Silas stepped into Brown's Bookshop, hoping to find something interesting.
Elsa standing in the book shelves spotted him immediately. With his light brown hair, fine masculine features, and broad shoulders, he moved with an effortless, charismatic vibe. He was tall, likely in his twenties, with dark brown eyes that held a quiet intensity. Dressed in a dark turtleneck and matching pants, he looked striking.
Men like him were most likely rich, she thought. He most likely has a girlfriend.
Determined not to get carried away by his looks, she turned back to her work. Meanwhile, Silas was browsing the shelves for a Victorian-era historical novel, struggling to find the right title among the dense rows.
Noticing his furrowed brow, Elsa walked over.
"Excuse me, sir," she said.
He turned. Elsa was medium height with brown eyes, she didn't even come up to his shoulders.
"Do you need help with your search?" she asked.
Meeting her gaze, Silas recognized her instantly. She was the woman who had bumped into him the other day—though she was clearly so rushed back then that she hadn't even realized it.
"I'm looking for a book from the Victorian era—something like a historical novel," he replied, his voice deep and attractive.
"They're on those shelves. I can take you there," she offered.
"Okay," he responded.
As they walked past a few rows, Silas didn't mind the previous collision; she had clearly just been in a hurry. As she led the way, Elsa caught a faint whiff of his expensive, enticing cologne.
"It's over here," she said, gesturing to the section. Silas pulled a volume from the shelf.
"If that's all, sir, I'll be going," Elsa said, wanting to keep her distance.
"Yes, thanks," he replied without looking up.
Nodding, she walked away, glad she had helped. Silas browsed the rows of Victorian romance and historical fiction, picked up a classic, added a romance novel to his stack, and headed to the counter to pay.
As she returned to tidying the shelves, Elsa's mind drifted. A rich, handsome boyfriend... it would be nice to have one. But reality quickly set in. The only man she had spent time with was Jordin—and they were nothing serious. Those rich guys never hit on commoners. They only flock together.
Feeling a sudden wave of sadness, she wondered if a wealthy, kind-hearted man would ever care for someone like her. She dreamed of a partner who was loving, good-natured, rich, and handsome—yet she desperately wanted to avoid feeling desperate or clinging to the wrong person.
She quickly dismissed the thought. She wasn't ready for a relationship anyway; she was simply too busy. Then, the thought of Jordin crept back in. He likely had a serious girlfriend, and she was just someone he used for physical release. The realization made her chest ache, convincing her that her dream romance was completely out of reach.
Outside, it was a partly cloudy day, with birds darting past high-rise office windows. Seated on a plush couch in her lavish home, Priscilla held her phone to her ear.
"How are you doing, Aaron?" she asked her son.
On the other end of the line, Aaron Wayne sat in his office overlooking the city. In his early thirties, with neat brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a fit, healthy build, he was tall and was dressed in a crisp blue shirt, currently sifting through a stack of documents for a team assignment.
"Good, Mum. And you?" he asked, wondering why she was calling in the middle of a busy workday.
"Fine, I'm fine."
"What about Dad?"
"Your dad's fine. I was meaning to tell you—our grandchildren haven't come over to see us or spend time with us lately," Priscilla said lightly.
Aaron had to admit she had a point. "I'll see to that, Mum."
"See to that, really? I don't understand why Fred and I should be kept from seeing our grandchildren. It isn't fair, Aaron. It's quite annoying," she said, her tone sharpening with hurt.
Priscilla firmly believed that Aaron's wife, was intentionally keeping the children away from their grandparents.
"I'm sorry about that. It's going to be taken care of, Mum," Aaron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as the mountain of paperwork loomed before him.
"It should be. And it's definitely Natalia who doesn't want us seeing them—what was her name again?" Priscilla muttered, she wasn't sure if that was her daughter-in- law name because she didn't even want to know her name.
"That's not true, Mum," Aaron countered, eager to clear up the unfair accusation. His wife was simply overwhelmed with childcare.
"Well, that's how I see it. She's a snobby thing, though—" Priscilla nearly let slip the word annoying.
"Mum, my wife is a nice woman. She is trying her best taking care of the kids," Aaron explained firmly.
"She could hire a nanny," Priscilla retorted, still airing her grievances.
Aaron understood why Natalia refused to leave the children out of her sight—she was simply a protective mother trying to keep them safe.
"She doesn't need one. I'm fine with her handling it herself," Aaron said.
"Clearly, it doesn't seem that way to me," Priscilla stated, clearly annoyed.
Aaron let out a quiet sigh, well aware of his mother's deep-seated bias against his wife. "You don't have to worry. The kids will come visit you."
"Great. Fred would love that," Priscilla said grumpily.
Knowing he needed to get back to work, Aaron ended the call. "I'll call you later, Mum."
"Take care, son," she replied, her tone suddenly softening with motherly affection.
"Bye, Mum."
"Bye, Aaron."
With that, the call ended. Aaron rubbed his temples. He knew his mother misunderstood Natalia, and he hated the friction between them. He would need to gently break the news to Natalia so she wouldn't be caught off guard by his mother's demands.
As the second son of the wealthy Wayne family and Silas's older brother, Aaron managed his own company and several firms, he is honest, hardqorking and good natured. Meanwhile, back on her couch, Priscilla decided she wouldn't just wait for Aaron; she would call Natalia herself to arrange the visit. After all, what harm was there in asking?
Back at the spacious family home, Natalia Wayne cradled ten-month-old Diana in her arms. In her mid-twenties with long brunette hair, almond-shaped eyes, and a gentle temperament, she possessed a healthy, graceful figure.
Her phone lit up with an incoming call from Priscilla. Natalia stomach clenched, instantly dreading what the conversation would be about knowing her mother-in-law in was always biased towards her.
Swiping to answer, she heard her mother-in-law's voice.
"Oh, Natalia, how have you been?" Priscilla asked, though her tone made it clear she cared little for Natalia herself—only for the children.
"Fine, Mother. And you, Priscilla?" Natalia replied politely, acknowledging her husband's mother.
"Fine. I was just wondering how the kids are. How are they?"
"They're good."
"I was calling to tell you the kids should come over. I haven't seen them in a while now," Priscilla stated directly.
Diana squirmed in Natalia's arms, trying to break free, and Natalia pulled her close.
"Oh, that's true. I will definitely bring them over," Natalia agreed, hoping to keep the peace.
Priscilla brightened immediately. "Excellent! That would be lovely. I can't wait to see my little Diana and Marcus."
"Yes, Priscilla. I'll bring them next week," Natalia promised.
"Okay, definitely," Priscilla agreed.
"Thanks for calling, Mother," Natalia said gracefully, despite knowing Priscilla only called out of obligation to her grandchildren rather than affection for her. She preferred keeping things smooth rather than awkward.
"Sure, no problem," Priscilla said happily before cutting straight to the point of ending the conversation. "Bye, Mum."
"Yes, bye. Until next week," Priscilla said, and the line went dead.
Natalia let out a long sigh. She would have to pack up the kids for a trip to the family estate next week. She also made a mental note to tell Aaron about the call when he got home. She knew he would support the visit but not his mother's biased nature, after all it was important for the children to see their grandparents and Natalia was aware Aaron desperately wanted to keep the peace between her and his mother. Though he was painfully aware of his mother's deep-seated bias against her, he firmly opposed and thoroughly disliked it, he continually walked a tightrope, hoping to smooth over friction and preserve harmony in his family.
Meanwhile Priscilla was immensely relieved that Natalia agreed easily, she liked it that way.