said, "Miss Li, please."

Only Wyatt knew about the relationship that Addison and Sally had. Wyatt had been Addison's shadown since Addison was fifteen years old. He never left Addison's side. When he wasn't there and there was an emergency, he'd drop everything just to be there for Addison right away. Wyatt knew how important his role was because Addison was a candidate to be the next ruler of Dragon Island.

Sally was submerged in mixed feelings. She looked at Addison wistfully as he strode off, confident in his steps. She looked away and said, "No, thanks." She walked past Wyatt indifferently, intending to leave.

"Please get in the car, Miss Li." Wyatt's tone was flat. "I'm only following my Young Master's orders. I do as I've been told."

Sally stopped, clenching her fists. She wanted to refuse the ride but she decided to just give in. Since he was the shadow of the heir of Dragon Island, Wyatt had to do as Addison had ordered him to do or he might get punished. She couldn't let anyone suffer for her, much less someone who had nothing to do with her relationship with Addison.

However, Sally didn't realize that there were so many things that she couldn't change.

Wyatt came back when he finished dropping Sally off at the foot of the hill. It took him so much time that it was nearly midnight when he came back. When he went inside the villa, he saw Addison standing in front of the window with his hands in his pockets, looking outside. "Young Master."

Addison didn't speak for a long time, so long that the stillness and silence in the room eventually brought a thick tension. Only then did he ask slowly, "Where did she get out of the car?"

"She asked to get out at the foot of the hill," Wyatt answered politely.

Then Addison kept silent again. After a while, he said to Wyatt, "You can rest now."

Wyatt looked at Addison, intending to say something. But finally he lowered his head and answered, "Yes, sir!" When he raised his head, he looked at Addison for a moment before leaving the villa. Addison stood there for a long time as a specific memory came flooding back to his mind. Outside, the sky was a pitch black.

Back then, it was a little cold on Dragon Island. He got up very early because he was travelling out of the country and he wanted to see Sally before he left. There was only a thin light across the snowy, black night sky. Her face was red from the chill. She looked satisfied nonetheless.

"My darling, how long have you been waiting here?" Sally's eyes lit up when she saw Addison, "How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived," Addison said gently.

"You're cheating me." Looking at the snow on Addison's hair, Sally said shrewdly, "There's snow on your hair. You must have been here when you called me instead of staying at home!" Addison just smiled before saying gently, "Come, take a walk with me, darling..." Then he grabbed Sally's hand and led her to the small park in the street.

The park was quiet and only the sound of their footsteps could be heard this was only possible because it was cold outside and it was so early in the morning. Their vision was shrouded with a thin layer of fog and every time they spoke, they could see their breath. Hand in hand, side by side, they walked ahead silently. After a long time, Addison finally said, "I'm visiting M Country with my uncle soon and it might be a long visit. I'm going be away from you for quite a while."

A hint of sadness seemed to flash across her eyes but it was gone as soon as it came. "It's okay, I need to prepare for my piano competition soon. I'm sure my mother's going to take good care of me."

It annoyed Addison sometimes how generous and thoughtful Sally was. If he was being honest, he just wanted her to lose it just once instead of being mature like she normally was. However, she was always so considerate which only made him love her more. "If only we can just stay like this forever..." All of a sudden, Sally slightly narrowed her eyes and looked at Addison. Then she said, beaming, "You know, with all this white snow falling in our hair, we look like one of those old couples that grew old together, right?" Addison froze. He gazed at Sally-pure happiness stirring in his heart. Her smile looked so dreamy, he couldn't believe that it was real. Was she saying that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life?

Suddenly, Addison pulled her into his arms and held her there tightly. He was normally gentle with her but at that moment, he was quite rough with her. His eyes dimmed as he said, "Sally, when will you stop being scared? Don't you know what I feel? Do you need me to pour out my heart to you right now just so you'll know how much I love you? So you'll know how I really feel?"

Sally didn't know what to make of this but a light smile was playing on her lips. He was so tall that she could only reach his chest. From where she was standing, she could hear his heartbeat. "They say that when people are with the ones they love, their hearts beat faster. Addison, your heart seems to beating at a normal rate!"

Silence fell upon them-a silence so thick it could be cut with a knife. After a long while, Addison sighed and said, "You always get to tease me and annoy me but I never get to do that to you."

