Chapter 13 - Shocked

Aurora POV-

I was shocked when someone grabbed my elbow and whirled me around. On looking, I got to know that no one other than our very own Mr. Andrew davilla was behind this little stunt. To be honest, I was expecting this visit since yesterday evening, after I dumped ice pack in his office bin. If I was already expecting it then why was I feeling this nervousness?

The answer was right there, having Andrew davilla this close. I had

never gotten a chance to look at him this closely. He had a handsome face, sparkling grey eyes, long eyelashes, a perfectly cut jawline, hair set up in a puff, and a tramline beard. I forgot to breathe for a moment but then jerked back to reality by his low and vicious voice, "Didn't I tell you, Ms. Whatever, not to enter into my office ever again?"

He didn't say anything more. He didn't need to. I was not ready to speak up, I did not want my voice coming out raspy or rough. But, I also did not want him to think that his close vicinity was affecting me in any way. So, I gathered myself together and managed to speak, "Yes, you did," my voice clear and harsh.

He did not waver his stare, neither did I. I was not wrong so I would confront him confidently if I must have to. He shouted at my face, "Then why the hell did you go there?"

I replied very calmly, "I did not intend to, sir. But, it seemed like you left something of yours on my desk. By mistake, I may add."

He lifted one of his brows, the expression on his face would make anyone run for their life. But not me. I stood my ground, returned his stare in case he had anything else to say.

After a small pause, he made a slow laugh. Although I was confused at that I kept my face void of any expression, "Very well, Ms. Whatever."

Suddenly, he snatched my bruised wrist, pulled over the sleeve of my emerald top, and held my wrist tightly. Although it was better after two days it had not yet healed properly and his hold stung, but I did not give him the satisfaction of my pain."So, it seems like this little wound of yours does not need any salve, right? Thanks for letting me know. I'll make sure to convey this to Jacob. He was quite worried about your wrist. That explains why he bothered to bring you an ice pack," said Andrew with a smile.

He made sure that I get to know that the ice pack was not his idea. Alright, then he should know one more thing.

I put on a sweet smile and replied, "Ohhh yeah please, Mr. Andrew, let him know that I am alright now. Also, tell him thanks from me for the ice pack and the nice breakfast yesterday, as a gesture of apologizing on behalf of one of his rude friends. But inform him that I am not the one who accepts hollow apologies."

There was confusion on his face. Just like I thought, he had no idea of andrew's and mine interaction yesterday. I looked down and realized my hand was resting on his chest all this time. His gaze followed mine and got stuck on my hand there like he too had no idea about that. With that, I pushed him away and said, "If you are done with your brooding then I have work to do, sir." I picked my documents and went out of the Copy room.

This time, I was the one who had a cocky smirk on her face.

At 6 pm, I arranged my desk and went out of the office. With only one job, I had so much time to spare and not so many ways to spare it. I still remembered the time when I used to be so very busy with school work, projects, exams, and quizzes. I had barely any free time. I pocketed out my cell phone and saw that there was 1 missed call from mum. We didn't exchange many calls or texts, so it must have been something urgent. I opened our chat and texted her to inquire about the reason behind her call.

I had a kind of estranged relationship with my parents. Not since the beginning of the time, but since the brutal tragedy, my family faced 13 years ago, when I was 9.

I had a small family; mum, dad, Aurora, and Sarah. Sarah was my sister. She was younger than me, an unexpected but welcomed child. We all beamed at the news of her arrival. I eagerly waited for her birth, and when she finally made it

to the world after a long and tiring journey, I could never get enough of her. I loved her more than I could, she was the light in the darkness, no matter how low I was feeling, looking at her bright smile always pumped up my spirits.

Everything was great, my parents were the best of all. My dad was jolly, full of life, and a family man who worked as an English professor in the high school. My mom was a housewife; she dedicated her life to the comfort of her husband and the upbringing of her daughters. I would come back from school to the waiting Sarah at the door who would start

jumping as soon as she saw me and my affectionate mother who would be busy in the kitchen making me a cold lemonade in summer and hot cocoa in winter.

Weekends were always special.

Mum and dad would take us to different places like amusement parks, cinemas, restaurants, museums, zoos, and many others. Sometimes, we would simply pack our lunch and go out for a picnic in some family park.

My favorite memory was when we went to the amusement park and took the Ferris Wheel ride. I and Sarah were in one cabin, higher up in the sky, eating chips and enjoying the ecstatic beach view on the other side of the park.

Whenever our cabin was about to get closer to the earth we would wave our hands to our parents, and when we would return in the sky, we would go back to the chips. The memory was so treasured and dearest to me that I even got a Ferris Wheel tattoo after Sarah.

After Sarah, I never took a Ferris Wheel ride. After Sarah, nothing was the same as before.

We were happy until we weren't. We were a family until we weren't. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I immediately wiped them away before they escaped the limit of my eyes. It took me so many years to finally feel a little less pain of Sarah's loss. I couldn't look back now, I couldn't succumb myself to the pain anymore. Life must go on. But no matter how hard I try, I couldn't get rid of the pang of emotion I feel in my chest whenever I think about my little, shining, and beaming Sarah.

I sighed loudly and checked the time, 7:20 pm. The train must have left by now. Also, I did not want to go back to the apartment early today. I wanted to roam

around the city. Suddenly realizing that I had been standing in one place for the last 20 minutes, I forced my legs to move forward.

I have been wandering around London city for half an hour now. When I reached the Elizabeth Tower, I stopped and started staring at it. No matter how many times I see it but I was still stuck frozen by its giant building and its ravishing beauty. Standing across the River Thames, I could see a vast building of parliament stretched over 3. 24 acres. At the north, was a huge tower originally known as Clock Tower, but in 2012 it was renamed to Elizabeth Tower in the honor of Queen's 60th birthday.

The tower was the tallest one I had ever seen, with a height of 96m tall. One needs to climb 334 steps to reach the top of the tower. As a kid, I used to think that the tip of the tower touched the sky. I had always wanted to climb to the top and witness the picturesque view of the city from up above. But unfortunately, Tower was closed for renovation with no public tours in 2017, the clock had been silent since then. Its reopening was expected to be in 2022. I'll make sure to visit it then. Till then, I was okay to stare at it from the distance, taking in its beauty and delicate details. I checked my phone and realized that I had to move rapidly if I did not want to miss the next train.

That day, I reached home at almost 9:00 pm. I drank a glass of water and went into my room. After connecting my phone to the charger, I took my PJs from the closet and went to take a hot and long shower to relax all the taut muscles in my body. After being refreshed I took care of my growling stomach by feeding it the leftover pizza from last night. Sia was not home yet or maybe she was in her room. I did not check up on her in case she was working, which she usually did at night. Sia was a graphic designer and web developer who had earned her name and fame in the freelancing world through her talent, skills, and hard work. She worked from home, getting contracts and delivering them on time, and made a lot of money out of it. I never understood why she still chose to stay in this tiny apartment with me. If she couldn't afford some villa then she surely could afford an elegant apartment. But come to think of it, although our apartment was small it never felt cramped. Moreover Sia was not the one to be fascinated by large expensive apartments; she would rather live in a smaller one with cozy feelings like home.

I went back to my room, flopped down on the bed, draped sheets over me and drifted off to sleep.