THE ROMANO'S MANSION
Rona and Sitara entered Maliah's room without knocking and she glared from where she was sitting doing her night skin care routine.
"What are you two doing here without knocking?" She asked with the glare still on her face.
"Sorry sis" Sitara chuckled and sat down on her bed.
"Get out of my bed,there's a couch" Maliah snapped.
"You need to learn how to calm down sometimes, the fuck?" Rona scoffed and Maliah scoffed.
They both left her bed and sat down on the couch.
"So what's the news?" Maliah asked.
"We saw Diora earlier,aren't you curious about her?" Rona asked.
"What's there to be curious about? Even Kitra doesn't know who she is, isn't it obvious that her so called husband doesn't give a shit about her? She's still the same sneaky and shaking dumb sister we had" Maliah rolled her eyes.
"But she was shopping? How come? I'm curious about that. You know she never leave this house when we were living together" Sitara said.
"I don't understand why you're stressing me over such minor issues, have you heard mom or dad talk about her ever since she left? Don't bring her up at all, thinking about her only annoys me even more" Maliah said.
"Anyways, I can't wait to resume school. The parties are what I've missed the most" Rona groaned.
"Should we host the first week party?" Maliah faced them completely.
"Hmm, things you love" Sitara said and they laughed.
"Should we host a pool party? I know a perfect place, you should inform Kitra too,you know she would love it" Rona said.
"Yeah I know, I'm gonna tell her tomorrow,we're meeting"
"Meeting again? Why?" Rona asked.
"We are getting our hair and nails done" Maliah winked and flaunt her hair.
"Good for you, Sitara and I will go do the same together too" Rona said and Sitara immediately nodded.
"Your problems,now outta my room" Maliah faced the mirror back.
"Goodnight" Sitara and Rona stood up and walked out of the room.
✰
"Hurry up Oceane, my class starts in two hours and you know how long the drive is from here to the school" Diora mumbled while staring at Oceane through the mirror straightening her hair and making it all shinny.
"I just want you to be the prettiest in school today, just continue eating and stop checking time every minute" Oceane said.
"Hmm" Diora nodded and continue eating.
"I noticed I'm getting fat already thanks to you, but I'm not even hungry...." She paused when she saw Oceane glaring through the mirror.
"Okay okay sorry, but must I eat avocado everyday with my meals....??"
"Are you kidding me? It has enough healthy fats and calories that you need,not just for body weight again, but in the right places too" Oceane smirked.
"I see" Diora faked a laughter.
"Good, nice, all done. You look pretty, your outfit is so good and perfect, make sure you get a friend today and take pictures" Oceane smiled.
Diora smiled and finished eating,she got up and adjusted her clothes then checked her shoes again.
"Here" Oceane handed over her bag to her, everything inside.
"Make sure you drink your milk, I told you to never skip anything I give you right?"
"I understand, and I won't skip lunch too,I promise" Diora muttered.
"Good, take care of yourself mi lady" She bowed.
"Indeed" Diora scoffed seeing her bow.
"Sorry" Oceane mumbled and they both laughed.
"Bye Lolly!!" Diora rubbed the kitten's fur before going out with Oceane.
They met one of the guards already waiting outside Diora's suite, he immediately bowed when he saw Diora.
"Good morning"
"Hi" Diora waved with a soft smile.
"I will be driving you to school from now on, or anywhere else you want to go" He said.
"Oh, nice meeting you" Diora said and brought her hand forward for a shake which he took and dropped right away.
"You can go now Ocean" Diora said as the guard took Diora's bag.
"Have fun" Oceane waved.
Diora nodded and followed the guard to one of the countless cars parked in the garage, he opened the back door for her and she got in, he dropped her bag beside her too and went to take his own space in front,then started the car.
"What's your name?" Diora asked as they drove out of the castle completely.
"Call me Martins" he answered.
"Nice name, Martins" Diora muttered.
"Do you have any idea if....My..." She paused,how is she supposed to call him? His name? Kyros? Or what?
"You mean the boss?" Martins asked.
"Yeah, you think he's home?" Diora asked.
"He left really early today, I think there's a meeting at the palace" Martins replied.
"Oh" Diora mumbled and sighed.
She didn't see him throughout yesterday,since he brought her home from the office the previous day, she haven't set her eyes on him.
Diora sighed and brought out her ipad, she already got all her study materials so she decided to go through the morning lecture before the actual class, to know something at least.
