Her Return

It was getting to dawn and Milli Logan was done with her duty at the orphanage. She's the matron of the city orphanage and on that particular day, she worked on a night shift.

She walked out of the gate of the orphanage and felt she heard a faint cry of a baby.

She smiled. She was addicted to her kids at the orphanage that while away from them, she could still hear their cries in her mind.

But taking another step, she heard the cry again. Then she paused. This is not her imagination,nor is she hearing the baby's cry in her mind.

She was hearing it with her ears. She looked back at the orphanage and then like an intuition, she looked sideways and saw swaddling clothes and it seemed she saw the clothes shake.

She shook for fear. She started walking gently towards the swaddling clothes and the baby's cry seemed to be louder than before.

She went and looked further and was shocked when she saw it was a baby.

"A baby!" Milli exclaimed.

She dropped her bag and without a second thought, she carried the baby. The little fellow had sobbed and started sniffling.

Millie's eyes went moist. Was this baby abandoned by his mother? Was he given birth to by a human being or a wild animal?

She saw the baby's face had become reddish. He needed to be taken care of immediately. She looked around but couldn't find the trace of who might have left him there.

She rushed back into the orphanage and went straight to the nursery section. The other employees were surprised to see her rushed back in with a baby in her hand.

"Please call the doctor immediately,"Milli Logan ordered. She quickly unwrapped the baby and gave him over to a nanny to bathe.

Soon the nanny returned and said "it's a girl"

"A girl?" Milli Logan was surprised. He thought the baby was a boy. A woman gave birth to her gender and threw her away?

What a cruel world

Soon the doctor came and went in to attend to the baby. In less than an hour, the doctor came out of the nursery section.

"She's fine now. She's been fed and already asleep" he said with a smile.

Milli Logan smiled. She's glad that the baby is fine. She's glad that she found the baby. She's glad that she's still fine and alive.

She will spend the rest of her life looking after her until she grows up, capable of looking after herself.

That feeling of motherhood overtook Milli Logan and she made up her mind to see that the little fellow experiences the love of a mother.

"What do we call her ?" The nanny asked.

"Call her Aurora"

Twenty two years later

Jasper Milo looked at the traffic light as it turned green and quickly stepped on the accelerator, increasing its speed as he raced towards his destination. His boss, Santiago Axel, had ordered him to drive to the old manor in 30 minutes against the usual 45 minutes drive .

Santiago Axel was seated in the back seat. On his thigh was a laptop and he was working on it. Santiago is the CEO of the Axel groups. Apart from being extremely devoted to his work, he was an eye candy to the female species and a prayer point to men. He is tall and handsome with a powerful aura. He threw a glance at Aurora Logan who seemed to be deep in her thoughts that she missed his gaze.

Santiago was heading to the old manor. He termed it old cause he no longer lived there but still considered the place his home. His mother had called him to come over for lunch. He had refused with an excuse of having too much work on his desk but his mother insisted that he must come saying it was his grandfather's orders.

Santiago looked to his side where Aurora Logan sat, still in silence and lost in her world of thoughts. Santiago replayed their first meeting in his head, quite a funny and cliche meeting that happened in movies and rom-coms.

He'd been attending a business party one evening where he was a VIP and she was just a waitress. He was Supposed to be drugged but she literally saved his life even if he pulled a fast one on her, something you could easily term that day as lack of appreciation. To say the least, he wasn't quite the gentleman the first day they met.

"Penny for your thoughts?" his voice brought her out of her thoughts as she turned to face him, hiving off a faint smile.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" she asked jokingly with a smile and shook her head in the negative denying claims of any thoughts. But Santiago knew her so well. She was the type to conceal her feelings. You could term her as an extremely private person.

Santiago eyed her small frame and drew her closer to him which earned a small squeak from her as it was a Sudden and unexpected action.

"Calm down" he ordered in a calm voice as he placed her head on his torso which she peacefully complied to, while shutting his laptop.

"Rest" he kissed the top of her head as she snuggled into him. He stared at her silently and lovingly. Aurora Logan wasn't just a secretary to him.

