HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 49: Their First Chat (1)
’’Oh....’’ A flicker of surprise crossed Ayana’s features as she looked at another name that wasn’t the old master’s.
Axel Kratos.
The name of her fiancé.
’’...This should be the reason why Lisa was particularly excited.’’ Ayana mumbled, shaking her head with a low laugh.
Over the years, rumors of her verbal engagement had quietly circulated.
Though neither the Kingston family nor the Kratos family had confirmed it publicly, the whispers persisted.
The situation wasn’t entirely unexpected.
The location of the Kratos mansion was by no means a mystery, and the custom plate numbers on Kingston family cars were unmistakable markers of the family’s prominent status, drawing attention wherever they went.
"I didn’t think he’d do this." She murmured softly, her fingers brushing against the delicate envelope.
Ayana leaned lightly against the edge of the office desk, her gaze briefly settling on the vibrant bouquet on the side before turning to the envelope in her hold.
Carefully, she cracked the wax seal and placed the envelope aside. In her hand was a small greeting card, its design radiating simple elegance. The card was an intricate masterpiece that shimmered subtly in the light streaming from the glass windows. The edges were lined with soft gold, giving it a regal touch, and the front bore an embossed floral pattern in silver and lavender.
At the center, a delicate script in metallic gold ink spelled out her name in a delicate calligraphy.
Ayana
’’Beautiful.’’ That was the only word Ayana could muster as she admired the exquisite sight. She then opened the card, revealing the neatly penned words inside. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
*Congratulations on your graduation.
The flowers are just a greeting gift.
Sorry that I was five years late.
Your fiancé, Axel.*
’Five years late?’ Those words furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
As if on cue, her phone vibrated on the office desk. She immediately reached for the device and her eyes fell on the lighted screen where a chat notification from Noah popped up over the wallpaper—a snapshot of toddler Jason with a cute grin.
*Your birthday isn’t today, right?*
’’My birthday?’’ Ayana echoed, her confusion deepening. Her birthday was four months ago on March 14th and today was July 23rd.
If there was any birthday coming up, it would be tomorrow, which was Arabella’s birthday banquet.
*bzzz* *bzzz*
Her phone vibrated once more, and this time, Ayana unlocked her phone and clicked on the chat notification.
Following the message was a picture. The background of the picture couldn’t be more familiar to her. It was the polished center table on a patterned carpet only belonging to her cozy parlor of the Kingston mansion.
However, what caught her attention were the contents on the center table.
The wrapped boxes and shopping bags.
"What....?" Ayana murmured, staring at the picture in bewilderment. Her mind raced with questions as her gaze flicked back to the card in her hand. She read the penned words over again.
’....Did he send all of that?’ Ayana wondered silently. ’Or was it the Old master?’
Right now, she was confused. Wasn’t it moments ago that she believed that the Old master Kratos had delivered the flowers?
Taking a deep breath, she placed the greeting card aside on the desk and searched for her fiancé’s contact on her phone.
Though their relationship was equivalent to a non-existent, that did not stop them from exchanging phone numbers.
Her thumb hovered over the name ’Axel Kratos’ before she clicked on it and a blank chat stared back at her.
The blank chat was just like a testament to their estranged relationship as fiances.
With a sharp exhale, Ayana began typing.
*Did you send these?*
She also forwarded the picture from Noah to the blank chat.
Her finger paused over the "Send" button. Her heart pounded as uncertainty gripped her, but then she inwardly shook off the hesitation.
’...Wait, why am I acting this way?’ She inwardly shook off the unnecessary hesitations within her and pressed send like her life depended on the icon.
’’I did it.’’ Ayana murmured to herself, feeling a strange mix of relief and anticipation.
’’Was I too straightforward though? I should have sent a good morning first.’’ She couldn’t help but ponder if her sent message was alright.
Did her words come out as polite or rude?
At the moment, Ayana was tempted to recall her words and rephrase her entire message.
However, her phone vibrated in her hand and her gaze lowered to the lighted screen where a chat notification popped up—one that she hadn’t expected to be answered this fast.
*Yes, I did.* She read this after unlocking her phone.
*Do you like them?* Another message followed almost immediately.
*They are the gifts that I owed you from your middle school graduation, birthdays and the day you became the president.*
’’....So that’s what he meant.’’ A quiet understanding dawned on her with a mix of surprise. At the same time, a fuzzy feeling bloomed within her chest as she recalled the words on the greeting card.
*Sorry that I was five years late.*
"How unexpected of him." The corner of her lips tugged up as she remarked softly with the small smile. Her fingers already moved to type her reply.
*You shouldn’t have done this. The gifts from Grandfather are more than enough.* She pressed send after and patiently waited for the reply.
*Grandfather represents the Kratos family* Her eyes read the message the second the words popped up on the chat.
*I am your fiancé, Ayana.*
’’....He’s being informal.’’ Ayana mumbled as she read the last message once more. The simplicity of those four words made her chest tighten in a way she wasn’t expecting; a warmth she couldn’t quite explain.
*Why didn’t you send them before?* Ayana couldn’t hold back her curiosity. For some reason, she had a feeling that she and Axel were more casual and friendly to each other with their chats.
Even if their relationship remained the same as before when they met on their graduation.
’’Perhaps this is just another side of him that I never knew then.’’ The smile on her lips faded, accompanied with a hint of melancholy.
’’...’’
’’I guess he’s busy.’’ Ayana let out a small sigh, feeling a bit disappointed when she did not receive an immediate reply.
’’I should return to work.’’ She stood up from the office desk with her phone and stretched her hands above her head, letting out a soft groan.
*Bzzz* *Bzzz*
The sudden vibration from her phone momentarily caught her off guard, and she quickly lowered her arm to check the message.
*The engagement was forced on us against our will. I have always been prepared with the arrangement, but that can’t be the same for you. Matt has always said girls your age love to be in relationships and go out on dates. I didn’t want our engagement to restrict your life and your actions. On behalf of the Kratos family, I apologize for that.*
’’.....’’ Ayana didn’t know what to say after reading the long message. She stared blankly at the screen without any reactions.
Silence filled as she continued staring at the screen of her phone.
’’Ayana?’’ Not a while after, the familiar voice of her fiancée sounded in her ear.
That’s right, she called him.
Unlike her graduation day when they saw each other, the voice from her phone was exactly like the Axel from her past life.
The Axel who remained with her on her deathbed, and till her last breath.
The Axel who owed her nothing, yet still went out of his way to help her.
’’Ayana?’’ He called out her name when her voice was not heard. ’’I am speaking to Ayana Kingston, right?’’
’’.....’’ Just like before, Ayana didn’t respond immediately, her breath shaky as her chest tightened.
’’Ayana? Are you okay?’’ She could hear the confusion in his voice.
Nevertheless, tears brimmed around her eyelids as she forcefully shoved the sobs down her throat, threatening to escape her lips. Her free hand was pressed to her lips like a barricade to those sobs, and her tears streamed down her cheeks.
’’Had I said something wrong? Is it about the.....’’
’’T-Thank y-you.’’
