"The whole thing is a flop, a sham, Alora. We never sanctioned it and as far as I am concerned, you are not married. This is illegal" These were Alora's cousin, Molitta, harsh words to her which left her confused and unable to decide the truth to follow. Registering victory, Molitta went on to taunt Alora. "We are your lawful guardian, Alora. You cannot just marry yourself out. Phew... such insolence" "No... there... I..." Alora stuttered helplessly. "What can you say, stupid?" Molitta cussed. Alora drew back in defeat. She cast her head down and cursed herself for not knowing that she could never get away from them even after getting married to Hanson. "Let me handle this, honey" Hanson offered but Alora was not about to let him get into another fight with her cousin. Molitta chuckled annoyingly. "And what can he do? I will definitely hand him over to the authorities for trespass" She paused. "Criminal trespass" "This here is our certificate, Molitta. Alora is above the age of eighteen and this here is legal" He held the marriage certificate up for all to see. Alora's aunt, Carol, gasped as she finally confirmed that the marriage was real. Molitta drew back in shock, her eyes opened wide in revulsion as she stared at the certificate. She gnashed her teeth and clenched her fist in fury. "You only did this to escape your marriage to Sir Edgar of house Keil, you hypocrite. It was just a little task. To save our house Steele from doom" Molitta accused. â
Chapter 1 PROLONG
PROLONG
"Where do I take you this time, sir Randall?" John, the chauffeur, asked his young master who had been silent since he scurried into the car a couple of minutes ago. This has become a regular question between the duo.
Hanson Randall looked out the car window and glanced at the wild nightlife of the big busy city for the last time before rolling up the rear door glass. Tonight he will be leaving Willowy Heights for good, once again distancing himself from the scary imprints of his own shadow.
"Drive, John. Take me to somewhere very far from here" he muttered, finally agreeing that he will not miss a thing about this place. Just like every other city that he has been to for the past couple of months, Willowy Heights will be shoved at the back of his mind, never to be spoken of. He put on his dark shades and in his usual manner adjusted the strands of his hair to sit perfectly. "Just somewhere very few legs have been, John" he clarified.
At the moment, he could not think of the perfect isolated destination and decided to rely on fate, realizing that if he wanted to remain completely hidden and live very far away from the world he had become accustomed to, he must go somewhere he had never imagined.
"Sure Don Lloyd would never be able to find you this time, sir" The chauffeur nodded satisfactorily. "Please be prepared to spend long days and even longer nights on this ride" he warned.
"And... and the car?" Hanson Randall murmured.
"I'd arranged a different ride with an entirely new identity" the enthusiastic chauffeur revealed. "By morning" he added almost immediately.
Impressed, Hanson Randall nodded. As the car drove through the streets of the clamorous city, Hanson Randall pulled out his SIM card from his phone and placed it in his breast pocket.
The chauffeur who had been watching his boss' moves from the rearview mirror asked. "Are you going to be without a phone, sir Randall?" However, he would not be surprised if the answer should be in the positive.
Hanson Randall nodded indifferently. "John, see to it that everything is well taken care of. I want no mistake this time" he ordered firmly.
â
1...
Alora was dazed as she stared helplessly at the stranger who had just majestically stepped down from the red latest 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4X4.
He was cute, and for obvious reasons, Alora's breath hitched at the mere sight of him. She could not find the use of her nose but was nevertheless unbothered that she might suffer some suffocation if her eyes lasted a little more on the stranger.
The harsh rays of the mid-summer sun scorched through her navy blue short-sleeve flowing gown and pierced her delicate butter-colored skin which had turned brown from years of extreme hard labor.
Nevertheless, she felt a flutter inside. Butterflies hopping in her tiny belle. She is completely lost at the sight of this perfect human across the road and does not desire to keep her eyes away even if it is to escape the wrath of the agonizing sun.
Standing at over six feet, this stranger's aura exhumed authority as he stood tall and distinguished from the figures scampering around the busy vicinity. He was well built, and his huge masculine figure fitted perfectly in his dark gray suit. His short rich, soft ebony hair was expertly styled with every strand sitting perfectly in its place.
Both he and the cool ride he arrived in stood out in the vicinity.
Leaning on the wrangler with his right hand in a dominating posture, he tilted the corners of his dark shades to survey the surrounding environment in a domineering manner. It was typical for Alora to hate his guts, but for reasons beyond her comprehension, she could not bring herself to do so.
