First Meeting

Present:

She buried the pain inside herself.

And she has set out on a new journey to find her inner peace.

A new beginning.

Let's see where destiny takes her.

*

Location: Milan, Italy

At Knight Mansion:

The Knight Mansion is home to two families, totaling eight people, who share this home.

First, there's Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Knight, along with their children. They have a son named Xavier Knight and a daughter named Bella Knight.

Then, there's Mr. and Mrs. Ace Knight, who is Aaron Knight's brother. They live here with their two daughters, Lara Knight and Laura Knight.

At the mansion:

Mr. Aaron called for everyone's attention.

"Xavier," he said to his son, "my friend's daughter is arriving from Germany today. You need to pick her up from the airport."

Xavier, who was busy with his work on the laptop, replied, "Dad, I have a lot of work in the office. Can't you send the driver?"

Mr. Aaron said firmly, "No excuses. I told my friend that my son would pick up his daughter. You are going, and that's final."

Xavier, trying to control his frustration, reluctantly agreed, "Fine."

His father added, "Pick her up at the airport at two o'clock."

__

ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT:

Xavier clenched the steering wheel with frustration as he made his way to the airport. "Am I a driver to pick her up?" he muttered to himself, irritation evident in his voice. "She's coming here alone and can't come home by herself. What a foolish girl," he thought with anger-filled eyes, his annoyance growing with every passing mile.

At the Airport:

Reina, standing at the arrival area, looked around "Why hasn't anyone come to pick me up yet?" she wondered, her patience wearing thin.

Meanwhile, Xavier received a message from his dad instructing him to call Reina after reaching the airport. "Her number is ************," he checked the message.

Xavier, already irritated, replied, "Dad, what's her name?"

His dad responded, "Reina Romano."

Xavier grunted in annoyance as he dialed Reina's number. "Ms. Romano, is that you? Where are you?" he snapped, frustration evident in his tone. "I'm waiting at the front of the parking area. Please hurry; I've wasted so much time waiting for you."

Reina, just picking up the call, was met with an unknown man's voice. "Grr! What's with this ridiculous behavior?" she muttered to herself. "What a rude man. He didn't even let me speak a single word."

With those thoughts, she headed towards the parking area.

Approaching Xavier, she asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Aaron's son?"

She asked the only guy standing in the parking lot. He wore a black business suit and had a tall, handsome figure with piercing dark blue eyes and an angry expression on his face.

Xavier, looking at her from head to toe, asked, "Ms. Romano, right?"

Reina replied, "Yes, I am Reina Romano. Hello, Mr...." She looked at him, waiting for him to complete his introduction.

Xavier dismissed the idea of sharing his name, saying, "I don't think you need to know my name. Can you get in the car now? I am already very late."

His response stirred a mix of anger and amusement in Reina.

"Is he on periods? A grown man-child," she mumbled to herself, not realizing that, after a long time, a genuine smile had lit up her face

Reina found it amusing to see him throwing tantrums, she thought. "He was like a grumpy dragon spitting out fire every time he opened his mouth,"

Xavier, eyes narrowed at the tall girl who seemed lost in her world, let out a growl. "Done daydreaming? Get in the car please!"

Reina, choosing to ignore him, slid into the passenger seat and shut her eyes. A long road lay ahead, with this rough-around-the-edges companion.

After an hour of driving, still on the road, Reina finally decided to break the silence.

"Excuse me, Mr.? Do you have anything to eat? I didn't get to eat on the flight, and now I'm feeling hungry. Or just buy me a water bottle? I'll eat after reaching Uncle Aaron's house," she said, attempting to keep him from getting angry.

Xavier remained silent and continued driving. With no response from him, she closed her eyes quietly, not in the mood to argue or get angry.

But to her surprise, after ten minutes, the car stopped at a store. Opening her eyes, she found that Xavier had already left.

A few minutes later, he returned with a bag and handed it over to her. The paper bag contained a water bottle and a sandwich. She looked at his serious face and then opened the water bottle, drinking the whole thing.

"Ahh, I feel alive now. Why is it so humid here? Is Milan usually very hot?" she asked while unwrapping the sandwich.

"Yes, the weather is very hot and humid in June, July, and August," Xavier replied.

"How can I live here? I don't like summer," Reina murmured to herself.

"Should I drop you back at the airport if you're that fragile?" Xavier retorted sarcastically.

Ignoring his sarcastic remark, she said, "The sandwich is delicious, thank you."