But thinking about it, she can't even express how happy she is,going to school. It's like her dream finally came true, she has always wanted to be a college student, with at least two friends,going to parties,having fun and taking pictures with her friends,just like every young adults,her life has been boring since she was brought to life, being a sick child and all, at least now she doesn't get sick anymore,but she doesn't do anything for fun.
Now she's married, at the age she never expected to get married, her actual age choice of getting married is twenty six or twenty seven. For now, dating would do.
She sighed out loudly and focused on what she was reading.
✰
"See you after class" Diora waved at Martins and he replied with a simple nod, watching as she walked away.
Diora checked out the class venue again with the map leading to the Art Faculty, she was getting it all well and at the same time feeding her eyes with the beautiful buildings and halls,including the students,they all look so good and now she's thinking Oceane inwardly for dressing her up well enough.
Suddenly ran past her and her ipad almost fell off but fortunately it didn't, the girl turned right away with a sorry look on her face.
"I'm so sorry pretty, sorry" she said.
"Oh it's okay, no problem" Diora said.
The girl smiled and made to leave but suddenly turned again, Diora raised her brows.
"Fresher right?" She asked.
"Yeah"
"Department?"
"Oh, Literature...."
"Oh my God, me too!" She said loudly that Diora almost flinched,but covered it with a smile.
"My name is Angela...Angela Rodriguez" she said with a smile and pulled her hair behind her ear.
"Oh, Diora Roma...." She immediately stopped.
"Diora Castillio" She told her.
"Oh wow, I've never seen any other Castillio aside the popular one everyone knows,cute. So we can be friends at least,are we late for the class?" Angela asked.
"We have ten minutes left, I'm trying to get the hall"
"Let's search together then" Angela chuckled brightly and walked in front.
Diora already liked her, she seems like the lively type,with her blonde hair and sharp face, just the type of girl Diora likes.
"Come on, walk faster. I need that 4.9GPA so bad" Angela grabbed Diora's hand.
"Really? Why badly?"
"I need to beat my brother, we made a bet" Angela said in a more deeper and serious voice.
"Oh"
"Yeah, I have a twin brother. He's in Medical, and he's been bragging that he will be the best in our set, I mean bro,just because he was the best in high school doesn't mean anything. But the silly brother of mine makes things harder for me when he only got one question wrong in the national college exam, but I'm going to show everybody I can do better" Angela fumes and Diora chuckled.
"Funny right? Let's study really hard, you need to see my brother,He's too proud for my liking" She scoffed.
After walking five more minutes, they found their lecture hall and joined other students inside already.
✰
The royal meeting just came to an end but nobody left the hall yet, the king, chefs,executives,ministers,even the governor and President were all present. The royal meeting happens once every month so everyone's always at the palace no matter what, especially now that an event is coming.
Kyros was the first to get up after having a short conversation with the king.
"Duke Kyros" One of the executives called and he frowned, but turned back anyway to see all eyes already on them.
"There's a rumor that you got a new wife, when are you planning to tell us?" He asked.
Kyros raised his brows.
"I didn't know I'm supposed to tell you about myself" He said.
"Oh, I don't mean it that way. But I guess you can't bring yourself to tell us" The man said.
"Meaning?" Kyros asked.
"Oh, I heard your wife is a young adult, like twenty?"
Everyone began to murmur.
Kyros scoffed and pushed his hands into his pockets.
"Oh, I see. You must have thought you and I are age mates" he muttered.
"Have you really forgotten? Your second son and I are age mates" he said with a dry chuckle and the man blinked.
Murmurs at the background.
"What's wrong with me having a young adult as my wife when I'm a young adult too? I can't say your IQ is kinda low,I won't say that,but you should think before you speak sometimes. If I'm gonna show you my wife or not, that's for me to decide, you don't have to know" Kyros said in a more angry voice and everyone became quiet.
"You are bringing her to the royal ball night right?" The king asked.
"I will decide that on my own later" Kyros replied and bowed shortly before walking out of the hall not giving a fuck about the murmurs coming from them.
"Boss" Timothy and Ryker immediately bowed when they saw him coming.
"Where am I going next? Can I cancel?" Kyros asked.
"No boss you can't, Dilara is definitely waiting already. You have a conference meeting in thirty minutes" Ryker replied and opened the car door for him.
"That meeting shit again" Kyros rolled his eyes and the car started.
"What else?" He asked.
Ryker began telling him everything he still got to do today and already he knew it's going to be another tiring day.
"Fuck" He cursed.
✰
<1PM, LARKSPUR UNIVERSITY>
"Sis!" Sitara rushed into Maliah's class but found Rona there too.
"You're also here" She said, still breathing heavily.
