Esme stepped back abruptly in disbelief.Her eyes danced between his two hateful eyes that she had never seen before. His lips formed a smile but one could clearly say that the smile contained only hatred and distrust for her.

Momentarily she lost her own words and kept staring at his face trying to read his inner thoughts.

Did he really think that I have played with him in that days?

She lowered her gaze trying to stable her bewildered mind and he continued stepping near slowly, 

” Did you really treat me as a toy of yours? I waited every day for you but you never appeared in front of me. Why Serena? You didn’t even bother to inform me once. You know what I waited for you in all these years.”

He continued sneering,

” Now you appeared in front of me with my friend as your husband. How the hell you got married with him? Do you know anything about him? “

He shouted bursting out his anger and rage, 

” Why didn’t you say a goodbye to me at least?

Why Serena? Why? Am I nobody in your 

heart? “

Esme shouted back as hot tears started falling down through her cheeks,

” Shut up, Ron. Shut up.. I know, I know I have let you down. But please believe me that I had no way out to find you or inform you once. You know nothing about me. “

His expression eased back a little and a hard frown appeared on his darkened face. Esme slowed down, taking a long breathe and explained looking through his eyes,

” After I came back to my home, something big happened in my life. I always wanted to inform you but I wasn’t in that mental state to think about you.”

She turned around and continued looking outside,

” I’m banned from my own world, my own family Ron. All my powers has been sealed up by my mother and they abandoned this unfaithful daughter of them.Later I came to live in human world like a normal mortal and tried to contact with you many times.No one knows about us even not my second brother. Thus I couldn’t find a way to tell you that I can’t come to meet you anymore. If they found out about my connection with a vampire, they would have punished you too along with me.”

She was breathless as she finished her words and wiped the teardrops from her pale cheeks. Ron was in disbelief as he kept staring at her back in gobsmacked. 

He never imagined that Esme had gone through such difficulties. All the while, he thought that she didn’t value him even as a friend and disappeared from his life without saying anything. Still he used to wait for her in their discerned place once in a week but he never got the chance of seeing her again.

Everytime he tried to console himself telling that she wouldn’t come back ever but something hold him tightly. His disobedient mind still continued waiting for her badly even though he knew that there was no hope existed into it.

His eyes melted and flashed with pain for her realising that how much pain she had received from her own people.He gently stepped forward and asked curiously putting his hand on her shoulder,

” Can you tell me that what happened back then, Serena? How did you end up marrying Aaron?”

His eyes flashed with murderous intent as he asked coldly,

” Or did he force to marry you? Tell me everything. Don’t be afraid. I am here with you.”

Esme’s body jolted at his burning question as she clutched the hem of her clothes tightly. Even though he was mentioning the truth but her mind unknowingly didn’t cooperate with the thought that Aaron should be hated by his best friend. 

She couldn’t deny the truth that though their marriage was forceful and without love or mutual agreement,he never treated her badly. Now at this moment, she started getting afraid that one day her heart would betray her brain by falling for Aaron. 

Esme shook her head slightly and denied wisely,

” I’m sorry, Ron. I can’t disclose this matters with you. As for what happened back then, it is still a secret and I want to keep it a secret. I admit that my marriage with Aaron is complicated but I want to handle it by myself. I just need a favour from you.”

Ron’s eyes dimmed a little and tried to read her mind silently. But Esme was too determined to not speaking anything. Thus he gave up trying and nodded with assuringly,

” I respect your opinion, Serena. If you don’t want to mention anything, then I won’t force you. I’m willing to help you as long as you want.”

Esme smiled back with gratitude turning around and said,

” You never changed Ron and I’m forever grateful to you.”

Ron shook his head disagreeing and answered,

” No, I owe you. You saved my life, Esme. In return, if I can do a little for you, my heart will be in peace..”

He stepped nearer closing the small gap between them as his words came out like a whisper yet determined,

” I’m willing to do anything just to see your smile like before. “

Esme looked back at his face and suddenly felt discomfort in her heart.

Why didn’t she feel this discomfort when Aaron flirts with her?

This question became a big obstacle in her mind as she smiled slightly before recalling something.

Her expression turned serious and her wet lips parted apart to speak up,

” Ron, I need to know about the Reisan Hallow.”

His expression seemed a horrified one as he asked knitting his eyebrows as his green eyes flashed with astounded,

” What!! How do you know about Reisan Hallow?”

Downstairs,

The chit-chat continued for a long time and no one paid so much attention to the fact that Ron hadn’t come down after playing his last card. Fenic was too impatience thus they went for another round without Ron.

Dennis clapped his hand laughing hilariously and urged pointing at another bottle,

” Come on, king Aaron. You have lost another round. Be a good boy and finish the bottle quickly.”

Edward ushered and the others joined him pestering, 

” Come on brother. Don’t waste your time.”

Aaron sighed helplessly and put down the cards annoyingly before reaching out for the wine.

He unsnaped the snicker and took a quick long gulp holding his breathe. As soon as the liquor went down into his stomach, his expression turned black and blue. 

He glared at those busy bodies and asked frowning, 

” What was that? It’s so rough. I might get drunk terribly if I finish it.” 

Fenic winked and replied teasingly,

” So what? It will be more fun for you to pleasure sister-in-law at your drunken state.”

Aaron glared back and something flashed across his mind thus he asked with concern,

” How long you want to play? Esme should take a nap. It’s already midnight. I should go and check on her. “

Edward instantly hold him back and urged,

” No, you have to finish your drink first. Sister-in-law is resting in a room upstairs. Why are you going to bother her? You can take her back once we finish our game. “

Aaron nodded with understanding and under their persistent, he attempted to finish the liquor once again.

On the contrary, Vanessa was left alone in a corner. Her face seemed in rage as he glared at them hatefully. Everyone treated her like a piece of trash and didn’t even bother to look at her especially Aaron. At first, she requested them to let her join in the game but the boy, Fenic mocked her ability terribly and didn’t let her join. Thus she could only stay there like an abandoned person. 

That bitch is resting upstairs like a queen, damn it..!

Suddenly her gaze dimmed at the sight of his drunken face. Everytime Aaron took a sip, his face turned a bit red as the alcohol started making him intoxicated. Even his drunken state, he hold the same domineering aura of his face and seemed more handsome than usual. Her lips formed into an evil smirk as she continued staring at his face deeply.

On the other side…

MOONSHINE CASTLE,

For the first time in recent days, Athena didn’t leave her room for the human world. She stayed in her bedroom obediently and read some old books.

But her mind wasn’t in ease. Each time, she looked back at the mechanic clock, her heart throbbed and panicked at hesitance. 

She has already made up her mind that she won’t meet with Ethan ever. But what if he waits for her?

Finally she threw the book aside and got up from the bed annoyingly. No matter how much she tried, her mind didn’t sober up instead fell in great discomfort.

She sighed helplessly and started pacing back and forth holding her forehead.

Why can’t I get rid of Ethan from my head?I just have met him few days back, jeez.

After an unknown time, the mechanic clock dinged loudly snatching her attention from the window side. She looked up and saw the time had reached at 12:00 A.M.

Her face sank again as she recalled her debt to him. She promised him that she would help him finding out his sister but the task was still undone. 

Did I become too selfish because of my own scars and pains? 

Her mind displayed the dull face of Ethan when he mentioned about her missing sister. Her mind didn’t sober up thus she reached towards the closet slowly.