[Please don't skip this chapter. Read this chapter for it plays an important role to the story's plot.]
A week before Christmas.
Looking through the window, a boy named Lucian is drawing on the icy window.
"Mom, is Dad going to visit us on Christmas?" He turned towards his Mother and asked.
A beautiful young woman in white long dress smiles warmly at her son. Her blue eyes are smiling as she answers her son's question, "Daddy won't be with us on Christmas day."
Lucian frowns at his mother and complain, "But he hasn't come for Christmas last year! And the year before that. I didn't even know ehat he looks like anymore." Lucian lowers his head and sniff.
"Lucian," the woman sighs in distress, she walk over to her son and patted his head. "You know that your Daddy has to work overseas to make a living. Please, don't be mad at him."
Hearing the distress in his mother's tone, Lucian wipe off the tears in his eyes and hug his mother.
Lucian isn't dumb, in fact, for an eight-years-old kid, he was quite smart for his age. He was even more smart than the adults.
His mother always diligently work in her small bakery just to survive a day. She didn't even rest. How can he have a father, who is working overseas to earn money, when his mother was the one who pays their debts, buys him foods and get him to a decent school to studies?
She was always alone.
Hugging his mother tighter, he says, "Mom, I'll accompany you tomorrow to work! My classes are over so I'll just help you to work!"
Luce, Lucian's mother, chuckles and stroke his son's hair. Both his parents and everyone else had forsaken, and when she's about to give up, God gave her Lucian. And she will do anything for him to live a happy life.
"Mom is really lucky to have you."
"And Lucian is lucky to have you as my mother too!"
***
"Young Miss, where are you!?"
"Please, stop playing games anymore."
"Come out now or Boss Morano will kill us!"
A little naughty girl, who is named Aisha, snickers as she hid from her bodyguards. She finally convinced her father and mother to let her leave the manor but he give him 20 mafiosi to be her bodyguards. She wants to play with those children earlier but none of them wants to play with her because they are too scared of her bodyguards which ticked Aisha off and run away.
And now, she's hiding from them.
Aisha was hiding beside the Mercedes-Benz Vito, she's peeking at them and when she's sure that none of them was looking at her direction. She run as fast as she can while hiding behind the big cars.
Aisha was witty for her age, and she knows that someone probably placed a tracking device on her clothes so when she saw a little girl on her age, probably a bit older, she changed clothes with her. The other girl didn't even protest, especially when she saw Aisha's thick blue coats, scarf and cute gloves and hat.
"Thank you for your sacrifice!" Aisha told her happily. "Also, if someone came looking for the owner of the clothes, give them the letter I wrote, okay?" Those guys might harm the girl so Aisha wrote a letter for them.
"Yes, I will! Bye!" The girl exclaimed in utter happiness. Aisha's clothes feels comfortable than her clothes, more expensive too.
Aisha runs again to a different direction, she was beginning to feel hungry so she goes where foods smells the strongest.
"Achoo!" Aisha sneezes and scratch her nose. Although the coat that the girl wore is thick, it didn't provide her as much warm as her previous coat, she also feels a little itchy.
But beggars can't be choosers!
With that thought, Aisha went to look for a sweet shop. She's smells her favorite Chocolate-Topped Strawberry Cheesecake, but none of the pâtisserie shops sells her favorite dessert. Aisha keeps looking until she reach the last shop in the street.
"Luce Bakery," Aisha reads, this is the place where the familiar aroma of her favorite dessert comes from. "Achoo!" Aisha rubs her nose and sigh.
Seems like I catch a cold now, Aisha frowns and keeps on sneezing.
"Hey, kid. Are you alright?" Aisha turns her head and saw a little boy, although he's a bit taller than Aisha, he has the most deep blue eyes she's ever saw.
Her gaze analyze the boy from head to toe, trying to determine if he's dangerous but when he saw the tray he's holding, half of it has samples of breads and desserts with small sticks on top of it.
Aisha let out a squeel when she saw her favorite dessert, "Little boy! Where did you get my favorite dessert!?"
Lucian knitted her brows and look at the little girl in front of him. He feel insulted at her remark when she's a lot smaller than her.
"Hey! Stop eating all of it!" Lucian said as he raised the tray above him and because Aisha was small, she can't reach the tray no matter how high she jumps.
"I'll pay for all of it!" Aisha puffed her cheeks, her small hands are balled into tiny fists.
Lucian froze, her deep blue eyes stare into the cute little girl's violet eyes. Her eyes are so pretty, Lucian feels himself getting drown at the fire in her eyes.
What is this? Lucian asked himself. He could hear the loud beating of his heart, and before he knew it, he was blushing real hard.
Aisha was really mad at him but when she saw his face flush, she become worried.
He must've stayed outside for too long just to give samples to the people, Aisha thought and noted that he's not wearing much clothing for the cold weather.
"Are you cold?" Aisha raised her gloved hands to touch and warm Lucian's cheeks but he was too tall.
In that moment, Aisha was thinking of cutting his legs so the he's face to face with her.
"Lucian." A voice suddenly called from the bakery. Aisha looks towards the direction where the voice came from.