She was the love of his life and everything he wanted to keep and protect. She belonged to him. Soon they arrived at the old manor and he gently woke Aurora Logan so they could go in.

Their ears were met with loud laughter from feminine voices deep in a conversation. His mothers laughter rang out into different parts of the manor. They walked till they got to the sitting room where Madam Axel was seated all poised.

Madam Axel was seated on the exquisite and obviously expensive cushions that decorated the living room. Her fingers intertwined with small, fragile and tender looking ones belonging to the girl seated .

As soon as the girl saw Santiago, she smiled at him "Hello brother Santiago" and stood up to walk toward him for a hug. But Santiago neither replied nor looked toward her direction. He treated her as air.

He walked past her, evading the hug and held Aurora's hand as if he was afraid of losing her.

"Hello mum" Santiago said and without taking a glance at his mother's facial expression, he walked towards the dinning.

Rather than answer, Madam Axel's displeasure was visibly felt. The other girl saw it too and froze.

She had heard that Santiago had a rumored girlfriend but now she saw how affectionate he treated her, displaying their love so openly.

"Santiago, why did you come along with this unwanted guest? I remembered telling you to come alone" Madam Axel scolded her son.

She doesn't know why her own son will defy her orders simply because of this smelly, low class gold digger.

A son should listen to his mother and not be carried away by that feeling of infatuation he called love. Santiago has completely lost his mind and it's all because of this thing he goes about with.

But on the contrary, Santiago was not angry at all but offered a seat at the dinner to Aurora and sat down before saying "oh... and now that we are here, let's have lunch then" he seemed to deliberately annoy his mother.

"Eve Diego had been waiting for you" Madam Axel tried to remind Santiago that Miss Diego was here and had come because of him.

Eve Diego had been a junior to Santiago at high school. Both of their families had been friends for over two decades. In order to strengthen their families bond, they got them engaged when they were both teenagers.

At that time, Santiago had kicked against it. He had made it clear that he couldn't find himself falling in love with Eve Diego, it was something unrealistic.

But his grandfather, like every elder in a family, prevailed. He insisted that Santiago has no say in the matter but just to do whatever he is instructed to do.

At that time, the Axel business both home and abroad were experiencing some crisis and almost went bankrupt, it was the Eve group who helped them back to their feet.

In appreciation, the old master of the Axel family promised to marry Eve Diego to his grandson Santiago.

That was in the past, now Santiago had grown up a handsome charming bachelor and Eve Diego had returned back from abroad having completed her studies and ready to be by Santiago's side as his wife.

Aurora Logan was very uncomfortable coming to Santiago's home. He had insisted she come along, she can't keep shying away from a battle she was going to fight to be by his side.

Now, she could feel the hostile stares from Santiago's mother and grandfather. They seemed to be throwing daggers at her.

Santiago's arranged fiance was also there. She definitely would be cursing her beneath her breath with utmost hatred.

"Aunt, you've scolded brother Santiago enough because of me. Why don't we just sit and have our lunch peacefully" Eve Diego said, holding Madam Axel's hand and giving it a soft squeeze..

If this trash here is the rumored girlfriend of Santiago, that made him not to as much as throw a glance at her, she will find a way of moving her out of her paths, she will put the trash where it rightfully belongs, in the trash bin she assured herself.

"Father had made no mistake, you are the right girl for Santiago, the one who will give our Axel family a heir," Madam Axel said and patted Eve Diego's hand. At the same time, sounding a warning to Aurora Logan who Eve Diego is to the Axel family.

Santiago picked dishes for Aurora before he started eating. He paid no attention to what his mother and Eve Diego said.

That way , they ate their lunch peacefully except for the occasional vicious stare from Eve Diego and an irritating glance from Madam Axel.

Aurora chewed her food quietly as if she was afraid to be caught chewing. She didn't want to follow Santiago there, but he insisted that she would come.

She's a poor girl who doesn't have what it takes to struggle with the wealthy. She just wants to live her life peacefully.

After the meal, the old master asked Aurora Logan to excuse them; he would want to have a private talk with his family. She bowed gently and left to wait in the sitting room.

Resting his hand on his walking stick, grandpa Axel said...