09

“Who is it...? Who's banging on our door like that?” Isla called out in frustration as she moved to open it.

When she did, she was met with the sight of nearly five men, their vehicle parked off to the side. She stared at them in surprise before saying, “Well then! What on earth is going on? Where are you coming from?”

One of the men stepped forward, pointing to two of their officers who had bandages wrapped around them. “Do you recognize these individuals?” he asked.

Isla immediately recognized them as the officers who had caused trouble not long ago.

Before she could respond, Mery and the others, drawn by the silence, came closer, their scarves tied loosely over their foreheads. “What’s going on? Who are these people?” they asked.

As soon as Mery and her group arrived, the officers quickly shifted behind their colleagues, as if shielding themselves.

The officer pointed accusingly. “Ah! So you’re the notorious ones.”

“Watch your mouth, young man,” Isla snapped, eyes sharp. “Don’t you dare call my daughters notorious. Even in court, people have rights. Mind your words.”

Before the officer could say more, their superior and the Village Head approached. The Village Head muttered, “I swear, I’ve had enough of these girls. There's not a week that goes by without them getting into a fight. I’ve tried intervening, but now I’ve given up. I told everyone...don’t come to me with their issues again.”

Their superior, obviously irritated, added, “This is what happens when children are raised by a woman alone. There's bound to be chaos.”

Before he could finish his sentence, Isla cut in sharply. “That’s a lie. I’m more capable than a thousand men when it comes to raising children. How many worthless men abandon their wives and children? And when someone tries to quietly handle their life without bothering anyone, suddenly everyone wants to pry. I won’t have it!”

The Village Head looked at the officer helplessly, as if to say, “See what I’m dealing with?”

The officer, however, had become distracted. The moment he laid eyes on Mery’s radiant face, glowing under the sunlight, he couldn’t look away. Something in him faltered.

Mery, arms crossed, said bluntly, “If they’re not going to leave, then I’m sorry Village Head, but we’ll have to throw them out ourselves.” She adjusted her scarf back over her forehead with defiance.

Just as the Village Head was about to lash out, the officer raised a hand and intervened. “No, no, sir, let’s not escalate this. Clearly there’s been a misunderstanding here. And since this isn’t official property, no one should have entered without proper permission. These two officers here acted without investigating properly.”

Isla stared at the officer, clearly surprised by how quickly he switched to defend them.

He continued, “Ma'am, we apologize for what happened. We’ll take disciplinary action against our men. We were under the impression that this place was... something else. Even the Village Head said no men are ever seen coming here, so you can imagine the assumptions. But we realize now we were wrong. If advice was the goal, this was not the way to deliver it. We’re sincerely sorry.”

Isla narrowed her eyes and said, “Good, at least someone here has sense. And as for you,” she added, turning to the Village Head, “ever since I refused to let you marry my daughter, you’ve held a grudge against us, haven’t you?”

The Village Head flustered. “N-no... I didn’t...”

“Save it. And don’t let me hear you say again that raising daughters alone is dangerous. Look at Mery...she’s better than any of your kind,” Isla finished with a proud flip of her headscarf.

The officer offered more apologies, promising that action would be taken against Mr. Brian and the officers who violated protocol by invading their privacy without legal authority.

***

It was around 11:00 p.m. when she returned home, wearing nothing close to proper attire...just a tight skirt with a high slit running all the way down. She didn’t look anything like a married woman, and her towering heels looked like they might dig straight into the floor.

With excitement, she entered the house, calling out, “Sweetheart, are you home?”

She stopped short when she saw him sitting in the sitting room, hands clasped beneath his chin, a laptop open in front of him. He stared at her in disbelief....she looked nothing like a married woman. This was really starting to bother him.

Kicking off her heels, she walked over, sat on his lap, and began playfully clinging to him. “Sweet, I thought you'd join us for dinner at Granny’s house. Didn’t you get my text? And guess what...?”

She paused, waiting for his reaction, but he simply squinted and raised an eyebrow at her, silently.

Wrapping her arms around him, she dangled a car key in front of his face. “Uncle Luv gave me his car! Say thank you for me, okay?”

To her shock, Adrian pushed her off him...a first.

Harper looked at him, stunned and confused.

There was no sign of humor on his face when he said, “You went out dressed like that? Seriously?”

She blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Excuse me? What do you mean?”

He shoved the laptop aside and stared at her. “Has no one ever told you how to dress like a married woman?”

She scoffed, glancing at how he was sitting, then gave him a mischievous smile. “Oh darling, you should know by now...I don’t follow rules. Besides, what exactly is wrong with what I’m wearing?”

She spun around slowly, gesturing to her outfit.

Adrian’s patience snapped. He stood up, his voice rising. “Really, Harper? You're asking what’s wrong? Just look at yourself! This is how a married woman goes out? Why can’t you learn from your sister? She’s not even married and still dresses with dignity. You need to get it together and realize your responsibilities.”

Harper stared at him, utterly stunned.

Angrily, she snapped back, “Stop yelling at me! This is who I am, Adrian, and you need to accept me for it. I don’t care wh....”

His sharp voice cut her off. “Let me make this clear. This is your marital home, not your parents’ house where you do as you please. It’s been almost two years, and you still act like you’re single. I won’t tolerate your behavior any longer. You will respect my rules, understand? And from now on, you don’t leave this house without informing me. You’re reckless, Harper...completely unaware of what marriage means.”

With that, he grabbed his laptop and stormed upstairs, shooting her a cold glare as he went.

Even after he disappeared, Harper stood frozen, mouth still slightly open, completely shocked by Adrian’s outburst. This was the same man who once adored her carefree spirit...it was one of the reasons he fell for her in the first place. And now, he was comparing her to her boring, old-fashioned sister?

Where was she supposed to start dressing “modestly” anyway? People would mistake her for that plain sibling of hers! No way. She knew Adrian loved her deeply...this was just temporary fury. She’d give him space, let him stew, and soon enough, he’d come crawling back with apologies.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her handbag and headed upstairs. She shot a scornful look at his door before storming into her own room, muttering under her breath:

“Loneliness might kill you one day...your at loose , I have a way to ease my...”

She gave a sly laugh before slamming the door behind her.

The next morning – Tuesday

They were all seated in the sitting room, waiting for Aurora to come downstairs. Today was the day Barrister Noah would be taking her to Smooth Group for a job placement.

Barrister Noah’s heart skipped a beat the moment he saw her.

Aurora stepped out in a flowing, beige gown that complemented her skin perfectly...not too fair, not too dark. She looked stunning, breathtaking even. He had never realized just how beautiful Aurora was until this moment.

She walked gracefully over to her brother, Jaxon, kneeling beside his wheelchair. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she looked up at him. Without saying a word, Jaxon cupped her face in both hands and shook his head gently, telling her not to cry.

Voice trembling, Aurora finally spoke. “Brother… I’m doing this for you. I promise I won’t let you down. I’ll give it my all. I hope, the young tycoon will fall for me....and I’ll bring him right to you, just the way you want.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she finished. Barrister Noah, unable to bear the emotional weight of the moment, stood abruptly. “I’ll be outside,” he said, quickly walking out to calm himself.

Jaxon’s eyes were also filled with tears, but he wiped hers away and said, “You go with my blessings, little sis. I can never thank you enough, Aurora. I know this isn’t your choice... but know that I’ll never leave you to do this alone. We’re in this together. I promise.”

She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. When she finally calmed down, Jaxon gently fixed her face and wheeled with her to the car.

Barrister Noah was waiting beside it. He opened the door for her himself, watching as she got in. He didn’t leave until he saw them drive out of the compound.

To be continue...