Beautiful Enmity (A Billionaire Romance Novel)

This was it. The end. As the metal of the handcuffs bit into my wrists it became even more real. My life was over. Just when I had found true happiness. Known what it was like to love and be loved. Even if it was by the man who I had sworn to hate. I closed my eyes and tried to remember where it all had started.

A year ago...

Standing in front of the mirror made me realize how much I had changed since last year. Once upon a time, I was an exercise junkie and on my way to becoming a black belt in taekwondo. Now, there was hardly any muscle on my bones. Like it would only take a gust of wind to throw me off my feet.

It took an hour for me to brush my hair, as it hadn't been combed for ages. There was little of it left now. As if the acne breakouts weren't enough, the constant anxiety had caused most of my hair to fall out.

As I get ready, I wonder whether I should be proud of myself or ashamed. Should I be proud that I was trying to live despite losing two people I loved immensely, all in one year?Or ashamed, for both of them had been murdered and I had failed to avenge them?

The legal system in our country was pathetic. Only the rich and influential got their way. But even the fact that I wasn't one of them, felt like my fault somehow. It seemed like my failure.

Just then, the door opened, and my mother came in. She was my carbon copy except for the fact that she was prettier. We had the same brown eyes and wavy dark brown hair.

The bags underneath her eyes showed how exhausted she was. The smile on her face couldn't hide the fact that her cheerful demeanor was a mere facade. She had lost both the love of her life and their son not too long ago.

" Honey, let me do your makeup for your first day," she said. This was our ritual. When I was in school, on the first day of class, she would pick out my clothes. As I got older and started choosing my own clothes, she became my makeup artist instead, for such days.

I knew this time, however, she was only putting on a show of excitement for my sake. After my father and brother died, we also died with them. If we were living to an extent, it was only for each other.

As I passed through the dining room, I caught sight of my sister sitting at the dining table. She had a calculator in one hand and a pen in another. Her curly brown hair looked messy and unkempt. This wasn't my fashion-obsessed party girl of a sister. But a somber, brooding figure. Someone who was falling apart, yet trying to hold it together for the sake of her family.

My father's treatment had cost us a fortune. Despite the obvious medical negligence on the part of his attending physician, the hospital refused to pay us any compensation.

We weren't even left with enough money to file a legal case. Not that it would have made any difference with our corrupt legal system.

When Sasha wasn't at work, she was busy making calculations as to how we could save enough to pay back our loans. My mom and sister were two extraordinarily brave women, and nothing made me more proud.

As I waited for the bus to arrive, I remembered how my father would always give me some sort of present on such occasions, usually a book. So did my brother. But now they won't ever again.

As I sat in the bus, surrounded by happy students talking about their families which were intact, I felt like dying. Every street that we passed through, was a reminder of all the things I had lost.

The Chinese restaurant at the corner where my father and I would stuff ourselves with kung pao chicken.The city library where me and my brother would spend hours pouring over books. Every place in the city held memories.

That's why I had stayed cooped up in the house for so long. It was only when I realized how worried it made my mother and sister, that I decided it was time to come out. I couldn't let them think I was giving up, or else they might, too.

I was one of the few students who were still living with their families instead of the accommodations on campus. Most people of my age wanted to explore living on their own and, after college, would try to move out as soon as they could.

Except for me. I was the baby of the family who couldn't imagine staying away from her parents and siblings. It was so strange that I was the one who had to lose half of her family. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help but wonder why a close-knit family such as mine was torn apart.

On reaching the campus, I felt my phone buzz. It was Stacy and Candice, my so-called best friends.

Besides a few messages of condolence, they never offered much support during the difficult times I faced. But they were the only friends I had, so I stuck with them.

Stacy was your blond Barbie girl type, with an excellent figure that she didn't mind flaunting off in her always-too-short skirts.

Candice, on the other hand, couldn't care less about makeup or clothes. Always decked out in a pair of jeans and those worn-out sneakers, that she must have been wearing every day for a year.

It was hard not to notice their duo. Two people so different yet so close despite their differences. The only reason why people would notice me was because of the baby fat I had on my face. People would often mistake me for a high schooler rather than a second-year university student.

The first period was cost accounting, and only twenty minutes later, I and everyone else were struggling to stay awake. Except for an Einstein reincarnation who was sitting in the front row and firing nonstop questions at the professor.

