Chapter 3 First Encounter With Joshua
1192 Words
"Ms. Aliana, do you want to have breakfast now?"
Luke immediately recovered and smiled at Aliana.
Breakfast?
Memories had returned to Aliana wave after wave. None of them were pleasant.
Aliana snorted inwardly, but she put on an embarrassed face.
"Luke, I had a nightmare last night and even jolted awake at midnight. I'm too weak to go to the dining room now. Would you please bring my breakfast here?"
Aliana looked up at Luke with her watery eyes. Her fingers wriggled nervously where Luke couldn't see.
Luke's heart softened as he saw the dark circles under Aliana's eyes.
"Sure, Ms. Aliana. I'll fetch you the breakfast right away."
Luke bowed slightly and hurried out of Aliana's room.
As soon as Luke left her sight, Aliana dashed toward her tacky bedside table and checked the calendar.
"20...16. I was kicked out when I was 13. I'm 7 years old now. I have six years left."
Aliana murmured.
Soon, she frowned in frustration.
Six years?
Aliana thought, "I have to stay here for another six years?"
As Aliana remembered her family's dismissive attitude, she felt she couldn't stay in this house for one more second.
The crease between her brows deepened as Aliana's mind was a mess at the moment.
She was trying to remember the significant events in those years.
Yet, she was swarmed by all her old memories.
She couldn't think clearly.
Aliana thought, "Forget it.
That's it.
I'll try to jot something down after breakfast."
Aliana followed her heart.
She returned to bed.
She folded her hands on her stomach and slowly reminisced about the significant events she could remember.
Aliana waited patiently for Luke.
On the other hand, Luke was upset after fetching breakfast from the kitchen.
When Luke walked past them to the kitchen for Aliana's breakfast, either Hugh or Jazmine asked him about Aliana. Their sole focus was on Leia.
They were looking at Leia with so much love.
Joshua was having breakfast elegantly and putting food on Leia's plate too.
Luke watched them for a while before turning around.
He let out a long sigh.
"What's wrong, Mr. Dierser?"
"Nothing. Go back to your duty."
The kitchen staff was shocked by Luke's sigh.
One of them couldn't help but look up and ask Luke the question.
After getting Aliana's breakfast, Luke went straight to her room.
Luke didn't think he would stand to stay in the dining room at the moment.
"Ms. Aliana, breakfast is here."
Luke collected his emotions and walked inside.
He saw Aliana sleeping peacefully on her bed.
She was so petite that she was almost the same size as Leia, who was only five.
Aliana was even thinner.
She was lying on her bed rigidly with her hands on her stomach. The dark circle clearly showed that Aliana didn't get much sleep last night.
Luke bathed his breath as he contemplated how to put down the tray in his hands without waking up Aliana.
In the end, Luke walked over and gently pulled the comforter over Aliana, wanting her to get some rest.
Maybe she exhausted her energy with her reborn. Aliana slept all day and it was past 6 p.m. when she woke up again.
The room was in the dark and she couldn't hear any sound outside.
Her stomach started grumbling, so Aliana had to get up and go to the kitchen.
She dragged her feet and wandered in the dark.
The kitchen was empty. Aliana thought it was because Hugh and Jazmine took Leia out for dinner.
She perked up immediately.
Aliana thought, "How wonderful. I was wondering how to face my so-called family on the way here."
Looking at the pitch-dark kitchen and dining room, Aliana was over the moon.
After opening the fridge, Aliana had to get a stool to see what was inside due to her small size.
There were many expensive ingredients, such as high-quality beef and caviar.
Aliana ignored those ingredients completely.
Her gaze directly went to the last shelf, which was full of roughage. She grabbed a corn cob and closed the fridge door.
She couldn't wrap her hands around the corn cob.
It was more than enough to feed her empty stomach.
Aliana dragged the stool under the light switch. She struggled to climb up and switched on the light.
Out of nowhere, Joshua appeared in front of her and was looking at Aliana sternly.
Aliana screamed.
She jumped and the corn dropped on the floor before rolling away.
"What are you doing?"
Joshua crossed his arms and looked at Aliana's pale face.
His thick brows knitted tightly.
Joshua's gaze was sharp as if he was a police officer looking at an inmate.
The brother and sister stared at each other silently.
Nobody spoke.
Aliana looked at the corn on the floor sadly.
She then looked up at Joshua grumpily.
Joshua Harriman, her eldest brother.
Being the eldest son of the Harriman family, Joshua was totally a catch.
After taking over the Harriman Group from Hugh two years ago, Joshua had brought it and his family to a new high.
That was how great Joshua was.
It was said that he fired all the old corrupted employees on his first day as the president.
He acted fast and didn't give other people time to react or plead.
That was all Aliana knew about it. She was kicked out of the Harriman family afterward and had never heard anything about the Harriman family since.
Maybe it was because she hadn't seen any members of her family for a long time.
Aliana felt a little awkward and didn't know what to do.
The only thought she had at that moment was to pick up the corn and flee.
The crease between Joshua's brows deepened.
"What? Can't you speak now? Why didn't you answer my question?"
All awkwardness disappeared at the second Joshua talked to Aliana in that commanding tone.
Aliana glanced at Joshua and said aloofly.
"I'm hungry, so I came to the kitchen for food."
Although Aliana answered his question, Joshua seemed angrier.
As far as Joshua could remember, Aliana never dared to raise her voice to him. She was always timid and couldn't even meet eyes with him.
And she always called him Josh sweetly.
Last night, Aliana had warily brought tea and a midnight snack to his study.
Yet, Aliana was talking to him dismissively. Her attitude could be counted as cold...
Joshua dropped his arms and squinted as Aliana picked up the corn.
For some reason, Joshua was upset.
"Watch your tone. Where's your manners?"
Aliana paused from wiping the corn clean.
Aliana turned and the light was coming from her back. Joshua was standing there with his hands in his pockets.
When she came back, she thought she could face the Harrimans peacefully.
Yet, when they repeated their ignorance and rudeness, the pain didn't lessen. Aliana still felt a stab in her heart.
The 7-year-old Aliana pressed her lips into a thin line and tried her hardest to adjust her breathing so that she wouldn't break down in front of Joshua.
Manners?
Aliana didn't think they deserved her politeness.
- Writer
