Siedel Estate, Noirémont Peaks
The late afternoon sun cast its golden light across the estate's grand foyer, illuminating the thirty-foot expanse of open space with a dignified brilliance—walls lined with gilded ancestral oil paintings, crystal chandeliers shimmering in the vaulted ceilings. Standing in silent opulence, the Siedel mansion reflected the sun's descent in quiet splendor through its massive windows—casting ochre streaks across the marble floor.
Roseann Siedel, the notorious mistress of the estate and daughter-in-law to the ruling elders, reclined on an antique velvet chaise in the great room, absently swirling a half-finished glass of red wine between her acrylic-tipped fingers. Clad in diamonds and silk—too loud in print, too tight in cut, she had the posture of a queen but none of the discipline.
The servants had all vanished—likely too scared to be caught in her crossfire. She liked her solitude, and the slightest breach of it often meant someone was fired before lunch.
Then—BANG!
The heavy mahogany doors swung open.
Not knocked. Not buzzed. Not opened politely.
They were pushed—hard, deliberately, as if whoever was entering had no reason to ask permission.
A young woman stepped into the grand foyer, hood over her head, eyes scanning the glittering interior without awe—only focused resolve.
Roseann sat upright, the wineglass still dangling from her fingers.
A long pause hung between them.
"…Excuse me?!" she said, voice curling like smoke. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
The girl didn't speak but lifted the hood off, few locks plastered on her sweat soaked face. Her eyes were defiant—glowing with a silent fury of someone who had nothing left to lose. In one hand, she held a crumpled piece of paper. The other clenched in fist.
Roseann stood still, wineglass frozen mid-air, as her sharp eyes scanned the girl standing—drab, repugnant, daring—in the center of her perfectly polished foyer.
Recognition hit her like a slap, her expression turning sour.
She knew that face.
God, she knew it.
"You," Roseann breathed, voice no longer lazy but filled with venom coiling at the edges like smoke from a slow-burning fire. "You. Little. Bitch."
Before she could even blink, the woman started walking towards the corridor that led to the open courtyard, ignoring her completely. She unsteadily rose, heels clicking like gunfire across the marble, echoing through the vast space.
"Who let you in?! I'm talking to you—Guards, guards!" Her shrill voice sliced through the air, eyes wide with fury. "How dare you show your face!"
Ara, the unwelcomed guest, felt a wave of familiarity ripple through her as she walked down the arched threshold, though the sensation only worsened her ongoing nausea—briefly wobbling her steps.
"What is this nonsense? Who let that girl in here?!" Roseann's grated voice continued to swell to a harsh screech behind her—loud, unfiltered, and dripping with entitlement.
Turning to her right, the faint smell of fresh flowers were becoming more apparent, albeit different from the scent Ara had recalled. A deep unease settled in her chest, adding to her discomfort but not enough to stop her—or her steps as she picked up her pace again, but every movement felt like it came at a cost.
The dizziness was intensifying.
"This..." Ara halted by the fountain that beckoned in the open-air courtyard. Her thoughts were a blur, her stomach churning as she struggled to stay upright. The memory of this place, of this exact spot, flooded back—vivid and painful.
Her breath hitched and bile threatened to rise from her stomach, prompting her to hunch down the fountain with both hands gripping on the stone rim, steadying herself. The cold touch did little to stabilize her, but it was enough to keep her from collapsing.
It could be due to morning sickness or the sudden wave of memories flooding her, she didn't know.
Everything around her—the trickle of water, the faint hum of memories—felt wrong. With her vision spinning, Ara tried to straighten herself up as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Her throat tightened, ears ringing. "No," she whispered to herself, clenching her fist. "Focus, Ara… Hold it together—hold it together."
Seeing the girl hunched over in front of the fountain—back towards her, Roseann sneered out of breath as she hobbled up to Ara, "Get up, you filthy thing! You think you can just waltz in here?"
Roseann's voice pierced through the fog but Ara didn't respond—breath caught, bile rising again. The mistress yanked her jacket's hood, causing her to fall backwards. However, Ara didn't even wince in pain and remained silent, protectively shielding her belly.
Roseann, fuming in anger, glared toward the men in suit, "What are you standing there for?! Throw her out now—"
"What's going on here?" Asked Mr. Rowan in a sharp commanding voice, snapping Ara's trance, rooting everyone in their places.
She turned, her vision blurred—gaze going up to the confused people who just arrived, the setting sun on their backs, as if watching a scene from a movie.
