Prologue

Prologue

"The Cinderella I never knew existed in this world. A Cinderella with dangerous looks, rich patrimony and loving hidden nature", an old man quoted in the air while looking at an illustration dangling on the wall, oscillating as the wind through the window blew.

His gaze towards the painting looked pure and innocent while his old wrinkles remarked he was quite old to stare for a long while. He closed his eyes, and started playing the guitar, clinging to his body firmly.

"Is she the one?"A caregiver with pale skin but flawless looks questioned him while opening up the drawers, bending low on her knees.

"Huh?!" The old man looked down at the caregiver with a question of reassurance for what she asked.

"Hmm... she is beautiful'', She stood up with some medications in her hand. Examining the portrait, she turned behind and smiled at the old man. "Anyone can be this beautiful", he said with a curved brow and faint smile. He placed the guitar contrary to the adjacent wall and crossed his arms staring at the portrait.

"In this world everyone is born beautiful" he quoted in the air, smiling at the portrait. His smile seemed genuine this time. "You two are like night and day. One with optimistic thoughts other with thriller pessimistic thoughts" She scoffed.

"Now Mr. Brennan-"

"Did you just make fun of her too?" His arms were still crossed and instead of looking at her or either at the portrait, he closed his eyes, engrossing himself in thoughts.

"No sir I didn't mean it that way-" she tried to give an explanation but was interrupted by a loud roar.

"Hey!" An old woman yelled from the entrance of the room. She walked with quick steps even with her trembling feet.

"Are you messing around with my husband?" The old woman shouted at the caregiver with furrowed brows, sunken nose and loud and deep annoying voice. She grasped her head and maintaining a smooth grip on her head, she pulled her hairs.

"Ouch.. sorry, sorry... Mrs. Brennan" the caregiver shuttered. "You misunderstood me. Why... would I flirt with an old man who... is twi.. twice my age?"

"How would I know that?" Mrs. Brennan still had the same pull on her hair.

"Stop, stop Eva..." the old man rushed towards her with a tense look while maintaining his calm aura.

"Aiden, you can clearly see how she was smiling at you!" Eva protests herself, whining about the caregiver.

***

She left the caregiver and let out a deep sigh.

"Breathe in, breathe out" Aiden calmed Eva by patting her back. He took both of her and placed them on her eyes. She felt warmth within his hands and this gesture let her calm down.

***

"She still acts that way? Isn't she crazy?" One of the caregivers gestured with a surprised look. "Yeah, Adeline, indeed she is crazy-" The caregiver with short hair, who suffered the pull on her hair said while placing her palm on her forehead.

"She is old and tired of her life. Coming here should suppress her temper" both of the caregivers hear someone enter their conversation by bending low towards their shoulders as they were standing adjacent to each other.

"Ahh.. Miss Brielle-"

"We were just talking about the most recent incidents" both of them concealed themselves with excuses.

"Their daughter came in, go look after her" their head caregiver, Brielle Micheal said without any expression. She walked towards the counter with a smile on her face while turning her back on them.

"I think we will always remain this low as long as she keeps an eye on us," Adeline said, patting the other caregiver's shoulder and faking a smile, she walked towards the counter lady.

"Ahh... first that old man, then that lady and now Miss Brielle, everybody wants to eat me alive... ahh..", she muttered to herself smacking her head with her hands.

***

"Can I talk to Miss Aerin?" a lady with an average height above five feet, short brown hairs and gray eyes asked Adeline.

"Huh?! Ae-rin?" Adeline asked for reassurance.

"Yes, Aerin, the one who is taking care of my parents." The lady cleared her thoughts.

"You are..." Adeline started clicking the pen, fidgeting it with the table, repeatedly, while trying to recognise the lady. "Lyndon... are you Miss Lyndon Brennan?" Adeline questioned her with an astounded look.

"Yes, I am Lyndon," She smiled.

"But now I'll not remain Lyndon Brennan", she said with a slight blush on her face.

A handsome man, about six feet tall, short styled hairs and with a street styled outfit, entered the caretaking center with a gentle smile. Adeline was caught off-guard with a tip-toed attractive man entering their ward. She quickly turned the way around and started fixing her messy look, with the compact handy-makeup.

"Oh, Miss Lyndon and Mr. Kayden" Aerin entered the center's counter.

"Aerin..." Lyndon walked with slow and steady steps towards Aerin, followed by Kayden.

