FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

"I needed space, so I took a break to spend some alone time in peace. Is that a crime now?" He asked incredulously. Alastair eyed him with an exhausted sigh, and Johnathan rolled his eyes. "Come on, brother, don't pretend like you didn't have your men monitor my every move. If they missed any information by any chance, I'm sure our dear father has the detail report on his desk. He'll be pleased to share and help you with that," he said with a deadpan face. 

"Father informed me that you disappeared as soon as I left. I've to keep a record of your every move to prepare myself in advance to get you out of trouble if the situation gets difficult," Alastair retaliated and didn't bother to hide his disapproval. 

"Do you miss him?" Johnathan asked, and his brother frowned, not understanding his sudden question. "Your best friend," he supplied, helpfully before Alastair could ask who. His lips twitched in a dry smile followed by a scoff. "I was fulfilling just my duties, John. I'm obligated to my responsibilities.. Alex wouldn't understand my point of view. I sacrificed my everything, yet he called me selfish," Alastair said, gazing into Alexander's eyes on one of the portraits. 

Johnathan laughed in dry humour. "You can hardly call it a sacrifice, brother because you stubbornly gave up everything to keep your tittle of a dutiful son," he stated. "Of course, he would call you selfish, because you are," Johnathan said, shaking his head in disappointment. 

Their father, Christopher, disapproved Alastair's friendship with Alexander from the very moment he discovered his connections with the Mafia. It didn't help much that his best friend was himself the Lord of that crime world. His father was worried that his close acquaintance with Alexander would bring disgrace to his name and tarnish his royal status. 

Though Christopher knew how madly Alexander was in love with Felicity, he always accused him of having an illicit relationship with Mariana. He tried his best to break them up because he wanted Felicity married to one of his sons. It didn't even matter to him that she doesn't have royal blood in her system or didn't hold any noble title to her name. Because she came from money and her father was the diamond merchant. 

One could say, Felicity grew up playing on the pile of diamonds. It came in abundant quantity. She'd further impressed him by gifting him her first-ever designed crown, studded with diamonds. But to Christopher's disappointment, one day out of the blue, she got married to Alexander. 

Being the crown prince comes with an inevitable disadvantage. Alastair was the next in line for the throne, and he couldn't just say no when his father demanded his loyalty to his crown, to his people, to his country. He'd to cut off all his connections with his best friends and lose them forever. 

Alexander didn't know the full story behind Alastair's decision to abandon their friendship. Christopher Castellanos was not a good man, and he'd committed plenty of sins. Alastair couldn't risk Alexander's life and agreed to his father's every absurd command to stop him from killing Alexander. 

His freedom, his happiness, his dreams, nothing weighed more value than Alexander's life. 

"It doesn't matter, John. I made sure that all my friends are safe and that's all I ever wanted," he said with a satisfied smile, there were no regrets and Johnathan smiled sadly at his brother. "Alexander is the devil every living being is afraid of, and if you think he needed your protection, then you're a fool," he stated the obvious and Alastair agreed.

"Did you honestly believe he couldn't handle our father?" Johnathan asked. Alastair sighed as he touched his own signature scribbled on his favourite photo hanging on the wall, displaying Alexander's happy family. Alastair had made two copies of that picture and gifted one to Felicity. He captured it without them knowing when they were busy entertaining their little boy, that's why their backs faced the camera. It was a perfect candid moment, a precious memory. 

"I was more afraid because he could absolutely handle our father on his own. I didn't want either of them dead. It's better to not have him in my life than not having him alive," Alastair concluded. 

Almost compelled to be honest with his visit to London, Johnathan was on the verge of revealing the truth. But thankfully, he came back to his senses before he could dig his grave. Alastair would kill him if he knew what he did to best friend's family behind his back even before Alexander could get his hands on Johnathan. 

A charity event always turned out to be the best excuse, and Johnathan used it again to his advantage. 

IN GISELA'S BEDROOM, Helena played another sweet melody on her guitar while her cousin listened attentively. It was a surprise gift for Alastair's birthday she'd been preparing. "How is it?" She asked. Gisela nodded in approval. "Okay, dear cousin, I showed you my gift, and now it's your turn. Show me yours," Helena demanded. Giggling, her cousin walked into her closet and came back with her painting canvas board. 

"I can't show you Dad's gift yet because it's unfinished, but I'll show you something that you're more interested in," Gisela said before revealing the canvas to her. 

Helena parted her lips in surprise, and her eyes widened before her palms covered her mouth. Then, after a few seconds, she grabbed one of Gisela's pillows and screamed into it while her cousin laughed at her overdramatic reaction. 

"My God! Gisela, it's beautiful," she said, staring at the purple eyes which stared back from the canvas. "It looks so real," she whispered in awe, admiring its beauty. Gisela seemed to be unable to stop giggling. She's a skilful painter, and Helena was good with drawing charcoal sketches and shading. They both had the habit of completing each other's work. 

Helena had drawn a sketch, and now Gisela filled it with paint, adding more lively colours, making it come alive. "He looks so wonderful I already started missing him, Gisela,"  she said, fluttering her eyes dreamily before giggling along. 

"Did he accept your request yet?" Gisela asked, and Helena sighed in disappointment, shaking her head in reply. 

They both spent their summer holidays in New York last July. It was hard for them to enjoy the holidays in their own country because of their high status. They were royalty, after all. An evening in the club, without guards hovering over them was all they needed and they managed to keep their security at bay for a few nights while their stay at New York City. 

Gisela was barely fifteen, and Helena was sixteen. Their underage status forbids their entry to nightclubs. Luckily the hotel they stayed in had a club inside, and their guards managed to get the girls access. They couldn't stop dancing the whole night. It was pure fun until they searched for the girl's toilet. 

Some big boys who were absolute strangers blocked their way out in the toilet and started harassing them. Their guards were out of earshot, and girls couldn't call them for help. Terrified, Helena sobbed when the drunk teenage boys pushed her against the wall, and Gisela screamed for help. Their touch started to turn dirty. Another boy grabbed Gisela and tried to kiss her. Suddenly, the door opened, and someone peeked inside. Luckily her scream had been heard it seemed.

Gisela screamed her lungs out, begging for help while looking into the most beautiful purple eyes she's ever seen. After a few seconds, the boy who entered at the right moment like a knight in shining armour started throwing his fists and kicking his legs.

Within a few minutes, he took them all down, all alone by himself. He was a good fighter, trained for years no doubt. He helped Helena consoling her with soothing words when she looked traumatised. Gisela ran out to call her guards, and by the time she came back, Helena was in his arms. He carried her out and stayed with them until he felt it's safe to leave them alone. 

From that very moment, both of them liked that boy. It was love at first sight experience for them, and they decided whoever wins his heart first will get to keep him. But unfortunately, they never saw him again during their stay in New York, and stupidly enough, they forgot the introduction part. 

One thing both the cousins had in common was a trait they learned from their cunning grandfather. That's never to quit until you win, and since then they kept on finding ways to find and reach him. 

They'd heard his friends call him by name Ace and that's enough to search him on social media, but without the last name, it wasn't an easy task to find the right Ace. Eventually, they succeeded and found him on Instagram, but his account was private. Both of them had sent him request months ago, and they're still waiting for him to give access. 

Sitting together on the edge of the bed, they both kept staring at the painting, admiring the angelic look. Helena sighed, admitting how she couldn't wait to meet him again and Gisela couldn't stop describing how handsome he was. They agreed how he was everything a girl dreams to have in her lover. They remembered how hot he looked while fighting those assholes, like a hero in an action movie. They beamed, remembering how beautiful his smile was.