Love Began with the First Meeting
Chapter 854 Extra Story 04 of Araon Memory

Ximena looked at the castle-like villa in front of her, and then at the humongous mountain surrounding it. A chill took hold of her. She could smell blood in the air. It frightened her so much that she could feel her own blood curdling.

She had been an orphan ever since she was born. Unlike in other countries, where appropriate security system was implemented and the orphans were provided with a subsistence allowance, on QY Island, orphan or not, no one cared. On this island, compassion was a rare thing. It would be a mistake to expect anyone to ever take pity on you, let alone offer protection. Nuns, who believe in the power of God, were the only ones that ever cared about the orphan children. So, without proper care, the orphans on QY Island either died early in life or survived on scraps. Those who survived had two different endings.

Some would try to defy their destined fate, just like her. They would constantly be in danger and would wish that maybe someday God would open His eyes and hear their prayers. And if God decided to abandon them, whether man or woman, they would end up as some powerful scumbags' toys, and one day, their bodies would turn up in a dumpster, a destiny so miserable that one would wish they had never been born at all.

Lucky for her, that day, Ximena had met Aaron, the powerful highness of the underworld, who had saved her from the edge of danger. Although she didn't know what was going to happen to her next, she thought it was better than becoming somebody's toy. Here, her worst outcome would be death. That seemed like a better option to her.

That was what she had thought before she had set her eyes on the eerie villa. But now, she was slowly starting to realize how naive and ridiculous she had been.

"You are not allowed to enter the third and the fourth floors. You can pick any room of your liking from among the rest." Ken sounded icy cold. "Your clothes will be delivered soon. Get yourself cleaned up before His Highness returns." Shooting a contemptuous glare at Ximena, whose face was all messed up with dirt, he turned around and left. It had started to drizzle and the cold drops fell on her face. She stood in the yard like a lonely ghost, shivering a little, unsure if she was cold from the rain or from the grim air which was enveloping the yard.

She grasped the jade seal tightly, took a deep breath and walked towards the house.

As soon as the door was pushed open, the previously empty, dark house lit up.

Her eyes wandered about cautiously. Crystal glaze lights were seen hanging on the ceiling, so bright that it looked as if they could light up the pitch-dark sky outside.

Yet, her world had always been engulfed by the darkness. On QY Island, the disparity in wealth distribution ensured that the richest few lived in heaven while the others were driven to hell. Ximena hated this bloody place. If only she could replace a way to leave this place forever.

Anger filled her along with her increasing determination to leave. While she was lost in her thoughts, her hands holding the jade seal tightened around it unconsciously. Her mind swayed away from the reality until the corner of the jade seal pricked her palm. She flinched as she quickly opened her hands and looked at the jade seal, the only thing that had kept her going so far; the only thing that gave her hope and strength to move on. She had been waiting... Waiting for him to come and rescue her, to take her away from here. A dull pain surged from within. She closed her eyes and bit her lips in utter misery. Five years. It had been five long, painful years. He hadn't come back. Where was he? It was as though he had just disappeared from her life. It was over. He had probably long forgotten about her. What was she still waiting for then? He had promised her. Now, it seemed like simple bullshit. The jade seal was supposed to be the symbol of his promise, but now it looked so ridiculous in her hands. Why was she still holding onto it, holding onto an empty promise?

*

The drizzly night turned misty as the dim lights came on. People didn't seem to mind the light rain at all. Their night life had just begun.

Walking on the wet street, with an umbrella in his hand, Aaron didn't attract much attention, just as he didn't pay any attention to anybody else.

Finally, he stopped at the bridge which stretched from the south of QY Island to the north. His eyes were fixed to the east, to the newly developed zone. It had gained its initial scale. There was the Grand Night Casino, which was ranked among the top three casinos in the world, and then there was the biggest amusement park in the world that Dragon Empire Group had invested in. These two projects would cause substantial change in the administration of QY Island. By then...

Aaron's eyes squinted as complicated emotions overtook him-humility, yearning, misery, and loneliness. At that moment, he looked like a lost child who had been abandoned and forgotten for the longest time.

"Your Highness," Ken called before taking the umbrella from Aaron's hand and holding it over his head. He looked towards the newly developed zone and let out a silent sigh. "Your Highness, do you intend to keep that girl in the villa at all times?"

Aaron withdrew his gaze from the zone, cast Ken a glance, and started to walk away from the bridge. "I've been having a difficult time replaceing a way to crack Helen. Now, the opportunity has presented itself," he observed.

"How did the jade seal of the Leng family end up in the hands of a lowly woman?" Ken asked, puzzled. He had noticed the jade seal in her hands earlier. After getting a clear look, he believed that it was genuine.

A dangerous smile appeared on Aaron's face as he said, "The Leng family head's birthday is coming soon."

Ken was confused by his response, but he replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Highness. It's the day after tomorrow."

Aaron slowed down and paused for a moment. Turning his head slowly, he gazed at the skyscraper in the distance, his eyes dark with grimness. Everybody on QY island recognized the huge logo on the building, the logo of the Leng Group, which played a very significant role in the world. 0000000