The Queen's heart.

"Fill me up!"

Erina said to Hidelio, putting the empty glass on the bar counter.

Hidelio who was cleaning glasses with a dishcloth gave Erina an annoyed look.

"We are out of your favourite drink." Hidelio said to Erina.

Hearing Hidelio, Erina had a blank look on her face.

She could see a bottle of her favourite drink behind Hidelio on the wall shelf.

"There's one right behind you!" Erina said to Hidelio.

"That's rum." He lied with a straight face looking at Erina's eyes.

Erina rolled her eyes.

"Just give me something else. I'm in a bad mood, Leo. Let me drink for today, please!" Erina pleaded to him.

Sighing, Hidelio asked Erina.

"Light or heavy?"

"Bit of both?"

Rolling his eyes, Hidelio picked up the glass from the bar counter.

"Light it is!" He said, shaking his head.

Walking towards the shelf, he took a bottle of alcohol from it.

Pouring the drink on the glass, he slid the glass across the counter to Erina.

Erina taking the glass, drank the alcohol in one go before putting it back on the table.

"How many drinks you had?"

Someone said from her back.

Turning to her side, Erina recognised the person who took a seat beside her.

"Sir!"

Erina was surprised seeing Aaron and was about to address him when Aaron motioned her to not get up.

"Stop, you don't have to address me." Aaron said to Erina before turning to Hidelio.

"Grape juice with a couple of orange ice cubes." Aaron said to Hidelio.

Hidelio nodded to Aaron before turning around to make the drink.

Aaron then turned back to Erina.

"I see, so you broke things up with Aurora, huh?" Aaron said to her, noticing her messy state.

Hearing Aaron, Erina widened her eyes in shock!

"You knew?" She asked.

Snorting, Aaron replied to Erina. "Of course I knew! She's my sister after all."

Erina nodded.

Aurora is Aaron's twin brother, she assumed Aurora might have told him or he must have found out about their relationship on his own.

"I-I didn't want to..." Erina muttered in a soft voice looking away from Aaron.

Seeing the despondent look on Erina's face, Aaron spoke up.

"Before I listen to your story, as a friend. I want to say some things to you, as your boss first!"

Hearing Aaron, Erina looked at her boss.

"You were supposed to handle the Jordan brothers today, but you're here drinking your life away instead. You shouldn't have made promises that you can't keep, Ms Bauer! I will let this one slide because it's your first offence but I won't let it go the second time. Empty promises are something I despise a lot, so don't forget to keep your promises!" Aaron said to Erina, focusing a bit of his intent on her.

Erina felt a sudden chill crawl up her spine.

She gazed into Aaron's eyes, those eyes didn't have any hint of emotions in them.

Erina felt fear that she never experienced in her life before.

She gulped her non-existent saliva before replying to Aaron.

"Yes, sir!"

Aaron nodded hearing Erina, before changing the topic.

"So tell me your story, Erina. What happened that you're drinking your self to death today?" Aaron asked.

Erina hesitated at first.

But she quickly decided on telling Aaron everything about her relationship with Aurora.

Half an hour later, Erina finished telling Aaron everything.

"Whoa! That was messed up pretty bad." Aaron shook his head feeling pity for Erina.

He then turned to, Hidelio.

"Give me something light, I need to dampen my emotional state!"

Hidelio nodded and quickly poured a drink for Aaron.

Aaron went into deep thought after listening to Erina.

He knew about Aurora's condition but how much severe it has become he didn't know that.

After learning everything from Erina, Aaron finally understood how messed up Aurora's heart has become.

Aaron is now deeply concerned about Aurora's emotional state.

Coming out of his thoughts, Aaron took the glass of alcohol in his hand before speaking up.

"Listen, Erina. My sister is a perfectionist, a visionary. She is competitive and a high achiever, who believes that winning is everything that matters and failure isn't an option to consider. She's strong, steadfast and confident!"

Hearing Aaron bragging about Aurora, Erina was confused.

Aaron turned to Erina.

"If you are thinking about why I'm suddenly started to brag about my sister? You see, she is the kind of person I can't help but brag about."

Taking a sip of the drink, Aaron continued.

"She is the strongest person I know and she is also the most vulnerable person I know!"

"Unlike me who embraces my vulnerable self and acknowledges my weak self. Aurora is the complete opposite of me, who denies her vulnerable self and subconsciously avoids/ignores her weak self."

"Aurora has been through a lot. She has built many walls around her heart, some she is aware of and some she isn't. She uses tools of self-deception to make reasonable and explanatory excuses in a reasonable sense to avoid feelings of love. She sees her emotions as something negative or unnecessary and internalised them to an extent, that she has become unaware of her own feelings."

"My sister is complicated! She is not open to love because she is still not over her exes. And this is just only one of many reasons. Aurora rarely realises the pain and confusion caused to people like you, she subconsciously avoids to understand or empathise with people like you. The meaningless hookups... She is more interested in the act of sex than sexual intimacy, which makes people like you feel like an object rather than a partner. Overall, she is toxic and her heart is closed off. It's not easy to break the walls around her heart. My advice to you is, forget about her and move on. If you still hung up on her like before, then what awaits you is nothing but pain and misery, Erina!" Aaron finished speaking.

Finishing his drink, Aaron put the glass on his hand on top of the bar counter.

"Sir, do you want me to fill you up?" Hidelio asked Aaron.

Aaron shook his head before replying.

"No, I'm done drinking."

Hidelio nodding took the glass and went to the corner of the bar counter.

Erina after listening to Aaron fell into deep thought.

Her understanding of Aurora deepened after hearing Aaron.

Her heart yearns for Aurora's love.

She knows that the task of making Aurora fall in love with her is something close to impossible.

But she is still hopeful that one day, she will be able to break down those barriers around Aurora's heart and reside in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, Erina decided on what she wants to do.

She turned to Aaron and spoke up.

"I'm a coward! The fear of rejection held me back from taking the risks. I love, Aurora! And I realized yesterday, that I can't live without her. So I have decided to pursue her and make her fall in love with me. I will break those walls around her heart and will make her fall in love once more! I don't care about-"

Aaron interrupted Erina mid-sentence.

"Stop! You are confessing your love towards my sister to me! I don't want to hear your love confession, tell that to my sister." Aaron said to Erina getting up from his seat.

"Just remember this, I will not meddle with my sister's love life. Pursuing her is an arduous task, her heart is closed off. It will be frustrating, painful and lonely. You will feel unseen, unheard, unappreciated, unwanted and unloved! But if you can open her heart, I will be forever grateful to you. So best of luck, that's all."

Aaron turning around and started walking towards the exit.

Erina stared at her boss with her mouth open, she was baffled by what Aaron has said to her.

She never would have imagined, her boss Aaron Blood would give his blessings to her just like that!

"Are you going to pay for the drinks or should I put it on Julian's tab?" Hidelio said startling Erina.

"You! You scared me." She said to Hidelio who was looking at Erina with bored lifeless eyes.

Telling Hidelio to put her expenses on Julian's tab, she started to talk about the Jordan brothers task with Hidelio.