"This guy's harassing the poor man," Candice stifled a laugh, at the sight of the poor teacher being grilled by the brainy guy.

" I can only see his back. Is he cute ? If he would only turn around," Stacy said, trying to get a look at the guy's face.

Ever since her breakup with her boyfriend Kevin, she had made it a point to find someone else to obsess about.

" I thought you didn't do nerds. " Candice teased.

" I don't mind intelligent men. I have had enough of the jock variety anyway. " Before Stacy could go on another rant about Kevin, the class was dismissed.

The guy in the front row also got up. He was in a black leather jacket, and his tousled brown hair looked like a lot of effort had been put into styling them. As my eyes met his, I felt like my breath had been knocked out of me.

And it wasn't because his eyes were the most startling shade of blue I had ever seen.

It was because I had seen them before. At a time, I didn't want to recall.

" He is cute. " Stacy giggled.

" We didn't get his name though ". Candice replied.

But I already knew his name. My family's only enemy wasn't the doctor who caused my father's death. Our most powerful enemy was here. Aiden Victor.

Aiden's POV:

This morning, I had woken up feeling more alive than I had in months. Today, I felt closer to achieving what I wanted. Even though it was only just the beginning.

Mom clearly wasn't happy with my decision. When I said ' good morning', she didn't answer back. She kept staring into space.

As usual, she was dressed impeccably in a black suit, wearing her favorite pearl necklace . Her blonde hair was styled without a strand out of place, and her blue-grey eyes identical to mine shown with wisdom.

We both sat eating in silence until I couldn't take it anymore.

" I thought we had made each other a vow. After Arianna died, we promised never to stop speaking to each other. No matter what. Whatever issues we had, we were going to talk them out , remember? "

" Yes, Aiden, I remember!" Mom slammed her glass so hard on the table it shook.

" Your sister won't be happy with what you are doing. She's gone . Avenging her won't bring her back!"

" Fine mom, let's say I am selfish. Thinking of avenging my sister is the only thing that gives me peace. "

" You think that girl will talk? Confess to her brother killing your sister? Or reveal his whereabouts? Their entire family consists of criminals . They are so devious that even the police couldn't find any evidence against them!"

" I have to do something . Anything, mom ! I can't just sit idly by. I feel that by getting close to Sarah, I might manage to find something!"

" Life is too short for you to dedicate all of it to your revenge fantasies. If you fail, God forbid you will be more devastated than you can imagine." Mom threw her napkin at the table and stomped away. I knew there was no point in arguing further with her, so I didn't follow her.

The drive to college was uneventful. The crowd was the same as you would find anywhere else. As soon as I got out of the car, I was greeted by a bunch of curious eyes. Car fanatics drooling over my car. Girls ogling me. It used to make me uncomfortable once upon a time, but now I had gotten used to it.

I managed to make it early to class. There was still no sign of the target. Students started filing in beside me. As usual, they all gave me a few stares, but none of them tried to approach me.

That's how it has always been with me. People tend to get intimidated by me. As a child, I used to hate it , thinking there was something wrong with me. Especially when I started getting accused of being antisocial by my teachers.

But eventually, I have learned to accept it. As the heir to Victor Enterprises, I was born to lead, and leaders should be a little intimidating.

Finally, I heard her voice. She may have forgotten mine , but I had never forgotten hers.

It was gentle and delicate, not the voice of someone belonging to a family of killers. But I knew better.

The class went by pretty quickly. The professor was obviously someone new and completely unprepared. He kept relying on the PowerPoint slides to do the teaching for him. I kept firing questions at him throughout the lecture. You can say I dislike laziness and just people who don't do their homework.

The two guys next to me were busy passing lewd commentary on all of the girls in the class. It was like they had nothing else to talk about besides 'boobs' and 'butts'. I felt like gagging them.

Finally, class ended . I finally turned around, and my eyes met hers. There was something elf-like about her. A petite frame and an almost childlike innocence on her face. Somehow, it made me hate her even more. Because I saw all of it as a perfectly crafted illusion, hiding the snake within.

I saw her eyes widen and her face turn pale. She clearly didn't expect me to be here. Her friends seemed completely oblivious to the situation. The blonde one was checking me out and not even trying to be subtle about it.

Sarah muttered something to her friends and moved away. I may not have managed to accomplish anything significant, but the look of horror on her face was enough to make my day.

And I was just getting started.