"Goddess," Aisha cried and run towards Luce. "You smell like desserts, so good~" Aisha almost jump in glee as she deduce that this woman is the one who bakes all the goods in this small bakery.
"Ah," Luce was surprised by the little girl's enthusiasm and chuckles. "Thank you, little girl. Are you Lucian's friend?"
"Who?" Aisha asked and wonder who is Lucian the beautiful lady spoken about.
Luce smiles at point his son whose face is as red as a ripe tomato.
Aisha looks towards where the lady is pointing at, "Ah, Lucian! You have a pretty name! It means light, right?"
Luce smiles teasingly at her son, and Lucian blush even more at her mother's teasing.
"My second name also means light," Aisha smiles at Lucian which makes Lucian's heart skip a beat. "You can call me Ciana!"
"Alright now," Luce grab the tray from Lucian's hands and ushered both children inside of her bakery. "The weather is getting colder, we should warm up inside."
"Wah! My favorite Strawberry Cheesecake!" Aisha exclaimed as her mouth waters. Her face was almost pasted on the glass and her eyes twinkled at the sight of delicious sweets in front of her.
"Would you like some, Ciana?"
"Yes, please, Cake Goddess!"
Luce laughs, yet again, by Aisha's enthusiasm and serve her the dessert Aisha mentioned.
Lucian already calm himself down and sat on the small table, and look at Aisha in front of him. "How old are you anyway?"
Aisha ate a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake into her mouth. Aisha raised her hands and have a hard time bending her pinky finger and thumb to make a three.
"Five or three?" Lucian asked with doubt. Although Aisha still had that childlike voice, her speaking is as good as the adults.
Aisha swallows the cake in her mouth and answered, "I'm only three!"
"You're only three-years-old?" Both Luce and Lucian asked in surprise. "Where's your guardian then? Why are you alone?"
Aisha then tell them what happened while eating cake, of course Aisha didn't tell them about switching clothes with another kid. After Aisha was finished, Luce had a worried look on her face.
Although, the little girl wore a worn out clothes, based on her story alone, Luce could guess that this kid is no ordinary person.
"Where do you live, Ciana? Maybe we should send you home. Your parents must be worried for you."
Aisha frowns and looks at Luce. She can tell that she's worried and scared.
Setting the spoon down, Aisha looks down at her cake and with a dejected tone she answers, "Both of my parents are busy with work, and I don't know the address of the place we're currently staying. We're only here to spend our Christmas."
Luce felt guilty seeing Aisha's sullen face. She was about to comfort her when suddenly, someone broke down the door of her bakery and dozen of men enters.
"We're to collect your pay. If you didn't pay us right now, we'll be forced to kick you out of this place."
"Please, I'll pay you back next week! Just give me a little more time." Luce pleaded with them.
"You also said that the last time. Boss had enough of your bullshït!" The mab leers the lady in front of him and then smirk. "But if you're willing to pay in other ways then I guess Boss will let you off the hook."
Luce felt disgusted by their stares and Lucian feels angry at the men who is disrespecting his mother.
"How much?" Aisha suddenly asked and all of them look at her. Aisha just ate the last piece of her strawberry cake. "I'll pay you all with her debts, plus with the interest. Just tell me how much."
"Heh," the man spat in ridicule. "Just who is this little girl came from? Spurting some nonsense."
Aisha frowns and in anger, she throws her knife towards the man, just like how she throws a dagger. The knife struck the man's left shoulder.
"Ah!" The man groans at the sudden pain. Half of the knife pierced through his flesh.
"Sorry, my hand slips." Aisha smiles sweetly at them.
"You bïtch!" All of them are about to attack Aisha when suddenly, a total of 20 men in suit appears at the scene.
Those 12 men notice the emblem on the 20 men's shirt. They are from the De La Torre famiglia!
"You guys! Why are you late! Did my father hire you to lazy around!?" Aisha shouted and the men from her famiglia almost puke blood.
"Young Miss, please have some shame. You clearly escaped from us!" One of them almost cries.
"I didn't escape from you! You're all just slow." Aisha huffed in annoyance.
"Young Miss...?" One of the thugs asked.
Don't tell me this little girl is Morano De La Torre's daughter!?
When the realization all dawn upon them, they trembles in fear.
Dead, they were all dead.
They are a member of a small famiglia under the De La Torre and they offend the daughter of their Boss.
"You," Aisha pointed at one of her bodyguards. "Pay those thugs that Cake Goddess owes them, actually, buy this land and deal with those fools, especially that bald man eho insult me."
"No! Please, Young Miss, have mercy on us. We'll do anything!" They all begged but Aisha was in a foul mood as of the moment.
"Get lost." Aisha tells them and turns to Luce and Lucian who is still in the state of shock. "Thank you for your hospitality, sorry if I bothered you in any way. I'll leave now."
"You're leaving?" Lucian asked and Aisha nods. Lucian's shoulder slump down and looks longingly at Aisha.
Luce was snapped back into reality. She looks at his son and Aisha and then let out a sigh.
"Ciana, my dear, thanks for everything. I don't know how I will pay you but please do come here anytime you like, okay?"
Aisha's sad face brighten up in instance, her cheeks are puffed up as she smiled widely at Luce.
"Sure! I'll come back again!"