CHAPTER 12

"My lady, she's waiting for you inside," the young man said, and she nodded.

She returned her gaze to her guards and told them to wait outside while she met the mysterious woman.

She entered and followed the lovely man inside. If she hadn't been married to a man she now cherished, she would have jumped him and made out with him. How would Mark react if he knew she was having these negative thoughts right now?

The man came to a halt in front of another door and gently opened it. "You may enter now," he said, and she responded with a smile.

She entered the unknown room, leaving the beautiful man outside. The door was shut the moment she walked in, and she was confronted with something even more shocking. What was the matter with these people? She had met two beautiful people in less than five minutes and felt as if she were in another dimension.

Aurelia had seen all of the idol movies, dramas, and series, but this young woman seated on the fluffy couch was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Her skin was flawless, she had golden irises, pink plump lips, and her long white hair was the most shocking thing of all. Was that a wig she was wearing?

The woman appeared to be younger than she was, implying that she was wearing a wig. Nowadays' kids were insane.

Aurelia continued to walk towards the younger woman and sat on the opposite couch.

"Can you tell me why you're playing mind games on me?" Aurelia asked angrily at the younger woman, who was giving her the same eerie vibes she had when she first walked into that cave.

When she looked at the younger woman, she noticed a smile on her face, as if she had just read her mind.

"Don't you think we have a lot to talk about, Lia?"

It was a little chilly because winter had just arrived. People were busy putting on warm clothes all over the place. It was the kind of time when people started bragging about their mink collection. Who cares if one sees the old and the new? If one was cold, one would do whatever it took to stay warm.

Someone was very excited on that particular day because it was a day he had been looking forward to for the previous week. Miguel was thrilled because he was going on a date with his stepmother.

He loved and admired Aurelia, and since she was young, she felt at ease being addressed by her given name, even though when there were other people around, he simply addressed her as "Mom."

She was everything to him. She didn't judge him; she gave him advice on every topic he brought up, but most importantly, she scolded and corrected him whenever he was wrong.

He really liked that about her; most people didn't dare to tell him when he was in the wrong because he was a young master of an influential family, but this woman actually beat the shit out of him when he went overboard one day.

Everyone didn't seem to like Aurelia at the time; she was dubbed the "evil stepmother," but he knew she meant well. She has been lighting up his life ever since. He put in extra effort just to get her attention.

When it came to rewards and punishments, she was astute and just.

When he grew up, she was the mother he never had. His mother died when he was two, and he had few memories of her; the only ones he had were stored in picture albums. His older half siblings had both parents, but he was stuck with a father who was only interested in his business and not in his family. When it came to fatherly love, they were all poor.

He was astounded to see how putty his father became after bringing back a wife who was younger than his older sister. Everyone was taken aback by that bizarre development, but they all knew that opposing him was the biggest mistake anyone could ever make.

He was young and rebellious at the time, so he thought he'd show the new addition to the family her place, but little did he know that he'd be the one to behave in the end.

Miguel was now staring at the beautiful woman as she exited the elevator. He could feel his heart pounding as he gazed at her. He'd looked up these strange symptoms he'd been experiencing for a while, and the results surprised him. There was no way he was going to be discovered.

Aurelia was dressed in a white gown; she resembled an angel, and the title aptly described her. Words couldn't express how he felt at the time, but the second his father Mark arrived and kissed the hell out of Aurelia like the man in love he was, his heart sank.

There was no way he could get used to this. The more he sees them acting like this, the more determined he becomes to leave this house as soon as he turns eighteen, if not sooner. His family instilled in their children the importance of living life to the fullest and overcoming adversity.

He needed to get out of here and deal with his feelings. He didn't want to lose the person he cared about because of a childish crush. He smiled at her as she approached him. When she came to a complete stop right in front of him, she gave him a warm hug and he felt at ease, but most importantly, he felt at home.

"You look dashing today, Guel. You're going to break a lot of hearts when you grow up," she said as she kissed his cheek, causing him to blush.

"Stop doing that to my boy, he is old enough for you to tease him like that," Mark said as he came to a stop by their side.

"He will always be my boy, no matter what," she told Mark, and Miguel was happy to hear that, "will you abandon your mom when you grow up, Guel?"

He shook his head and said, "I will never abandon you, no matter what."

"We're talking now. We're leaving right now, honey; I don't want to waste my day with an old man. I'd rather have it with this young one," Aurelia winked at Miguel, and everyone laughed.

Mark didn't back down easily before kissing Aurelia on the cheek. Miguel observed Aurelia's blushing; she looked very cute when she did so.

"Take care of my wife for me, and don't let the bad guys get to her," Mark said, nodding his head.

"Don't worry, dad, I will not let anything happen to her. After all, I've been working out so hard," he explained, watching the man nod in agreement.

Aurelia had felt useless ever since he was attacked three years ago. He was young and unable to do anything, which made him feel terrible. He wanted to grow up to be someone who could protect her in situations like these. He hoped that the police will find those people who did that to Arianna that year.

Following the pep talk, the two exited the house and boarded the limousine his father had prepared earlier. They didn't want to travel in public, but Mark was Mark. Aurelia's car was being serviced, Mark's car was in use, leaving only the bulletproof limousine.

When it came to security, his father was something else, and he agreed with it, aside from the limo being cool and comfortable to be in.

Miguel watched as Aurelia ate her sweets; she had a thing for these sweets and he just didn't understand it. She never left the house without them, so everyone knew that no matter where she went or which car she drove, those small boxes of sweets were always with her.

He was worried that someone would use this knowledge to harm her, and he hoped that he would grow stronger with each passing day.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Aurelia inquired of her son after noticing that he was disoriented. Miguel returned to reality and he looked at her, earning him a smile from her.

"I want to become strong," he replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Why would my baby want something like that? I mean, it's good to be strong, but don't let it consume your mind all of the time. I want you to be a free spirit who enjoys your childhood to the fullest. I never got to do that, and since I got to raise you half way, don't let me down on this one. Are you capable of doing that to me?" Aurelia only hoped that he would understand her emotions.

She knew what was in store for him in the future, so she wanted him to be like any other child.

Miguel was a piece of her puzzle, and he couldn't complete it if he didn't know how to have fun. "I will take your advice," he said, and she smiled at the fact that he didn't argue with her.

"That's my boy," she said as she sipped the martini in her hand.