Chapter 7

" My mum gave me just five minutes to come over, so I don't have much time," Braxton started as he pulled her to sit with him. His mum had squarely discussed the matter with him and made him realize that the chances of him having Pandora at this young stage were very slim and the best thing he could do was to let her go.

" I know I should've done this earlier, but due to how things moved so fast, I didn't get a chance to finally say goodbye." He knew that the longer she was around him the more likely his father's rivals would catch up with them through her. Maybe one day fate would bring them back together but for now, they had to part ways even though it pricked his soul deeply.

" Goodbye? I thought you had come to stay..." Pandora said, her blue eyes filling up. She had imagined this moment differently. In her mind, they would come together for a tender kiss and he would then promise to stand up for their relationship no matter the cost. Instead, here he was ending a joyride that was just beginning.

" Pandora, believe me when I say I love you. My family's just going through a violent phase right now and I don't want you to be involved in it," he said with a note of finality. In as much as he tried to conceal how downhearted he was, the trickle of tears that streamed down his left cheek gave him away. The only conviction he had was that he was making sure she was safe even though she couldn't see it.

" The fashion show is coming up next week and there is a new hot boy in class by the name of Ethan. He is making advances at me but I sternly warned him that I already had you. Now it seems that is no longer the case. I loved you, you know. But it's okay, I will move on," she said, dabbing her tears with a handkerchief. She left him without another word and ran to her father who was watching in bewilderment.

It seemed to Braxton that Pandora's life was running smoother than he thought. Since his departure, he had, however, never experienced joy. He wore this chilly and reserved visage as he acclimatized to the Los Angeles lifestyle–where they moved to. The lush, inviting, storied landscape of Beverly Hills, to be precise.

He tried the different foods he could lay his little hands on, got the opportunity to meet a few top-notch actors but none of these things brought him that thrill he truly desired. Even school, nowadays to him was stressful all because one piece was missing–Pandora.

Even though he was crushed and hurt by the outcome of their last meeting, he had to suck it all up and slid a lid over. He wasn't meant to let emotional sentiments cloud his sense of responsibility, after all, he still had the family business to take over. One thing was for sure though–he wasn't gonna ever feel the same for any other girl.