"Aunt Guilia," Irene gently called out her name. She bowed to express her respect to the eldery lady. Turning, she found her Hawthorne brothers, she smiled. "Don. Gideon. It's so nice to see you."
How could Irene leave the chance to appear with Gideon when everyone had their eyes set on them, anticipating them to tie the knot as soon as possible? More than the netizens, she was anxious to marry this man. However, it was a pity that the said man in the discussion had never looked at her with that gaze. Like ever. And she knew better than anyone why it was so. That witch had spoiled all her chances of marrying into the Hawthorne family eight years ago but this time, she would achieve her aim. By hook or by crook.
"How are you, Irene?" Mrs Hawthorne smiled at Irene.
Irene was adored by Gideon's mom just like she had once adored her elder sister, perhaps a little less. But did it matter now? All they had now for her elder sister was nothing but disgust.
"You are looking pretty like always, Irene," Donovan complimented her. He had always doted on her like Marilyn as she and his sister were best friends.
Irene shyly tucked her hair behind her ear. Her simple yet innocent act had the heart of the people watching her. "Thank you, Don." She then earnestly looked at Gideon who had no intention of speaking any words.
She sighed. She should get used to his coldness.
"Gideon?" Irene called out his name when she noticed that he had no intention of talking to her.
Gideon threw her a cold glance.
"My friend met my sister at the airport yesterday. It seems that my sister is back, G."
Irene was already crossing her boundaries. Only one person was allowed to ever call him G. No one else. It had been seven years since someone called him by that name and he didn't like it even a bit.
As Gideon heard her words, he felt as if time had frozen and he was sent back seven years ago. Seven years ago, when he had sent his wife away from him. It had been seven years since their marriage had broken. Seven years since he had last seen her.
'G! Please don't send me away from you!'
'G, believe me, I did nothing wrong!'
'G! I will die without you!'
'G! I didn't kill Aunt Elena!'
'Gideon Hawthorne! You are ruthless! You have ruthlessly trampled on my, Melody Grace Callahan's love. Let's never see each other! However, if we ever did, then let's treat each other as enemies because you and I will never be strangers. Remember my words, you and I will never be strangers.'
"Indeed, you and I can never be strangers," Gideon murmured. He could see the party in full swing from the second floor. With a wine glass in his hand, he was looking at all kinds of people, happy, sad, angry, lost, defeated, victorious, each and every kind of people mingling with each other.
However, he was the only one who had won and was still feeling the pain of the failure.
"Ah, if it's not the bastard who lost the most precious jewel in the world?!" A mocking voice was heard but Gideon didn't bother turning his head. He knew all too well who the intruder was.
"And if it wasn't the businessman who sacrificed decade long friendship for a game," Gideon spoke in a bored tone and in retort he heard a string of innovative curses as a response to his comment.
When Netizens were making speculation about Gideon and Lucian's broken friendship, it was still unknown by all of them that both the men were never friends, to begin with. It was true that they had been together since they were in diapers, from attending the same kindergarten to studying the same course in University. But what they didn't know was -- Lucian Spencer only had one best friend in his life and her name was Melody Callahan. If not for her, they wouldn't have faked being friends in front of the camera for years.
That unfortunate night, seven years ago, not only broke Gideon and Melody's marriage but a more than decade long enviable friendship too.
"You sure know how to poke a sore nerve, Mr Hawthorne," Lucian mocked. He was trying to mask his hurt by mocking his arch enemy. "BTW, congratulations on getting engaged."
Slowly Gideon turned to look at him. "Am I not supposed to congratulate you, brother-in-law?"
Lucian broke into endless laughter. "Don't tell me you don't know that your grandmother is going to announce your engagement on this very auspicious occasion?"
Before Gideon could ask anything further, he heard his nemesis say, "With Irene Callahan of course."
"You better not be kidding me, Lucian," Gideon warned him. But before Lucian could retort, the latter was gone from his vision.
Gideon had a feeling that Lucian was not lying. It was not the first time when his grandma had expressed her wish that she wanted him to take Irene Callahan as his bride. However, it was certainly the first time when his grandmother had taken such an extreme step. A step he was not very pleased with.
Speaking about everyone else in the family, they all adored Irene especially his siblings and he believed his mother was no different from his siblings. He was thirty-two this year. And his grandma had been nagging him to start a family.
But how could he marry anyone just like that when his first marriage failed miserably! Of all the women, why must his family choose Irene, his ex-wife's half-sister? Whether it was Irene or anyone else, he was not ready to marry once again!
When Gideon reached his grandmother, it was too late. She has already made the life-changing announcement.
....
Author Note: We will be seeing our heroine in the next chapter. I hope you are as eager to meet her as I am. Melody is one interesting character. I know she is going to make you fall for her so hard. You're gonna fall for her the same way Gideon did. Oops. Did I just throw some Easter eggs?
Lol! Let's just welcome our Melody, our very FL lead.