Now, the will of Mr. and Mrs. Bates states that their properties and everything belonging to them would be given to their daughter, Melanie Bates, and her fiancé, Aiden Williams. The 18-year-old daughter, Melanie, was confused; she wanted to question the lawyer about the will, but she was surrounded by guests. By the time they all left, the lawyer was nowhere to be seen, keeping it in her mind that she would visit his office soon.
Melanie came out of the funeral hall with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. She looked at the sky; it was about to rain. She remembered the rainy seasons with her parents, and tears dropped from her eyes. Her parents were dead; she had to move on in life. Where was her fiancé, who was supposed to stand by her side during this difficult time? Who would handle her parents' business? She had no idea how to run a business; she was just a spoiled young Miss of the Bates family.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bates, were among the most influential people in the country, attending every socialite event. Her mom had beautiful black hair and brown eyes, and her dad had brunette hair and blue eyes. Tears dropped from her eyes as she thought about her parents, remembering where she got her looks from. She was just a first-year high school student. How would she cope with the sudden loss of her parents?
What about Xander, her boyfriend since middle school? She wanted to introduce him to her parents. How would Xander react to her engagement? Her driver and bodyguards stood outside, watching her. No one spoke, letting her get comfort from their silence. She had questions; she wanted to shout, to scream, to have someone embrace her as she cried. She wished Xander was here.
Who was Aiden Williams? The only Aiden Williams she knew was the business tycoon who contributed 90% of the world's economy, always appearing on the news.
In the UK, Aiden, who had just finished a 12-hour meeting with European leaders discussing the financial crisis in the peninsula, asked his assistant to give him updates on what had happened in the past week. His assistant, Mike, gave him updates on the death of the Bates family boss. "The evidence had been destroyed, but a problem occurred, and we were trying to get to you, but it was to no avail. So, we made a last-minute conclusion, and now you are engaged to their daughter, Melanie Bates."
"We destroyed the original will and murdered the lawyer, who refused to cooperate. So, we hired a doppelganger to pretend to be the lawyer for the burial."
"They had a daughter?" Aiden asked.
"Yes, their daughter, Melanie Bates, was born on July 22, 2008. She's a third-year high school student at Royal Academy, apparently the top student and girlfriend to your cousin Xander."
"You can leave, Mike, and prepare the private jet. We're going back to the US tonight."
After sleepless nights, Melanie was able to fall asleep late Sunday evening. Melanie woke up a bit energized, with dark circles under her eyes. She sighed as she got down to prepare herself for school. She got dressed, wearing a white top and black leather skirt with boots, and straightened her hair as she went downstairs.
The maids greeted her as she entered the kitchen. "Young miss, breakfast is ready. We're about to bring your breakfast to the dining room," the head kitchen maid said.
"No need; I just need an apple. I don't really have an appetite for anything right now." Melanie took the apple from the counter. She gazed at the mansion once again before leaving for school.
Aiden arrived in the US in the wee hours of the day. When he arrived, he saw his cousin Xander preparing to go to school.
"Welcome, Master," the maids chorused as he entered the living room. Their sound made Xander look at Aiden.
"Welcome back, small uncle," Xander greeted.
Aiden nodded at him before going upstairs.
At Royal Academy, Melanie, who had been absent from school for a whole week, drew attention to herself when she arrived. Royal Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the world with over 10,000 students in attendance, was also known as the "School of Affluence" for training royals and top influential kids. The school was owned by Xander's cousin, Aiden Williams.
As Melanie walked on the familiar grounds of the academy, her heart raced as she thought about everything that had happened in the past week.
"Mel, Xander called, "I'm sorry for your loss," he said, and he pecked her cheek. Melanie smiled at him.
As they walked through the hallway, students glanced at her and whispered as she passed by. Her heart raced; did they find out how much had been exposed? She glanced at Xander, who held her hand as they walked to their lockers.
As they walked through the hallway, students glanced at her and whispered as she passed by. Her heart was racing; had they found out how much had been exposed? She glanced at Xander, who held her hand as they walked to their lockers. When they reached their lockers, Melanie realized why everyone was staring: Aiden Williams was walking alongside Principal Johnson. Aiden approached Xander, who greeted him warmly. "Welcome, small uncle."
Aiden gazed at Melanie. "Who is this?" he asked.
Xander replied, "This is my girlfriend, Melanie Bates."
"Bates?" Aiden repeated. "The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Bates?"
Xander nodded. "Yes, small uncle."
Aiden turned to Melanie and offered his condolences. "I'm sorry for your loss, Melanie."
Melanie looked at Aiden Williams, taking in his chiseled face, almond eyes, and well-carved body. No wonder he's called THE Aiden Williams, she thought.
Snapping back to reality, Melanie replied, "Thank you, Mr. Williams."
Aiden left with the principal. Everyone surrounded Melanie, asking her various questions. She smiled politely, refusing to answer.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the first class of the semester. The teachers noticed Melanie's distractions during class but attributed them to her recent loss. "I hope she's okay," they said.