''Did you ask your parents about the Gill family?'' Charlie asked, looking at Silver as she took a bite of her chicken biryani. They were having lunch at an Indian restaurant.
''I did,'' Silver replied, putting down her spoon. ''They told me part of the story.''
''I'm listening,'' Charlie said, taking a bite of his own chicken biryani.
Silver sighed, recalling what her parents had shared. ''Mr. Winten Gill and my grandfather, Edwin Miller, were best friends since high school. Mr. Winten came from a poor family, and my great-grandparents didn't approve of their friendship because of their different social statuses, but my grandfather didn't care about that.''
She paused to take a sip of water before continuing. ''After they graduated from college, Mr. Gill wanted to start an entertainment company. My grandfather helped him and became a 50% partner. They worked hard, and the company grew quickly, making a lot of money. They introduced many talented artists to the world, from singers to actors.''
Silver's voice grew more somber. ''But later, my grandfather got busy with the family business and his married life, so he left the entertainment company in Mr. Winten's hands. Everything seemed fine until many years later, when an actress committed suicide. In her note, she blamed the company for her death. The news spread quickly, and the police got involved, but they didn't find anything suspicious, so the case was closed.''
Charlie listened closely, sensing there was more to the story. ''Did your grandfather suspect something?''
Silver nodded. ''He did. He wasn't convinced, so he hired a private investigator to dig deeper.''
''And what did they find?'' Charlie asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin as Silver paused.
''They found something, but what exactly, my parents don't know,'' Silver said quietly. ''The company was shut down, and Mr. Gill was supposed to be arrested, but he fled with his family. The police couldn't find them. My grandfather told my parents the truth after Mr. Gill tried to kidnap my older sister.''
''Kidnap?'' Charlie asked, his eyes widening.
Silver nodded again, her expression tense. ''Yeah, he tried to kidnap Parel from her school, but he didn't succeed. A teacher saw him, and he escaped. When the police showed the kidnapper's face from the school's security camera, that's when my grandfather recognized the man as Winten Gill.''
Charlie frowned, thinking it over. ''He probably blamed your grandfather for everything and wanted to take your sister as revenge.''
Silver sighed. ''It could be like you said.''
''I'll check at my office,'' Charlie offered. ''Maybe there's a record of the case.''
''Please do,'' Silver said, relieved. ''I'll see if I can find anything in my dad's workroom. There might be some old files he's forgotten about.''
Charlie nodded as he called over a waiter to get the bill. Suddenly, a striking woman with gray eyes and long black hair approached them.
''Charlie!'' the woman said warmly, her eyes lighting up. Charlie stood up and hugged her with a friendly smile.
''Lily! It's been a while,'' he said with genuine happiness. He then turned to Silver. ''Silver, this is Lily Foster, an old friend of mine.''
''And his ex-girlfriend,'' Lily added with a smirk.
''Nice to meet you,'' Lily said, extending her hand.
Silver managed a polite smile as she shook Lily's hand. ''Same here. I'm Silver Miller.''
Silver watched in silence as Charlie and Lily caught up, feeling a surge of irritation. Ex-girlfriend? she thought bitterly. You told me I was your first love. How could you date others if you were in love with me? The thought made her stomach churn.
Unable to contain her frustration, Silver stood up, pulled out some cash, and tossed it onto the table to cover the bill. Without a word, she walked out of the restaurant, leaving Charlie and Lily staring after her.
''Did I upset her?'' Lily asked, her expression a mix of confusion and amusement.
''You did that on purpose,'' Charlie snapped.
Lily shrugged playfully. ''I just wanted to meet your first love. You never even showed me a picture of her, and now I see why.'' She winked at Charlie before adding, ''Oh, and by the way, my parents invited you over for dinner. Come whenever you're free, and bring your girlfriend.''
Before Charlie could respond, Lily's phone rang. She glanced at the screen, gave Charlie a quick hug, and said, ''Gotta go. Amber's waiting for me to pick her up. Bye, Charlie.''
''Bye,'' Charlie muttered, watching her hurry out. He noticed that Silver had paid for both their meals. Sighing, he pulled out his phone and called her, but she didn't answer.
Silver arrived home in a bad mood and went straight to her room, flopping onto her bed with a frustrated groan. ''Why am I so irritated?''
''Silver, you're home?'' Her sister, Parel, peeked into the room and saw Silver lying face down on the bed, her face buried in a pillow. ''What happened?'' Parel asked, sitting beside her and gently rubbing her back.
''I don't know,'' Silver mumbled into the pillow. ''I just feel sad and angry with him.''
''Did your boyfriend make you upset?'' Parel asked.
Silver sat up, avoiding eye contact. ''Yeah,'' she admitted.
''What's his name?'' Parel asked, concern evident in his voice.
''Charlie Howell,'' Silver said quietly, her gaze still lowered.
''So, what happened? Why are you upset? Did he do something?'' Parel asked gently, trying to offer comfort.
Silver sighed, finally meeting her sister's eyes. ''We were on a lunch date when his ex-girlfriend showed up. I got so mad that I just left.''
Parel laughed with a playful smile. ''Oh my, you're jealous! Look at you—my little sister is all grown up now.''
''Shut up! I am not!'' Silver protested, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. ''And I'm not little, you know. I'm only two years younger than you. Ruby's the youngest in our family; she's 20 years younger than you.''
''Are you saying I'm old?'' Parel asked, feigning annoyance.
''Yes.'' Silver smirked.
''Silver!'' Parel pounced on Silver, tickling her until she was breathless.
''Stop it, sister! Do you want me to die?'' Silver gasped, struggling to catch her breath.
Parel finally stopped, sitting back with a satisfied smile. ''It's okay to be jealous, you know. It means you care about him.''
Silver looked thoughtful, then asked quietly, ''Sister, do you love Jayden?''
Parel's expression softened as she smiled warmly. ''I do. I love him so much I could die for him.''
Silver looked at her sister, who seemed lost in thought. I won't let anything happen to you or our family again, she silently promised, feeling determined.