"Are you happy to see me again?" Kayden asked while running his fingers through his hairs, with a gentle smile.

***

Lyndon and Aerin sat on a bench in the park that was grounded at the center of the hospital. Kayden walked towards them with three cans of different flavored milkshakes.

"You still remember that I like Pina Colada'' Aerin grabbed the Pina Colada, a popular pineapple milkshake, out of the strawberry and raspberry shake.

"Of Course I do" Kayden opened the can for Lyndon and passed it to her.

"Thank you" Aerin stated, looking at both of them.

"I know you were tired looking at my parents, I wouldn't have left them here. Until now it was a mistake but I want to make up for the mistake I made." Lyndon took a sip of her shake, while Kayden was looking at her standing contrary to them.

"So... you are going to take them back?" Aerin asked. "Yes, that's the reason we came back here" Kayden buzzed without an instance.

"Their love for each other made me insane" Aerin stood up. "You really got great parents though, even if they feel insanely in love, they are well aware of everything near them, which sometimes makes me feel intimidated, as they feel too intelligent for me."

"Indeed they are, but they loved me their whole life and sacrificed what they had, they raised me and I ended up loving them here." Kayden rubbed Lyndon's back. "It's fine."

***

"I still don't know what they meant by additional sleep, I need eight hours of sleep according to an average human being." Eva figured while stirring the medicines in the glass of water in hand.

"Even though you are a human being, you grew old now. And if they are suggestions from our doctors and caregivers, you should definitely follow it." Aiden explicated while lying on the bed alongside Eva.

"Mom... Dad..." Lyndon watched them both through the entrance of the door. "Miss Brennan and Mr. Brennan, your daughter came to take you!" Aerin had a proud snigger on her face. She entered the room and stood beside their bed.

"Hello uncle Aiden and auntie Evelyn!" Kayden greeted both of them entering the room and stood beside Aerin.

"Lynn..." Aiden raised up from the bed with astonishment and rushed towards Lyndon.

Evelyn stood there, unconcerned for her daughter. She continued to stir the water.

Aiden's steps towards her daughter were firm but quick. He went all the way to her. She had a charismatic innocent smile with contented eyes filled with honesty.

"Lynn-" Aiden paused and caressed her cheeks with his old, wrinkled palm.

Time seemed not to pass for this moment. An old father caressing the hands of her young daughter with his bare hands.

Smack! Aiden slapped her daughter with all his might, his brows were raised upward, his face uplifted and anger was prevailing on his innocent face. "Do you not know how much your mother suffered to raise you? She didn't know what love was but once she falls, she cares for that one, wholeheartedly!" Aiden's brows calmed a bit on the last statement.

"Aiden" Evelyn stopped stirring the water. She placed the glass of water on the table and hurried towards Aiden and Lyndon.

"I think we should leave"

"Yes, it's better to leave right now, it's a family matter."

"Wait, aren't you included in this family now?"

"Nope. Not yet." Aerin and Kayden whispered to each other while shifting towards the door in a hush hush manner.

"Why did you come here so late?" Aiden's face still seemed furious.

Little pushy droplets were dripping down Lyndon's eyes but a smile was persistent. She seemed happy to see her father furious? "Yes, I am late. Yes, I am very late." She said happily.

"Father, I am so happy! you can express your emotions and mother can control herself with her expressions, emotions and actions." Lyndon exclaimed with happiness.

***

"What if time could be rewinded again?" Lyndon said while hugging her parents. "Time cannot be rewinded but felt through years and memories we made together." Aiden expressed. "You two are being too emotional." Evelyn whined.

"What a lovely family?" Kayden figured them out while crossing his arms and bending low towards Aerin to talk. "Go join them-" Aerin was interrupted by a huge annoying voice suggesting with a calm tone. "Come join us!" Evelyn said.

All of them hugged but someone was being spied through someone out of them.

***

"Do you remember anything about us?" Aiden asked lyndon. All of them were sitting crossing their legs and staring at each other. "Not particularly after the incident." Lyndon answered. "It's okay, there was nothing to remember about us." Evelyn commented.

"Nothing?" Aiden glared at Evelyn.

***

"It's an unforgettable story of a Cinderella and her mere prince who wasn't a prince was actual." A storyteller told the children who were staring at him with widely opened

eyes.

"Let's begin" the storyteller held his head up facing the children sitting on the carpet furnished with the floor.