City A Airport was crowded as usual. There were speakers calling on passengers to board the plane while some were announcing cancelled flights et cetera. Cindy Richards walked out of the gates and called a cab. She had not been here for three whole years. Many things had changed yet many things had remained the same.
Going back home after all this while made her feel very nostalgic. She did not want to feel what she was feeling yet she still allowed the feelings to flow through her.
She was going to meet him once more after all these years. Had she changed? She wondered. She did not let her thoughts linger on him for too long because the taxi had already pulled up at her gate.
The Richards family was very influential. Oliver Richards was a businessman who was respected in the whole country. The Richards siblings, Carmen Richards and Cindy Richards, were considered princesses and their influence on social media was greater than that of any top artists combined.
Carmen was known for her wit and Cindy for her beauty. Together they were unshakeable.
Cindy got out of the cab and walked inside the house. For some reason, she could detect a very strong medicinal scent. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind formulated some ideas but she quickly dispelled them.
There was no one in the lobby when she walked in. Carmen had also moved out after her wedding which meant that she was also not here. Some servants were walking around when they spotted her. They immediately ran over in enthusiasm and greeted, "Second Miss, you are back!"
They could not hide their excitement as they stared at Cindy up and down. The Richards family was very free and all the workers were treated as family. A lot of them were very fond of the two sisters as they treated them very well.
Cindy also smiled, "Yes, I am back home." She paused and then continued, "You guys have not changed at all!"
The workers blushed. One of them carried her suitcase while the other indulged her in stories she had missed ever since she left. The worker blushed, "I have seen Australia on the internet, Second Miss, is it really as beautiful as it is in the pictures?"
Cindy laughed and nodded, "Yes it is! It is even better if you see it in person!"
There was a flash of something passing by the girl's eyes before it dimmed. Cindy had also reached her room. The workers left after they had arranged everything for her. Cindy walked through the space she so knew.
There was not a single thing that had changed. Everything was as she left. Her huge teddy bear was still on her bed and even the stickers she had put up on the walls still glared back at her. She went over and stood at the window to stare at the garden below.
This is the place, she recalled. It was the place where she had seen Alexander Sterling for the very first time.
He was standing in the garden as he stared intently at some rose petals. Cindy stared at him and it seemed as if he felt it because he suddenly turned around. Cindy quickly ducked down so that she would not get caught.
She smiled as she remembered. There was also something that she remembered so she pulled out her phone to dial her mother's number, "Ma, I am home. Where are you?"
There was a hint of surprise in her mother's tone, "You are already home? I thought you were coming over the weekend."
Cindy coughed, "Well I thought I should travel early because I was done with my examinations anyway."
Her mother coughed, "Oh really? Are you tired? Rest for a while. I will come home later, there is a place I want to take you…"
There was a slight pause and Cindy could clearly hear a muffled cough coming from the other side. Before she could ask about it, her mother ended the call. Cindy could still not put away the disturbing thought in her mind. Something was terribly wrong.
She walked over to her bed that had pink linens covering every inch and plopped down. The soft mattress bounced. She soon fell asleep and only woke up later when she felt a tug on her arm, it was her mother.
The light softened her features and before she could say anything, soft arms wrapped around her with her mother's deep sigh at her ears, "My baby is finally back."
Three years had done her mother justice. She looked better than Cindy remembered yet the worry lines still crept in whenever she squinted. Cindy hugged her slowly, "Ma, I missed you so much!"
"What about me?" A male voice spoke from the door and Cindy looked to see her father standing there. She quickly ran over to him and into his arms, "Pa!"
Her father scooped her up and twirled her around, "My daughter is all grown up now!"
Cindy cried. Once they had settled all the things they had not done for three years, Cindy suddenly asked, "I have not spoken to my sister for a while, how is she doing?"
Cindy had only come over after her mother told her that Carmen wanted to see her. She noticed her mother tense before she looked at her, "Baby, your sister has been a bit sick these past few months and well she wanted you to know that is why she asked you to come back home."
Cindy felt that being 'a bit' sick was an understatement. She was suddenly afraid to ask. She wanted to see Carmen for herself which was why after about thirty minutes, she was standing in front of Diamond Palace, Carmen and Alexander's residence.
She ran in quickly. Her untied shoes almost tripped her but before she fell, she felt some strong force pull her upwards. She looked up once she was steady and saw him staring intently at her.
Alexander Sterling!