The Siedels.
Their small meeting at the gazebo was interrupted upon hearing the commotion inside—reported by one of the uniformed men.
Ara stood up but she could hardly compose herself while doing so. Her neck was now throbbing in pain, which only intensified her dizziness.
Roseann ran quickly to the old master, narrowing her eyes with open disgust. "Dad! Right on time! See, this pig barged in here out of nowhere and—"
"Congratulations," Ara said hoarsely, her voice barely more than a whisper as she staggered towards the man she was looking for, Luke Siedel—the remaining heir to this business conglomerate of a family, and one of the most successful bachelors in the West Borders.
"I'm pregnant."
The courtyard went quiet, audible gasps rippling through the onlookers—mirroring the shock of Roseann, and the elders, Rowan and Shantal. But Ara didn't wait for a reaction. Instead, she handed Luke the crumpled paper she'd been clutching.
The mistress was livid, spewing venom as she advanced on Ara. "You—You think you can extort us like this? Get out!" Her hard slap landed, stinging the young woman's face.
Ara didn't flinch. She only stared at Luke as the paper fluttered from his hands, his gaze burning on its contents.
"You're truly shameless!" Roseann spat in disbelief as she slapped the pale girl again.
Ara stumbled back this time, her head buzzing but she didn't mind the enranged woman. She needed to settle this now before she'd lose consciousness, which was dangerously slipping away by the second.
The old master stepped in, "Roseann, behave yourself! And you, young lady, barging in like this is—"
"Leave." Luke simply said and threw the now wrinkled paper towards her. His remark only earned a scoff from Ara.
Another security team had arrived at the scene, ushering the housekeepers away. The bulky guys were in black and had subtle earpieces on.
"I-is it true, child?" Shantal inquired as she quickly took the paper sprawled on the ground.
His eyes pierced into her for a long moment. His lips curled into a cold smile as he dismissed her.
"It'll be taken care of," Luke muttered, walking away.
"No one's leaving!" Declared Elder Rowan, massaging his temples.
They have been pressuring Luke to get married all these years, and secure the next generation of Siedels. However, the man had no intention of settling down at all until Sam Knight came back. Now, the past issue has also caught fire, putting them in a tight spot.
"Is this true, young lady?" Rowan repeated his wife's question hastily.
"Yes sir, what happened to us has bore fruit."
While it was indeed true that his grandson was involved in a scandal with this young lady a few months ago, Rowan never expected that it would come to this. Her bump was also noticeable now that he paid attention to the scrawny and sickly looking girl before them.
"Dad! You'd really believe this conniving dirt?!" Roseann exclaimed. "She drugged my son into sleeping with her. I'm sure she's already done that with other men just to get money!"
Ara was already on the verge of fainting, feeling like throwing up again. "Why would I do—"
"Don't get righteous with me, you little breeding rat. You think you're so clever? People like you are money-hungry—"
"Enough, Roseann!" Rowan hammered his cane to the ground.
"What happened is already done. If this young lady is certain, then it's really our own blood she's carrying." Shantal looked at Luke, who remained indifferent.
The space fell to silence—only the chirping of crickets and crystalline murmurs of water were heard.
"As I said, I'm not postponing my plans any longer, Nan." Luke spoke first, loosening his necktie.
A small bitter smile tugged Ara's lips before quickly vanishing, fighting the darkness swallowing her vision, too dizzy to speak up.
"Then, you shouldn't have slept around carelessly—you stupid fool!" Rowan repeatedly hit Luke with his staff. And the latter could only accept his wrath.
Shantal stepped forward and held Ara's hands. "Child, if you're really pregnant with our great grandchildren, we'd like to make arrangements but—"
"Mom! You too?! We don't even know if the child really belongs to Luke." Roseann's face twisted with disdain. "Besides, it's merely a one night stand! How could you possibly get pregnant in just a single deed?"
"Stop it, Roseann. You've caused enough trouble for today." Said the old madame.
Luke just stood there, shooting daggers at her.
The girl from the scandal.
The one who ruined everything.
Ara met his eyes evenly despite her state, jaw clenched, lips barely moving.
"How would I face Leslie in the future?! What, are you just gonna cancel on them?!" Roseann complained, clutching Shantal's arms. "Sam Knight. She was finally back. After ten years. And that scandal? It turned her against Luke in one night!"
"Well, we couldn't ignore what happened now that there's children involved." Shantal placed her hand gently on Roseann's desperate grip. "You understand what I mean, right?"
