The Beginning

"Aleena", an old man called out, trying to get up from his bed.

"Dad, are you ok?", a young lady comes rushing and helps her father to sit against the wall.

"Do you need something, dad?", she asked.

The old man replied that he just saw a bad dream and wanted to wake up otherwise he would have continued watching the horrific dream.

Aleena asked what the dream was about to which the man replied that it was about her. He saw that she was falling into a well that was filled with water as black as the darkness of the night. "Please be careful of what you do in your life", Aleena's father advised her.

"I will be, dad", Aleena said.

Before Aleena could say more, her mother came in the room and interrupted saying, "What else could she do wrong? There's nothing to even lose now".

Aleena's eyes filled up and she went out of the room, making an excuse to collect clothes drying outside as it started to rain.

"Forgive her.....she is still very young to understand the world around her", Aleena's father said to her mother.

"I can't. She's the reason we are suffering in this little house", Aleena's mother said as she adjusted the bed for her sick husband.

Outside, as Aleena picked up the clothes, she was soaked in the rain. She looks up in the cloudy sky with her eyes closed as she remembers the mistakes of her past. The tear drops roll down her cheeks from her eyes and merge with the raindrops, letting nobody see the wounds she was suffering from.

"Get ready quickly! You are getting late for the library", Aleena's mother shouted from the kitchen as she watched Aleena get wet in the rain.

Aleena quickly gets ready in her, black tank top and skinny blue jeans with a black leather jacket on top. She rushes to the door and was about to leave but her mother stops her, asking her to have the hot soup that she has cooked for her. Aleena's steps slow down and she walks into the kitchen to have the soup and watches her mother do the dishes.

"Thanks, mom", she says.

"You are getting late", her mother replied without bothering to look at her .

Aleena reached the library which was in the centre of the city. There she met her best friends, Ryle and Luna. They were childhood friends and have seen all the ups and downs of each other's life together. They often visited the library to meet Aleena.

"There's a new restaurant in the area, girls! Let's try that out."

"No Ryle. I got works to do", Aleena said.

" And I am planning to save", Luna said.

"Fine we aren't going", Ryle said, looking disappointed.

While, Aleena was trying hard to meet ends, Argus was enjoying his king treatment in his mansion. 

"Sir, what would you like for breakfast?", a young maid asked Argus.

"Huh, nothing", Argus replied in his sleepy voice, lying on his bed. He held his head between his hands.

"Shall I bring you something warm? You will feel better", the maid asked.

"I said nothing", he responded sternly.

"Ok sir", the maid said and exited the room.

The maid went to her mother who was also a servant in Argus' mansion.

Just in case you are wondering, there are over hundred servants in the house and Argus's feels like the house needs more. He isn't wrong though. His magnificent mansion needed people to maintain it after all.

"Where were you ? Have your breakfast quickly. I won't repeat my words", the maid's mother said as soon as she saw Sofia at the kitchen door. But the maid didn't do so. "Sofia!", Sofia's mother called out loud.

"Mom, why doesn't he like me?", Sofia, the maid, cried.

"Not again, Sofia. Do you think this is a fairy-tale where the prince falls for a poor girl? It's not so. I told you to leave this work and only focus on your studies but you won't listen a single word, will you?", Sofia's mother scolded her.

"But mom", Sofia said but her mom was in no mood to listen to her.

"Not a single word! I am going to the kitchen. You better be studying when I come back", Sofia's mother commanded and went out.

 Meanwhile, Sofia's crush, Argus, the billionaire, was scheduling a meeting on a call. 

"The Downtown Club? Alright, I'll see you two there at eight", Argus said on a call.

The newly opened, Downtown Club was decorated with pink and blue lights in the centre where people grooved to music and it was bordered by V I P lounges on the two sides and a bar on the other side. Argus sat on a sofa in the V I P lounge along with two other people, Mr. Jones and Miss Rodriguez.

Mr. Jones was tall man, probably in his 50s or 60s with grey hair covering his head and an obese body. His shirts button seemed like it will fall off anytime becuase of his big stomach. His face was almost entirely covered with beard and mustache and he had golden framed glasses on. Miss Jones was comparatively fitter and her mid - length red hair complemented her dark green suit and red lipstick she was wearing. Her glasses were shaped a liitle pointed at the upper corners that suited her well.

"We are sorry to hear about your loss, Mr. Wilson and thank you so much for being with us", Mr. Jones said.

"We weren't expecting you to schedule a meeting so quick", Miss Rodriguez said.

"That's fine. I am always happy to work and there's no excuse big enough to not work", Argus replied.

Mr. Jones ordered some drinks and they discussed about getting an estate at Chicago as Mr. Jones and Miss Rodriguez wanted their head office there. They were the board members of the International Board of Education and planned on building a branch in the US like they did across many countries. The deal was made and price of the land was negotiated. As they discussed few things out of the business, a young beautiful lady served them the drinks that Jones had ordered.

Mr. Jones noticed her and asked Argus, "She was pretty sexy, wasn't she?".

"Yeah, maybe. I didn't notice much", Argus said as he took a sip of his drink, without paying any attention to the waitress.

