Kais's PovFirst ImpressionsAubrey Ardel—a name that exudes such might, it commands reverence. The surname alone carries such weight that it could bring all of New York to its knees. Yet, I wondered, did the name Aubrey possess a power of its own, or was it merely a shadow, nothing without the grandeur of Ardel? As the eldest of the Ferdous family, a man of pride and tradition, these questions stirred within me.Seven years ago, my baby sister, Ayah, called me in excitement. She had met a peculiar young man who, according to her, intrigued her in ways she couldn't quite explain. Concern and anger coursed through me. How dare some stranger try to captivate her attention! I was ready to hop on the first flight to New York, determined to confront this boy. But Ayah, sensing my fury, quickly reassured me. She insisted that nothing was going on between them, that he wasn't even an acquaintance—just a fleeting moment of fascination.I'll grant the man sitting across from me some credit—he's got guts. It takes a certain kind of boldness to decide, after just one meeting, that my sister was going to be his. Seven years ago, when I first set foot in New York because of Ayah, I finally understood what Aubrey truly embodied. He was the calm before the storm, and that storm was his surname—Ardel. Together, the name Aubrey Ardel became a delicate dance between light and shadow, good and evil.But everything changed the day Ayah died. The storm was unleashed. The Aubrey we knew vanished, and Ardel took full control. Those days were drenched in terror. He became something far more sinister, more unpredictable—a monster lurking behind a composed facade.Not to say I don't have my own... darker inclinations. Some might even call them psychopathic tendencies. But the difference between a man like me and Aubrey is clear: with me, you always know there will be consequences—you're prepared for them. With Aubrey, it's different. His presence alone makes the very act of breathing feel like a gamble with fate. He's a ticking time bomb, and you never know when or where the beast beneath his skin will surface. One moment, he's calm; the next, you're standing face to face with a nightmare you never saw coming. He doesn't just command fear—he thrives on it, and when Aubrey Ardel steps into the room, the air grows thick with dread.That's why, when Hayat flinched, I wasn't surprised. Seven years had passed, and we still hadn't quite figured him out. The only person who ever truly understood Aubrey was gone. I've never been a fan of stifling atmospheres, and the tension in the room was suffocating, pressing down like a vice. It made me feel sick to my core. To shatter the silence—or maybe just to ease the nauseating sense of dread—I decided to ask Aubrey a question, one that had gnawed at me for years.It was something I genuinely needed to know. Ayah wasn't what most would call beautiful—not to me, at least. Stubborn, reckless, and maddeningly unpredictable. She drove everyone crazy. What could a man like Aubrey—a man of such composure and control—possibly have seen in her? I had to be sure. I needed to know what made Ayah different in his eyes, and whether it was love or something else lurking behind that icy gaze."You know," Aubrey began, his voice low and reflective, "when people find something they truly want, they'll do anything to hold onto it, even if they know deep down they can never really have it. That's what Ayah was to me—precious beyond words, both then and now. From the moment I first saw her, something stirred inside me, something I thought I had long since lost. Happiness. It had become a distant, forgotten friend, but in her presence, I felt its warmth again. I remember smiling—a real, genuine smile, something I hadn't done in years.It was such a familiar feeling, yet so utterly strange. Being with her made me feel alive as if I'd been reborn. For the first time in what felt like forever, I spoke about myself, freely, and openly, as if I no longer wished to disappear. She brought a kind of vitality into my world that I didn't know I craved until she was there.It wasn't as though I hadn't met women more beautiful than Ayah. But something was intoxicating about her, something that went far beyond physical beauty. Her mere presence made me feel... whole. She made me long for a tomorrow, a future—something I had stopped caring about long ago. I wanted to love her, to claim her as mine because, before Ayah, there was no one I could truly call my own."Damn it. Was I seriously crying? I blinked rapidly, staring up at the ceiling, desperately trying to fight back the tears. I could feel them burning behind my eyes, but I wasn't about to let them fall. Not here, not in front of him. Beside me, Hayat was already a mess, softly sobbing into her hands. Poor girl. She'd always been fragile."Kais," Aubrey's voice broke through my thoughts, smooth and laced with amusement. He tilted his head, a sly smile creeping across his lips. "Are you crying?"I shot him a glance, trying to hold onto whatever scraps of composure I had left. "Nah, man," I muttered, my voice thick with barely suppressed emotion. I gestured vaguely towards the ceiling. "It's just... the ceiling, you know? So damn beautiful. Who designed it? I need their number."Aubrey chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with that familiar, mischievous spark. I could tell he wasn't buying it, but he didn't push. I wasn't sure if I was grateful or even more annoyed.Kennedy called out, "Dinner's ready!" Her voice echoed through the house, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at my watch—damn, it was already 10:25 p.m. Time had flown by without me even noticing. Aubrey stood up from the sofa, stretching his long limbs with a deep groan, his joints popping loudly in the quiet room. Hayat, ever the helper, disappeared into the kitchen to assist Kennedy in setting the table.Meanwhile, I started packing up my instruments, neatly placing everything where it could easily be grabbed for tomorrow's session. Through the large window, the night outside looked serene but bitterly cold. Fresh snow blanketed the ground, glowing softly under the streetlights, while tiny snowflakes still fluttered down, illuminated by the moonlight. The world looked like a frozen canvas, silent and still, as if time had paused just outside our door.I turned toward the dining table, and my heart swelled with joy. The table was a feast—a celebration in itself. Platters of roast beef, seasoned lamb, mashed potatoes piled high with gravy, and steaming bowls of buttered vegetables covered the surface. There were loaves of fresh, crusty bread, golden brown and perfect for tearing apart. Every inch of the table was filled with dishes bursting with warmth and flavour. Who needed the hassle of love when you had this? Twenty different types of dinner, and I was in heaven.Just as we sat down, the warmth of the food drawing me in, I picked up my fork and sliced into the tender, juicy meat. The aroma was enough to make my mouth water. I was ready—so ready—for that first perfect bite.Then, the doorbell rang.I froze mid-bite, my fork hovering just inches from my mouth. My stomach growled in protest as the sound echoed through the house. I glanced at Aubrey, who was already staring at the door, his expression unreadable. A slight tension filled the air, making the cozy warmth of the room seem just a little colder.