AMELIA'S POV

"MADELEINE?!" I called as I locked the door of my apartment. It had been almost a week and they haven't rescheduled the interview. What are they doing?!

My apartment isn't big. It's just perfect for two persons. I bought it a few months ago when I left my dad's house.

The once bright red paint on the walls was fading and the white tiles on the floor were becoming dull with the time. There was a small kitchen, a living room, one bedroom and a bathroom.

I couldn't afford two bedroom apartments when my monthly income was nil and my bank account was empty.

I walked into the living room and flopped down on the fragile couch with several cracks in leather but it was fine till it was making me comfortable.

"Mady?! Where are you?!" I called for my little sister as I put my pumps off my hurting feet.

"AMY! Look what I found!" Madeleine appeared from inside the room and took slow steps as she walked towards the couch with her hands fixed upon each other in front of her chest.

"What is it?" I asked as I straighten up.

She came closer and loosens her hands a little so I could see. I peeked inside.

"Hey! It's beautiful." The butterfly fluttered its beautifully colored wings inside her hands trying to escape.

"I want to keep it." She looked at me with her puppy eyes.

"We can't." I replied as I stood up and placed my hand at her small back guiding her towards the window.

"But I really like it. Can we keep just one?" She said and I shook my head.

"Why?" She whispered.

I took a deep breath as I opened the window, "Because we can't trap her. This beautiful creature wasn't made to be trapped. It was made to-"

"Fly." She completed my sentence and smiled triumphantly as if she had won some race.

Madeleine was always a very keen child. Back at my dad's house, she used to spend whole day in the backyard discovering different insects. Then she would trap them and showed them to me. We would take a picture of it for her scrap book and then she would go and free the insect.

She was just going to open her little hands when I stopped her.

"Picture?" I asked looking down at her.

"I already took one when you were out." she said smiling looking out of the window. Her sky blue eyes sparkled as her smile changed into a grin.

I smiled back and she opened her little hands.

The beautiful butterfly fluttered its yellow wings with a glint of green and blue and flew away.

I always wished I could do the same. Spread my wings and fly away from everything. Everything. But who knew that my wings were going to be slashed off by my own people.

I remember Scarlett, my childhood's best friend mocking the quotation written on the walls in McDonald's family area. There was a little boy flying with little white wings on his back saying 'I wanna fly high.'

She snorted loudly at him, gaining all the attention towards us and said,

"Wanna fly high, baby? Shame, they're gonna slash your wings off."

I chuckled at her. But now I know what she really meant.

I sighed as I looked at the huge house distant by the broad road. It always looked marvelous with its terracotta bricks. The huge black gate was joined to the main door with long pavement. Since my apartment was on the third floor of the building so, I could see the never ending lawns adorned with beautiful flowers and shrubs. The long pavement was crowded with luxurious sports cars.

Mr. Knight.

My breath hitched as all the events from my past came back haunting me.

He is the youngest billionaire and most eligible bachelor of the country or the world. Who knows?

He ran some type of shipping lines around the world just like my father. I wonder my father didn't made me hit on him too.

Although, I haven't seen him but he's pretty much subject of all the girls in this building or in the area. Again who knows?

I've heard he's a very moody man and doesn't allow anyone in his house. Once the girl few doors down in my building, tried to hit on him and went inside his house. And what he did?

He charged her with trespassing. Like why so rude and creepy? Is he making some bomb in there? That's why he doesn't want anyone to enter his territory? For God sake, she was just a stupid little teenager! He would have warned her!

I blew the air out of my mouth and just when I was about to close the window, I saw a little white in the window of mansion. I squinted my eyes to see more clearly and then my breath hitched. Someone was there. A man was staring at my direction. I gulped and turned around to see if anyone was standing behind me but there was no one. I turned back and looked into the window. He wasn't there anymore. I squinted my eyes again but still there was no sign of anyone.

I abruptly closed the windows and pulled in the curtains.

This wasn't the first time. It had happened many times before. I always found someone there whenever I stood in the window.

The thunder roared outside the window as the rain drops furiously dribbled on the window glass. I stood up from the couch and walked towards the window. Pulling away the curtains I opened the window. The enthralling smell of soaked soil hit my nose and I inhaled deeply.

I closed my eyes as the cool raindrops hit my face. I always liked the rain. My mother used to tell me that rain washes all of your worries and sins off you, taking them away from you forever. I reached my hand out of the window to feel the earthly happiness.

A small giggle left my mouth as the rain kept trickling down my bare arm. But then something caught my eye. I pulled my arm back and held the window sill as I focused on the window of the great mansion.

He was watching me. Although I couldn't see his face but I could feel his stare on me.

I gulped as I kept staring at the window and he kept staring back. But then I decided to make a start. I raised my hand and slowly waved at him. But he didn't respond. I felt embarrassed and dejected.

I was just going to close the window when I saw his hand shot up and he waved back at me.

A smile crept on my face as I quickly waved again and closed the window pulling the curtains in.

***

I looked back at Mady sitting on the couch playing on my cell phone. I don't know what's the deal with her and that super famous game 'Colour Switch'. I used to play it all day long but then I got tired of it and switched to 'Pokémon Go' but she is always stuck to this stupid game.

I looked at my watch. It was 2:30 so I decided to make lunch.

I made some chicken sandwiches while Mady kept playing or more like whining every two minutes 'cause she couldn't break her own so called great record'.

After snatching my cell from her and making her eat whole sandwich, I gave her a quick bath. Dressing her in a cute little sundress, I combed her blonde locks and tied them into a loose braid. She always looked adorable in that braid.

I didn't need much makeover so I just grabbed my leather bag and holding Mady's small hand, I exited the building.

"Where are we going?" Mady asked as she looked at me with her sparkling light blue eyes.

"I want you to meet someone." I said as looked for a taxi. I knew this was the time when she should know about her. I can't keep her from her own family.

I looked at my right. There was a black Aston Martin standing few feet away from me in front of the mansion's gate. Oh how I wished I had that too.

Then the gates opened and a man walked out in an extremely rich gray Armani suit. I tilted my head to see his face as he opened the car door but just when I was about to see, the loud honking thrilled me. I looked at the taxi in front of me and back at the Aston Martin which was now on its way to somewhere. I groaned loudly and giving a death glare to the driver, I sat inside the car with Mady. Oh! How I was about to see his face and this taxi had to come just at the moment.

"Who?" Madeleine asked.

"What?"

"With whom do you want me to meet to?" she asked as she played with the bow on her dress.

"Ahh...Madeleine," I took a deep breath as I continued,

"Your sisters."

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Till the next time,

-Shanza😍