But before anyone could react, Luke grabbed Ara's hand and dragged her outside. She struggled to keep up with his long strides, his grasp hard, eyes screaming danger.
"How much do you need to disappear?" Luke asked as he hurled her outside with a tetchy flick.
Ara finally vomitted on the well-maintained bushes beside the enormous column, unable to hold it any longer, somehow easing her dizziness.
She couldn't care less about the mess but she thought it was still a good thing that nobody could see this horror, now that it's dusk.
"Really? That's the best you can do?" Ara's sarcastic remarks didn't bother him as she wiped her mouth, her one hand leaning on a 2-feet garden lamp to support herself up.
"It will be aborted either way." Luke glanced on his watch, impatient. His suit jacket was gone. His tie hung loose.
He was already late on his appointment with Sam and now, this girl has spoiled his plans further.
"So, it's better to take the offer while it's still on the table." He added as the last rays of the sun died down, seemingly mocking Ara's predicament.
The woman crossed her arms in a huff. "Oh, do you think I need your money?"
"Don't you? I'm not the first Siedel to go through this scheme." He clicked his tongue, his face hardened into something almost inhuman as he turned to leave.
Although her facade was strong, Ara was restraining herself not to puke again. Luke's strong perfume didn't help at all.
She stood straight, lips smiling but eyes cold. "You think so highly of yourself but you can't take responsibilities of your own doings?"
The man paused and quickly closed in their distance, looking at her with disdain. "If I were only sober that night, you wouldn't be standing here today and I would gladly take responsibility for it."
Unknown emotions swirled in his eyes for a brief seconds but were immediately gone just as fast. Luke regained his composure and adjusted his vest and necktie, staring over yonder.
Ara was too occupied with the pungent smell, it prompted her to throw up yet again. The summer breeze was cool but offered no comfort to her anxious mind or awful state.
Just as she thought she already emptied her stomach, she retched on her knees even more, clinging to the garden lamp as if desperately holding on to the last shreds of her strength.
Luke was not affected by the sight even a slight bit. "My patience is running thin. What do you want?"
'Revenge.' Ara instantly thought, a surge of adrenaline cursed through her body and rage flickered in her eyes. She absently smirked at Luke through her sweaty face, some strands of hair sticking on it. 'It's what I want.'
And feeling challenged, Luke crouched down, grabbing her chin. "That's it. Think of that very thing so I will have pleasure in destroying your last hopes."
Ara swatted his hands away and scoffed. "Is that so? You're really a Siedel in every way."
She tilted her head to the side and squinted her eyes, sizing him up. Her smirk was icy but her stare, fiery. "You have brought this upon yourself, so how shameless can you be?"
"So shameless I could even make you disappear today with a single snap of my finger." His piercing gaze made Ara's heart thump wildly in anger, the distance of their faces were too close for comfort.
Ara laughed to herself as she dropped her head low, shaking her head slightly. A mix of deep-rooted hatred and resentment was now boiling inside her, threatening to spill. However, this feeling made her head spin more.
Luke thought she was crying in fear as her shoulders were shaking up and down, somehow satisfied as to how his words could always send chills—
A mocking laugh echoed in his ear, quiet at first then, it turned menacing. Ara's head still hung low but her voice was almost despicable.
"I already came back from the dead." She spoke, meeting his eye coldly, her face dimly lit by the lamp. "Do you think you can scare me that easily?"
Grabbing his necktie as a leverage to reach his ears, she whispered, "Then excuse me as I won't hold back, Luke Siedel."
Just as when she backed away, her grin faded and her eyes instantly rolled to the back of her head.
Luke reacted swiftly and caught her in time before she hit the ground. The girl who spoke so fiercely just now has fainted in his arms. He shook her mercilessly but she remained dangling like a doll, her face drained of colors, her sweat cold. He stood up and promptly carried her back inside, his thoughts spiraling like a brewing storm.
"I was wondering where you two went." Old Siedel said as his wife was assisting him, Roseann following behind them.
"What is she trying to do this time?!" Roseann chimed in, seeing Luke carrying the unconscious girl towards the great room. She stepped forward, waving her hands like a banshee in silk.
"She just wants to trap you, Luke! She thinks this'll get her in the family! Look at her—do you think Sam will even look at you after this? You've humiliated us enough!"
"Luke?" A sweet voice spoke from far behind, making them turn around instinctively.
The Siedels were taken aback by the shocked and bewildered Sam who just stepped inside the mansion.