An emotionally mature man wouldn't respond like this. But she took advantage of his lapses.

Sally stood on her toes and pressed a soft kiss on Addison's lips. "It's time for you to go." Wyatt had been waiting for them for quite a while from a distance.

"Let me send you back." Addison felt helpless. Even though he didn't want to be apart from her, he didn't have a choice. This was what came with being the next ruler.

Sally didn't refuse because she knew it wouldn't work anyway. Addison always respected her but he was the type of person who was stubborn whenever it came to his ideas. If he'd already made a decision, no one could change that. Wyatt continued to trail them from a distance. He was getting increasingly anxious but he didn't rush them. He just followed as Addison dropped Sally off at her villa.

Snow continued to fall even when the weather had already warmed up. The snow that had fallen before on the ground had now evaporated leaving only thin traces. When Addison got in the car, he looked out and was brought back to his parents' wedding ceremony. Snow was the most romantic thing in the world.

Addison eventually started to feel sad. He patiently waited for her in the past seven years, though he didn't take the initiative to come looking for her. It wasn't that he didn't want to replace her. It was that he was afraid of what she would say when he did.

Molly always said that loving someone was the most difficult job in the world. You got to experience everything when you were in a relationship with someone. If one didn't have the courage to see the relationship through, then it would be best for one to steer clear of love. If you decided to love someone, you had to do everything you could to make sure the one you loved didn't get hurt. It took a lot to heal properly and it would definitely hurt in the process.

But she only gave him indifference after all he'd done, after he'd waited for her for seven years.

Maybe, it was just his own wishful thinking.

Addison slowly turned around and went upstairs to his bedroom. A beautiful red rose sat in a vase which was Sally's favorite color. It was blooming and it looked like it was full of life which was comparable to Sally's smile. However, some of the petals of the rose were slightly withered already.

When the water started running, the coldness of the water jolted his body awake.

Bang! He had jammed his fists against the wall leaving a dent on it. Addison seemed numb with the pain.

His eyes were dimmed like a beast, ready to devour the first thing he saw.

Sally didn't have time to sulk around about seeing Addison again. She needed to replace Rachel as soon as possible. Nina's news was difficult to believe, because why a rich family would adopt Rachel for no reason.

"Sally, you've been distracted since you came back. What's on your mind?" Rose washed off the makeup she was wearing-still, she looked beautiful as ever. She looked a little tired around the eyes but she still looked lovely. She lit a cigarette and handed it to Sally. "Have you talked to Henrik?"

Sally shook her head. Rose held the cigarette at arm's length as she said, "Maybe, you went to the wrong place." She lay back on the quilt with a tired face, feeling helpless.

Rose had been in the Romantic Club for almost ten years. Now she'd already been promoted to a higher position. She was Nina's good friend so she knew something about Sally. "Take it easy, we have a lot more opportunities." She paused for a while as if she thought of something. "Well, Roger Ji's birthday is in two days. Mr. Gu invited me. Do you want to go with me?" She nodded excitedly as if she'd just thought of the most wonderful idea. "Henrik's definitely going to be there. If Henrik's family really adopted your sister, then you can talk to him there."

Sally shook her head. "I'm not ready to meet her in public." They'd been apart for seven years so Rachel's definitely changed. She would certainly be surprised if she suddenly showed herself to Rachel for the first time in seven years and in public.

"Well, you're right." Rose nodded her head in agreement. "Then we'd better wait another two days to decide on what we're going to do next."

Sally nodded, smiling. Then she lay on the bed, exhausted. Seven years! She'd already forgotten a lot of things by then but maybe it was still in her heart somewhere there. Besides, how could she forget so easily?

She slowly closed her eyes. She suddenly saw Addison's sad eyes and they looked lost too. He was wearing a gentle expression on his face. It was completely silent and she suddenly didn't know how to wake up.

"Sally, Sally, wake up," Nina said, lightly pushing Sally, who'd fallen into a deep sleep. It made Nina worry a bit. "Sally, Sally, wake up..."

"What happened?" Sally opened her eyes, she looked at Nina, bewildered. A soft breeze blew from the window. She felt the chill in her face.