Anxiety crawled up her throat when the stranger's gaze finally fell on her. He took off his shades as he focused on her and for the first few seconds she was unsure of how to react but soon regained her composure and forced out a wry smile when he did not take his gaze away soon enough.
When he was done checking her out, he turned to the driver, and after exchanging some words with him, the driver zoomed off.
Alora inhaled in delight as she caught the last glimpse of the car, and then she pinched herself to be sure that the perfect stranger across the road was real and not in her dream.
Now she was glad that she did not ride the horse today.
Providence is a small town of a few thousand local inhabitants and Alora having lived here all her life could tell that the stranger across the road is new in town.
It was like a dream when the stranger finally made his way to her. Her heart tried to slam out of her chest with a loud bang and she instantly regretted acting the way she did.
Her first impulse was to turn back and run off but her legs were stuck to the spot and all she could do was hope that the ground opens up and swallows her. Her palms became sweaty as she thought about who the stranger was and what he might want with her.
"Hello, who are you?" the stranger spoke.
Alora was mesmerized by the gentle sound of his deep bass voice and strong masculine fragrance. And when she opened her mouth to speak, she heard herself whisper. "I am the milkmaid," she said under her breath.
She knew she sounded foolish but she was completely helpless before him and could do nothing to remedy the situation.
"I mean do you reside here?" the stranger asked, cleverly ignoring her discomfort.
Alora helplessly murmured some inchoate words as she tried to avoid meeting his lazy hazel eyes which she found particularly intriguing.
"I am Hanson" the stranger introduced himself. "And this is my first time in Providence" he added politely, studying the lady in front of him. She was skittish and appeared to be afraid of her own shadow.
Alora was greatly impressed by his politeness and this helped ease her tension, but still, she could not say a word.
Receiving no response from Alora, Hanson went on. "I would like somewhere to stay, young lady" he paused, took a glance at her, and then mumbled. "Not a hotel..." he hesitated for a second. "...I mean I don't want such exposure. Just somewhere a little secluded" he clarified, unsure of if Alora was the best person to talk to about his desire.
Hearing his unusual request, Alora read out the signpost on the big building in front of them in her mind and before she could think it through, she found herself whispering. "City Mall"
"No, lady... not there"
Hanson chuckled as he gazed at the inflow and outflow of people in the city mall with the corner of his eye. Now he agreed that the lady in front of him was the worst person to relay his demand to.
"The City Mall is worse than a hotel in terms of privacy and they don't even offer accommodation" he mumbled to himself.
His eyes raked the frame of the local lady, and shaking his head in surrender he decided to be on his way. He figured that he should have known better considering how insanely she had stared at him from the onset.
"No, Hanson, don't go..."
Surprisingly the young lady called out to him. He hesitated at first before deciding to stop. He figured that he should at least hear her out.
Slowly, she took a deep breath before going on to explain. "I mean we can go to the City Mall. You desire some privacy and I cannot bring you home unless..." she suddenly stopped talking and cast her face downwards.
Alora was shy. She barely spoke to anyone and even when she does, she never says much.
"Unless what?" His gaze narrowed a little and as he awaited her response, the possible reason hit him.
"I marry you..." Hanson and Alora spoke at the same time.
Honestly, Alora could not tell what she was thinking offering not just to accommodate a total stranger but to marry him. To her, that might appear like the only way out, but she agreed that it was crazy.
However, in justification of her supposed madness, Alora posited that it was the only way out for the stranger who for some reason Alora does not care about was averse to lounging in a hotel.
Moreover, Alora, a young lady of twenty-one has all her life read so much about pretty princesses meeting their prince charming in the weirdest manners and living happily ever after.
Thus, Alora never stopped dreaming about meeting her prince charming someday and she had always fantasized about how such a meeting would be.
Hence, it is a dream come true for her to meet hers this way even though she isn't sure Hanson would truly be her prince charming. But then there was something unique about him that made Alora blithe.
Alora's life had not exactly been like those of the princesses she read about. In contrast, it was far from those. Since her parent's death, Alora had been made to live in the most deplorable condition by her paternal aunt, her husband, and their daughter.
It was her sad life that drew her to those fairy tale books. She finds solace in them and sees herself in those lonely princesses. Alora believes that just like them, she too will have a happily ever after someday.
This fact subconsciously informed Alora's desire to be joined to Hanson and she hoped that his arrival would change her story just like those of the princesses she had come to love.
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