Her end or the beginning (2)

Her name was Ayana.

A name with different denotations. If her name was searched on the internet, numerous definitions would come up below the search box. However, all of them pointed down to one meaning.

Beautiful.

Her name also meant a beautiful flower and flowers were naturally beautiful. So her name implied the word beautiful.

Her surname was Kingston. A name known and quite famed in the business world of the entire country and on the world's ranking of leading corporations and companies.

Her parents were known and leading figures. At the same time, they were work alcoholics yet tried to be good parents to herself and her little brother. Though their attention was mostly focused on her little brother.

It was understandable, since he was an infant in need of tender care. However, there was a different reason that not only their attention, but the attention of others, was fixated on him.

A reason for that was his gender had indirectly made their decision to have him as the heir to the family business.

In the ancient times, the society was very patriarchal. Men were ones who could make money for the family and also work for the government. They were more educated, unlike the women who only had the duty of carrying on the family's lineage and managing the household.

That deep-rooted culture still existed in many families of the modern times, particularly wealthy families who had bloodline connections with families in the ancient times.

It was somehow the same for herself. Though her parents still showed her care, it was expected that she would be married to another wealthy family, particularly the Kratos family.

A family that rivaled hers in the business world. It was a verbal agreement between the two families, not known to the business circle in the country unless it would have caused an uproar.

The Kingston and Kratos families had billionaires' corporations with their branches established in the entire country of the United States. Each corporation had their branches stretched out in many fields, like the food industry, the entertainment industry, real estate investments and many others. Their roots were gradually spreading globally little by little.

It was a good verbal agreement for both families, since both sides would certainly benefit from each other.

As a child, Ayana had never been satisfied that her parents paid more attention to her little brother. It wasn't that they had been more biased toward him and made her life miserable. No….It was just before his birth, her parents had paid their utmost attention to her.

A typical spoiled brat's jealousy was what she would have described her younger self.

Many had also paid attention to her because she was her parents' only child and likely to be their heiress to the Kingston Corporation. They had flattered her and always tried to be on her good side.

Even if her parents were busy most of the times, it didn't matter as long as they had tried to make time for her. But all that ended after her little brother was born.

It was as if her parents had gradually forgotten about her existence. She understood that he was an infant in need of the most attention from her parents, but…she was uncomfortable with him being around her, in a space and family that only belonged to her and her alone.

The words from the servants and mates from her school also didn't help and worsened her thoughts about her little brother. Just because of his gender, many had assumed that he would likely be the heir to her family's business, and not her.

Instantly, their words and flattering attitudes had changed, different from when she had been the only child.

As if that was not enough, her parents had suddenly died in a car accident. Her brother was a year old and made the heir according to their will. She, on the other hand, was involved in a verbal engagement with another.

At that time, she thought, 'so their words were true.'

Her brother was not at the age to take over the kingston corporation, so she had been decided to choose a guardian to help them from any of her relatives. Her mother didn't really have much relatives so her father's side of the family was the best option.

At that age, she was young and so naïve, not thinking so deeply about the choice of her guardian. Her only thought was for someone to give her the attention and love that her brother had stolen from her.

In her eyes, her uncle was the most suitable person to be her guardian, since she was quite close to him and his family.

Just because of her inferiority complex and childish thoughts, she had chosen someone planning the downfall of herself and her little brother.

Little by little, through sweet but manipulative words, her uncle and his family had their claws controlling her throughout life, including her inner thoughts.

The beginning of this was when she met him.

A boy, three years older than her age, had saved her like her knight and shining armor from a fairytale.

Just for her, he had entered the hospital, and his actions had touched her young maiden heart quite deeply.

That was how their relationship had begun, and unknowingly, she had given her heart to him. It was at that moment that her relatives' scheme had begun. Under their false advice and encouragements, she had thrown away her pride and arrogance, just to chase after this man.

A man that was obviously not worthy of her name. It was only through the filter of a knight and shining armor that she had felt he was worthy of her.

Through that filter, he had started to whisper words of love to her, only if she did something in return for that love.

Breaking the engagement with her fiancé, she had done that for him.

Putting her little brother in a boarding school, she had done that as well for him.

Buying unnecessary and expensive for him, she had also done that for his birthdays and days she considered special like the day they had met.

She had even gone far to sell her shares of the Kingston corporation to her uncle under his sweet words.

All these, she had done only for him to reciprocate her love and feelings for him.

However…what had been her gain?

The sweet love and marriage she had imagined with him? The faces of their future children? The happy moments of their family together? Did any of that come true? Of course not.

What she had only gained from him was nothing but his deep betrayal!

*****

"…iss."

''…Miss…''

Who was that?

''Young Miss.''

Wasn't she dead? Why would she be hearing her former title as the only daughter of the powerful Kingston family?

"Young miss."

Wait….

That voice…wasn't that her Nanny? A warm and sincere, yet croaky voice because of aging….there was no way she wouldn't recognize her Nanny's voice.

Had Axel done something? Was that why she was hearing her nanny's voice, or was this a figment of her imagination? Was she recalling her good memories that mostly included her Nanny?

No…she was dead right now. The dead could never dream or do anything like the living.

Amid the deep yet bottomless void of death, Ayana really felt like crying because of the ending that her Nanny had before her death. Her uncle was really a ruthless person who wanted everything concerning her under his control, including the people around her.

''Young Miss, please wake up. You need to get up right now, young miss!''

'Wait…these words…' Ayana felt something odd about that voice, especially the words uttered. If she was correct, weren't those words the same words her Nanny had said to her after receiving the news of her parents' death?

"Young miss, you need to wake up. Something terrible has happened.''

So she was correct….

As if to solidify her guess, her shoulder felt pushed down and warm. That only meant someone was touching her.

'If I am feeling this….My eyes…' Ayana slowly did as if she wanted to pry open her eyes, not expecting herself to even have control over them since she was apparently dead. Her first line of sight was the familiar pink ceiling of her room in her home.

''Young Miss...'' The Nanny on her side sighed in relief and then stretched her lips to a smile. Yet one could feel the sadness behind them, including her teary eyes that had pity for her. ''You are finally awake.''

Hearing that croaky voice, Ayana turned her head on the pillow to the side where her Nanny knelt on the bare floor. Her eyes took in everything of the middle-aged woman. The wrinkles on her face….her warm smile….her aging eyes filled with tender love….

Unable to keep her feelings locked inside her heart, tears suddenly began to roll down her cheeks.

"Nanny." Her voice became hoarse with sobs.

She came back to life….didn't she?