Nina looked at her face which was stained with tears. Her gaze fell to the pillow that Sally had been sleeping on-it was wet too. She drew a deep sigh before saying, "Henrik came. He was asking to see the person who'd brought wine last night. Well, do you want to see him?"

Sally sat up. "Of course, I do!" She got on her feet. "Nina, would you ask him to wait a while? I need some time to get ready first." She was already running to the bathroom.

Nina simply nodded and sighed as she left the room. Meanwhile, the sound of water running could be heard in the bathroom.

Henrik was sitting in the VIP room, his legs haphazardly folded, smoking fuming out of the cigarette in his hand. The thin smoke vaguely concealed the cold look on his face.

Nina looked a little anxious as she stood at the door. Sally might not have found Henrik the last time but here he was, actually looking for her. She didn't know what had happened but based on the look on his face, she could tell that Henrik was in a bad mood.

Sally knocked on the door and Nina opened it uneasily. She gestured towards Sally. She was trying to tell her that Henrik was in a bad mood and that maybe, she should wait another time or at the very least, she should be careful.

Sally nodded and walked in. When she spoke, her voice was relaxed. "Sir, I was the waitress who brought the wine to Room 77."

Henrik slowly lifted his eyes. He looked very masculine and burly. Quite different from Addison's clean handsome face. Henrik had some stubble around his lips which exuded masculinity. He was very difficult to read. No one could tell what he was really feeling underneath his stony demeanor. However, at that moment, a light smile was playing on his lips. Normally, it would be pleasant to see such a smile but somehow, it looked creepy.

"So you are Sally, Rachel's sister? Is that right?" Henrik looked at Sally. There was only coldness in his voice.

Sally suddenly knitted her eyebrows but she managed to look calm. "Yes, sir."

"When you went to jail, you wouldn't allow her to visit you. Once you got out, the first thing you did was try to replace her." Henrik gestured towards Nina for her to leave the room which she did. Then he approached Sally. "You're such a good sister, aren't you?" He stopped in front of Sally and raised his hand. He put his forefinger just below her chin and lifted it so that he was looking directly into her eyes.

Sally remained calm. She could see his face clearly now. "It seems that you already know everything. Looks like you already knew who I was before we even met yesterday."

"Yes," Henrik admitted, retreating his finger. "I was the one who picked Rachel up when you left. But she didn't bring anything with her except your photos." He paused before continuing, "But I already threw them out..." He turned aside and said in a firm tone, "Our family doesn't need anything else. Rachel is just an exception."

Sally said bitterly, "I see. So you see humans as objects in your family."

Henrik didn't lose his temper. Instead, he looked at Sally scornfully. And then he said, "Are you trying to say that you are not 'anything?"""

Sally was not in the mood to play the lingual tricks with him because she found it childish.

"Sally, a smart woman wouldn't say anything stupid even if she's impulsive." Henrik spoke slowly. Then he walked off to get himself and Sally something to drink. He took a sip from the glass before asking, "I'm just a little curious. How did you manage to get out alive in Addison's car?" Dimmed were his eyes when he continued, "As far as I'm concerned, this is the first time that something like that has happened."

Sally couldn't help but feel worried and scared. It was acceptable for Addison to have felt her presence inside the car, but how could have Henrik found out?

"Even you're thin," Henrik said as he eyed Sally from head to toe, "you probably weigh about 50 kilos or so. Anyone trained well enough can easily tell that someone or something of that weight was in the car."

Since Sally and Addison hid their relationship so well, Henrik didn't know of their past. "Well, sir, you shouldn't be meddling into something that you're not involved in," Sally said coldly. "Now that everything's clear, I'm just going to go straight to the point. I want to see my sister!" Henrik furrowed his eyebrows as he glanced at the red wine that was circling in his glass. He sighed and said, "No."

"Why not?" Sally widened her eyes as she spoke. "Even if your family was her guardian, Rachel's already grown up so you have no right to stop her from seeing me."

"All right. So what are you going to tell her then when you see her?" Henrik asked her.

Sally answered firmly, "I'm her older sister!"

Henrik chuckled, "Well, seven years ago, you were her sister." Then he continued, "When we adopted her as a member of our family, she wasn't Rachel anymore." Sally was at a loss for words as she was confused.

"Sally, why don't we make a deal?" Henrik looked at Sally, his smile growing more and more sinister. 0000000