[ Rain ]
Our lives fall on the same track after the dinner with Giang family. Nicholas leaves for office around eight. It's not I still sleep when he gets ready and have his breakfast, I intentionally don't walk out of my room in a fear if he sees me and again insults me for doing nothing.
It has been three days and today is another Sunday. Nicholas takes an off on Sundays but I don't know if he would stay at home.
I look at the clock it shows nine in the morning. A maid served my morning coffee in my room but now I'm feeling a little hungry. Walking out of my room carefully scanning the opposite wing of the house, I padded my way downstairs to the kitchen.
A familiar laughter reaches into my ear and it takes me no time to recognize the beautiful voice, it's Breece. I love this girl already and hope to spend some time with her but Nicole's ultimate despise makes it next to impossible thing.
Not willing to intrude their family time, I turn to leave but I think it was too late.
"Cindrella!" She squals and next I find the little girl bouncing her way toward me.
"Hey, princess, how are you?" I crouch down to her level and smiles at her.
"I come here to spend the day with you and Uncle Nick." She chirps happily.
Her carefree childhood makes me smile even more.
"Breece, you have to drink your milk first if you want to play with your aunt." Nicholas's soft voice causes me to snap my head in his direction. He's leaning on the wall but what I notice is his clothes. Unlike his formal suits, he's wearing a fitted polo T shirt and trousers.
My smile drops immediately. I think he noticed it too, his soft gestures quickly returns to blank.
"No, Uncle Nick. The milk tastes gross." She scrunches up her cute buttony nose.
"Breece, the milk makes you strong and helps you grow bigger. Come, drink it first and then play." He tries to persue his niece.
"But I hate milk." She stomps her foot on the floor.
The stubbornness and anger run in the Blackwood genes.
"Hey, Principess, look at me," I cup her face and make her look at me," Your Uncle is right. The milk is good for our body. Do you want to become strong like your uncle or big like your Mommy?" I ask her in a childish voice.
She nods her head quitely.
"Then finish your milk so we can play some game together." I suggest and her fsce immediately lit up.
"Promise?" She asks.
"Pinky promise." I nuzzle her nose with mine.
"Okay, Cinderella, I will drink the milk and then I, you and Uncle Nick will play doll house." She claps her hands and runs back in the kitchen.
"Careful Breece!" Nicholas warns her.
I stand there awkwardly as I am not welcomed in their personal space.
"You know it's call bribing." I hear him say and for a moment, I think he said it to someone else but there's no one other than us.
"I didn't understand." I shake my head.
"You promised her that we'll play with her but I have some work to do in my home office." He says with an indecipherable expression.
"Please forgive me, I shouldn't have added your name without your permission. I'll make an excuse to her." I apologize realising how could I take a decision for him.
"It means you don't know my niece, Rain. She wraps everyone around her little finger." He says.
"But I'll try to persue her. I caused you inconvenience so it's my responsibility to redo it for you." I respond politely and walk past him to the dining area which is adjacent to the kitchen.
He trails behind me and I wouldn't lie, his closeness is doing something to my body. I am not able to focus on anything as his intense gaze is fixed on me.
I approach Breece, who has finished her milk and turns to me.
"Cinderella, Uncle Nick, I want to play now." She orders us.
I dare to steal a glance at Nicholas who has an amused look on his face as if he's challenging me to propose my idea to his little niece.
"Hey, Breece, can we play, you and I. Your Uncle has some important work to do. Let him do it and we'll play a lot of new games." I try my best to change her mind.
"No, Cinderella, Uncle Nick will play with us." Breece shakes her head in denial.
"Princess, please try to understand. Your Uncle is a busy man but I am free to give you company and I promise to show you my photographs of wild animals that I click in my trip to Africa." I play another card and it cast some effect on her.
"You have pictures of Lions or Giraffes?" She asks with wonder swirling in her big blue eyes.
"Yes and a lot of other animals. I'll show them to you but let your Uncle finish his work so he can play with you afterwards. We can bake cookies together." I say to her sweetly.
"Okay, Cinderella." She grins at me and then turn to her Uncle," Nicky, you can do your work because I have a new friend, my Cinderella." She commands him and it makes me really surprised, how an arrogant and ruthless man like Nicholas surrenders to this little child.
I raise my gaze up to look at him. Surprise rules on his handsome face. Of coarse, he didn't expect me to lure his stubborn niece by some simple words.
He averts his gaze from me to his niece. He picks her up in his arms which flexed by his movements. He has worked on his body for sure. No doubt, why half of the female population drool over him but despite of being his wife, I'd never get a chance to touch him, feel him.
"Shall we go now, Rain?" He asks me in a gentle voice. Another shock in less than ten minutes.
Nevertheless, I nod my head meekly and follow him out of the dining room. The breakfast is forgotten as he didn't let me eat something before starting this unexpected Sunday.
He climbs the stairs, I trail behind him not having any idea where he wants to take us. Once we are on the first floor, he moves in the direction of my wing, it shocks me even more. He never step a foot in that direction since I entered in this big house.
Following him like a lost puppy, I wait for his next instruction as I am too afraid to burst this happy bubble. May be, I'm dreaming these moments when he doesn't treat me like a piece of rag.
His feet halts at my room's door. He steps aside to give me space. I understand his gesture and with crazily beating heart, I twist the knob and open the door to my room.
"This is your room, Cinderella?" The little girl jumps out of his arms and runs inside my room which I decorated according to my likes and also hung my framed photographs on an empty wall. I also showcase my trophies and certificates on the wooden shelf beside the flat TV.
"Yes, princess. You can see my photographs." I point my finger on the frames and also steal a glance of him through my peripheral vision.
He's staring at them with mesmerizing eyes and then his gaze shifts on my trophies.
"You won them for photography alone?" He asks me in daze.
"Yes, most of them but a few are for winning race during my school time." I tell him.
"You're an athlete as well?" He asks, shock is clearly visible on his handsome face but it makes me wonder more why he's taking interest in my personal life all of a sudden.
"Yes, I also participated in National Level Marathon in 2016 and won a silver medal but Mom didn't like my involvement in sports. She thinks, it doesn't suit a girl from rich family rather I must focus more on withered fashion or film industry." I don't know what has gotten into me but I told him the reason why I gave up on my passion.
He slightly nods his head but ask nothing more. I feel grateful though. I can't show him more of my weakness whereas my sister is an epitome of perfection in everything. The qualities he find attractive in her and propose her instead of me.
"Cinderella, please show me your photos of animals." Breece requests me.
"Sure, please sit on the bed. I'll bring them." I look at them both who quickly settle on the bed.
I open my closet and fetch out a thick album from a dozen stack. I label them all by their dates and theme.
I return with the album, it's heavier than I expected.
"Let me hold it." He quickly snatches it from my hands and carefully places it on the bed.
"Please open it, Breece." I smile at the little girl and encourage her to see my hard work of years.
Breece wastes no time in turning the cover and palms her mouth as the first picture was of a Lion's family resting under a tree in wild Savanah.
"There are ten lions and four cubs." She exclaims.
"Yes, I click them from a distance but one of them woke up and roar at us." I told her remembering a narrow eacape from death.
"You actually went closer to them for a photograph?" This time Nicholas asks me.
"Yes, I even caputred a herd of furious hippos if you go further in the elbum." I reply.
"You're crazy. Who risks their lives for a picture." He shakes his head and wait for Breece to turn the page for another picture while I take a seat on a small stool to see my two favorite people enjoying my work with amazement.
I just pray, this day will bring some new hopes for me.
To be continued...