"Why not try talking to her?", Miss Jones suggested Argus while smiling mischievously.

"And?", Argus asked, being genuinely confused about Mr. Jones idea.

"Just see if you can get such a pretty lady."

"Seriously....is that even a challenge? Why anyone won't want to have me, someone who is a billionaire, young and handsome?", Argus praised himself.

"Girls aren't that simple", Miss Rodriguez interrupted the two men.

"We only know when he tries", Mr. Jones said looking at Argus.

Argus gets up and goes near the lady and stands behind her, fully covering her with his broad and tall self. The girl, holding a tray of bottles, realizes that someone was behind her and turns back only to be startled.

"uh!", Aleena uttered. The tray in her tilted a little and was about to fall due to the sudden movement. 

"Got you miss", Argus said putting his hand below the girl's hand to balance the tray.

This time Argus notices the lady and yeah, she was indeed pretty. Her dark black hair with dark brown doe eyes, made Argus look at only her for few seconds without a word.

"How may I help you, sir?", the lady asked.

"By being mine for a night", Argus replied without much attention to his words.

"I am not interested", the lady said and held the tray tighter, clenching her teeth. "You may find any other lady", she said and went on to serve others.

Argus was shocked and disappointed on the lady's response, because he was never been turned down by anyone and out of nowhere a waitress rejected him. He stood for few seconds there watching the lady go and then he came back to his place where Mr. Jones and Miss Rodriguez was waiting for him. He sat there and took his glass filled with wine and kept staring it. Looking at Argus' face, it was quite clear that he didn't succeed , but who looked more disappointed? Mister Jones and Miss Rodriguez.

Taking a sip of the wine, Mr. Jones said, "Guess Miss Rodriguez was right".

"Never mind, there are plenty of fishes in the sea", Miss Rodriguez said.

"But not all taste the same, right?", Argus said lifting his eyelids to see that waitress again. He smirked and murmured to himself, "Interesting".

The deal was done and Argus had to return back so he left the club after a final handshake, promising to meet soon for the final paperworks. Miss Rodriguez and Mr. Jones stayed as they wanted to enjoy the club. "Missed an opportunity", Jones said.

"Totally", Miss Rodriguez added.

The club was closed and everyone went to their respective places.

Aleena reached home and went straight to her bed as she was tired after all day and night of work. Next day, she woke up and went to her dad's room as part of daily schedule. She fed him his breakfast and narrated him the incident how a rich man tried hitting her but she dodged him. "Do you think I did the right thing, dad?", she asked him.

"Yes, princess. You did", her dad replied with a warm smile.

"I don't think so", Aleena said. She diverted the topic by bringing up other topics and telling him about the library and the books that she sees daily.

She, as usual, got ready and left for the library where she worked as a library assistant. That's what she does the whole day but that wasn't enough to pay her father's medical bills and sustain her family and herself. The situation pushed her to work more and so she is a waitress at The Downtown Club where she works after the library from six to ten. She reached the library and was cleaning the table as the club was about to open but, her eyes seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Hey! Your eyes are searching for someone", a colleague teased her.

"Are you looking for that handsome hunk?", another one teased her.

"No, no. I am not", Aleena replied but her flustered face made it look otherwise.

One of her female colleagues said that she was so lucky to be hit by the billionaire, Argus.

"Didn't you find him handsome?", the girl asked her.

Aleena replied, "No".

"That made me sad".

The unexpected response made Aleena and the others look towards the speaker. It was none other than, Argus Wilson in his black formal suit and black neck tie with red stripes on it. He stood right in front of Aleena making direct eye contact with her.

"You, again?", Aleena questioned.

"Yes, just like you wanted, miss", Argus replied.

Aleena was furious and said that she never wanted to meet him.

"I wasn't talking about you", Argus said and looked around. He asked with a smirk , "Am I not worth being looked thousand times?"

"A million times, Mr. Wilson!", the girl said clenching on her skirt.

Argus turned to Aleena and said in a very serious tone. Aleena raised an eyebrow and looked back with the same seriousness. He walked towards her, making her a bit nervous but she didn't make any movement. Everyone had their eyes glued on them. Argus walked till he was a step back from touching Aleena.

"What do you want?", Aleena asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"I, want you, to be my wife", Argus said with soft yet firm voice.

"Is that some kind of a high class joke?", Aleena questioned clenching the cleaning cloth she holding.

Of course, everyone was in disbelief after what they heard. Whisperings filled the club about how lucky Aleena was and what she did to get a marriage proposal from a billionaire. "Silence!", Argus ordered and there was complete silence.

Aleena, unable to comprehend the situation, just stood still. She was in search of words to respond with.

"Yes or yes, miss?", Argus asked, smirking.

"It's a no, Mister!", Aleena replied looking straight into his eyes.

Without any words, Argus walked a step closer and lifted her by legs over his shoulder.

"Put me down! Right now!", Aleena ordered him but he wasn't someone who would listen.

Everyone kept watching what was happening but no one stood against Argus. They knew who he was. He was strong, not only by wealth and power, but also physically. The guard at the entrance felt inferior looking at Argus' broad and tall body.