You Are Mine

Chapter 7

After the wedding, the joyous atmosphere was filled with congratulations, laughter, and the clinking of glasses as everyone showered the couple with gifts and blessings. Yet amidst the crowd, his focus was entirely on her. She was the girl he had been searching for, the one who had consumed his thoughts for years. At first glance, he had recognized her—the same innocent beauty, the same enchanting presence that had once captivated him. If anything, time had only made her more breathtaking, her features refined into a perfection that left him spellbound.

He clenched his fists, silently cursing himself. If only he had seen her before, if only he had known she was so close, this day would never have come. She would have been his long ago; he would have moved heaven and earth to make her his. But now, she stood before him as someone else's bride, her hand entwined with his brother’s, her radiant smile meant for another. Pain seared through him, a deep ache of loss, but it was quickly overpowered by anger—anger at her for breaking the promise she had made so long ago.

"She’ll pay for this," he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening as his piercing gaze remained locked on her.

.........

Flashback

“I want her, Mom,” Xavier had declared, his young voice firm with a determination far beyond his years.

His mother, startled by his sudden statement, turned to him with a curious smile. “What are you talking about, Xavier?” she asked, crouching to his level.

He didn’t waver. His eyes, wide with youthful conviction, were fixed on the little girl playing in the park. Her laughter rang out like a melody, and her smile seemed to brighten the entire garden.

Just then, the girl's mother approached, catching the tail end of their conversation. “What’s this about my daughter?” she asked, amused.

“I said I want her,” Xavier repeated, his small hands balled into determined fists. “She’s the most beautiful rose in this park, and Mom said I could pick anything. So, I’m picking her.”

The two mothers exchanged amused glances, chuckling softly at his innocence.

“Why are you laughing? I’m serious!” Xavier insisted, his brows furrowing.

The little girl, oblivious to the weight of his words, stood up and faced him, her mischievous grin lighting up her face. “I’ll be yours if you give me candy,” she said, her voice sweet and playful.

“Promise?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.

“Hmm,” she nodded, her smile widening.

Without hesitation, Xavier dug into his pockets, pulling out a handful of candies. “Here! You promised, so don’t forget it. You’re mine now,” he declared proudly, his young heart brimming with happiness.

“Okay,” she said simply, munching on the candies as both mothers laughed at the adorable exchange.

End of Flashback

........

"How could you forget our promise?" he whispered, his voice low and trembling with both anguish and fury.

Just then, her gaze briefly met his, and for a fleeting moment, hope surged within him. Perhaps she remembered, perhaps she still recognized him. But the hope was crushed almost instantly as she looked away, her expression calm and detached, as if he were nothing more than a stranger in the crowd.

"She forgot me," he muttered, his fists clenching tightly as rage simmered beneath his composed exterior. His jaw tightened, his mind already plotting—she might have forgotten, but he would make sure she remembered. She was his, and she would always be his.