Aden's POV

I screamed my lungs out when the cockroach closed the distance between us on the bed. I jumped out of the bed as soon as I saw it. "Grandmaaa!!!!" I said, screaming my lungs out. My grandma barged into my room with a frying pan in her hands. "What happened?" she said, panting.

"G..G..G..Grandma c..c..cockroach!" I said while pointing at the cockroach.

"Where is it? I can't see it," she said as she turned her head slightly to the right, just to find the cockroach on the bed. Grandma went near the cockroach, and just before it could fly, she held it and went to the window and threw it out. "You scared me for a moment there. I thought something happened to you," Grandma exclaimed.

"Well, Grandma, it was a COCKROACH, not a cockroach." I said while chuckling.

"You made me do some morning exercise there. Ascending the stairs in this old age is not an easy job," she said, pulling my ears.

"Grandma, I promise, from now on I will only scream after seeing the cockroach when you are on this floor," I said as I struggled to let go.

"Well, that's not better, it will still make me run," she said, letting go of my ear.

"By the way, you have to do something about your height. I have to bend just to pull your ears."

"Grandma, stop teasing me about my height! There are already enough people to do that job."

"Well, I'm not teasing, just so you know," she said while chuckling.

"Then why are you chuckling, Grandma?" I said as I covered my yawning mouth.

"Well, come out of the topic and get ready."

"Huh? Why? There's no university today. It's Saturday."

"Well, there will be some guests in the house today."

"Guests? Who, Grandma?"

"She's my childhood friend. We lost contact about 15 years ago."

"Oh, then how did you get in contact with her again?" I asked.

"I found her in one of our cafés while I went to collect the sales the other day. That's when we exchanged our contacts. Anyways, her name is Alia. Don't forget her name, as I've already told you now. And one more thing—she's coming with her granddaughter, so don't be shy and at least try to talk to her," Grandma said, her arms crossed while tapping the floor with her foot. She kind of looked serious. I just nodded.

"Okay, hurry, get ready for today. It's already 9 a.m." Grandma said while drawing the curtain. As soon as she did, the sun's rays cast a warm glow on Grandma's features, making her look even more beautiful.

"I will be waiting at the dining table for breakfast. Come soon," my grandma said as she left the room, leaving a trail of her fragrance behind.

TO BE CONTINUED...............

Aden's POV

I stood there for three more minutes, taking in her fragrance. She had the scent of someone older, softened by jasmine perfume, and to be honest, smelling it gives me peace of mind. After those few minutes, I went to the bathroom for a nice, warm bath. I switched on the lights and took my clothes off. I have a full-length mirror in the bathroom, and I looked at my body in it. To be honest, I've always been insecure about my body, especially at 19, standing at only 163 cm. I also have a large burn scar on both my thighs—a long story, but to keep it short, hot water spilled on me when I was boiling eggs at age 11.

Anyway, I got into the bathtub, and oh boy, as soon as I did, all my tiredness melted away. I love bubble baths.

"I'm gonna rest all day," I said, stretching my arms in the tub. I was just enjoying my own company, thinking about my life. I kind of have everything I ever needed. After my father left me with three cafés, we've been pretty well-off. The cafés are popular and always busy, and my grandma manages them after my mother left, so I basically never have to work for money. My grandmother even has her own business—she owns 2 restaurant, and that business is just as strong as our café business. That's why my grandma always encourages me to focus on my studies so I can become a successful engineer. Everything is perfect, and life is great.

I was lost in thought when my phone started to ring from my room. I quickly finished my bath, got dressed, and went to check who was calling.

I looked at the call log; it was none other than my best friend, Dua. I called her back, and she picked up shortly after.

"Whyyy weren't you picking up?" she went bonkers.

"Hey, hey, calm down! Why are you going bonkers on me? What did I do?" I laughed.

"Do you remember that flower shop near the university?" Dua asked.

"Yes, I do! What about it?" I said, lying flat on my bed.

"Guess what? They're giving away free flowers because a daughter was born in the owner's family," Dua said.

"That's so nice! That means I can get those white roses now that they're free!" I said, suddenly getting happy feet. I mean, I can buy as many flowers as I want—money isn't an issue for me. But free is free!

"Yeah, so get ready! I'll come and pick you up at 2 p.m.," Dua said.

"Oh, wait, I'm really sorry, but I don't think it'll be possible today. We have guests coming over, so I don't think Grandma will even let me step out of the house," I replied.

"Oh, okay, no problem! What about Monday after university? I'm sure they'll still give us some few flowers for free" Dua added, chuckling.

"Okay, Dua, I'll drop the call now. Grandma must have made breakfast already," I said.

"Okay! Bye-bye, take care!" Dua replied with a squeal.

"Bye-bye, you too, take care! See you!" I added with a little squeal of my own and ended the call.

"It's gonna be a long day today," I sighed, getting up from bed and stretching my arms and legs.

OMG, thank you all so much for reading Chapter 2!!!! I truly appreciate each and every one of you!! 💖

I'm so excited to share the upcoming chapters with you all, and I really hope you're as eager to read them as I am to write them. I know the story might seem a little slow so far, but trust me—it's about to get a lot more interesting as it goes on. So please stick with me and keep reading, because I love you all for your support!

Thank you again for being a part of this journey with me! 💫