"What the heck happened? Why acting like one who saw ghost" Maliah frowned.
"Yes, I saw someone but not a ghost,guess who I just saw"
Rona scoffed.
"It's Diora!"
"What?!" Rona and Maliah chorused at the same time.
"Are you messing with me right now?" Rona raised her brows.
"I'm fucking telling you, I swear I saw her, with her looks,it's obvious she's studying here....."
"That's not possible" Maliah chuckled but became serious again.
"Are you for real?"
"Yes I am! I can take you there, I remember where I saw her"
"Let's go take a look" Maliah told Rona and the three of them went out together.
Meanwhile, Diora and Angela just finished their classes for the day but Angela suggested they try out the food at the school restaurant before they leave.
They were still walking when Diora saw her sisters coming, shw knew they attend and expensive school but never knew it was this.
She didn't expect them to stop right in front of them but they did,so she and Angela had to pause as well.
Then the staring competition started, it was Maliah who spoke up.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
Angela glanced at Diora.
"Who are they? You know them?" She asked.
Diora stared at the three of them for some seconds before speaking up.
"No, I have no idea who they are, let's go" she said and walked away first, Angela followed. Leaving her sisters in total shock.
"Did she just... Said she doesn't know us?" Rona stuttered with wide eyes.
Angela and Diora waited at the entrance of the restaurant for Angela's brother and soon Angela waved at a guy coming.
"Hey dummy" he said as soon as he got close,but then his gaze shifted to Diora.
"Oh, Diora meet my proud but handsome twin brother, Angelo. And Angelo,meet my new pretty doll friend, Diora" Angela introduced excitedly.
"Wow, nice meeting you" Angelo said.
"You too" Diora said gently and went inside first.
"She's so fucking pretty" Angelo whispered and Angela glared at him.
"Don't try shit with my friend and focus on your sluts" She said.
Angelo chuckled and they both went in together.
✰
<10PM, KYROS CASTLE>
Diora sighed out loudly as she finished the glass of smoothie Oceane gave her, Oceane smiled and took the glass from her.
"Goodnight mi lady" She said and Diora nodded.
She already fell on the bed when suddenly she sat up again.
"What about Kyros?" She asked.
"Oh, the duke just got back about twenty minutes ago" Oceane replied.
"Since morning?!" Diora exclaimed.
"The duke is a busy man" Oceane muttered.
Diora sighed and got down from the bed.
"Where are you going?" Oceane blinked.
"To see him" Diora replied while walking to the door,then paused.
"If he wouldn't chase me back" she sighed.
Then smiled. "You don't have to worry about me, I still remember the way there" She said and went out.
"The duke doesn't like to be disturbed like that" Oceane muttered,worried he might get mad at Diora,but she already made up her mind.
✰
The bodyguards at the entrance allowed Diora into the suite without question,she began walking slowly,already thinking if it's better to go in or return back to her room.
But she proceeded and slowly knocked on the bedroom door.
No answer came, she entered by herself and looked around.
She was surprised when she saw Kyros laying on one side of the bed,with his outfit still on,his eyes closed.
'He must be too tired to take them off' she thought as she walked,taking a step at a time gently,trying not to wake him up.
She got really close and thought of helping him take the shirt off,but what if he gets mad? She sighed.
But when she remember how he bought her gifts and also called her his wife, she decided to risk it.
Diora climbed on the bed slowly and sat in between Kyros thighs, she stared at his handsome face,even though he was sleeping,still looking so good. Then her two hands began with the first button,she started losening.
When she got to the last and his chest came to view,she swallowed.
"What are you doing?" Came Kyros deep voice.
Diora gasped and tried getting up but ended up falling back on him.
"I'm sorry,I was just helping,I was....I..."
"So noisy" Kyros grunted and she kept quiet.
He groaned and sat up while holding his head.
"Your temperature is...high" Diora muttered and he looked at her.
"I'm not used to anyone caring about my temperature, go back to your suite" He said coldly and stood up from the bed.
He took off his shirt and turned to find her there still.
"Why are you still here?" He frowned.
"You said...I'm your wife" Diora mumbled and also got down from the bed.
"So?" He raised his brows. .
"I can help...."
"With what?"
"I can get you drugs and also....."
Kyros chuckled dryly and scoffed.
"I'm just....worried about you" Diora mumbled.
"Fake" Kyros glared.
"Huh?"
"It's always fake, you should leave, little one. You don't have to act like my wife when we are alone like this, it's suffocating" He rolled his eyes and walked out of the bedroom.
Diora bit her lip.