Chapter 2

The constant knock on the door troubled her, She reached out to the door and turned the knob, as the door swung open, she was startled when she saw the person standing behind the door. “Kelvin?” Rosalie’s voice trembled at the sight of her brother. “Who bailed you out of jail?” She asked with concerns written all over her face. “What do you care? If you cared enough, you would have bailed me out as soon as possible.” Kelvin responded, his eyes laced with anger. “You are so entitled! Can you recall how many times I have bailed you out of jail?” She said as tears welled up her eyeballs. “My boss bailed me out.” He said, his gaze laced with bitterness as he walked through the door. “Antonio, the drug lord?” Rosalie asked, her eyes filled with shock. “Why on earth do you still associate yourself with the dangerous Antonio?” Rosalie asked as tension suddenly grew in her. “You should mind your business and not question…” “Is that my beloved son?” Mrs. Weavers sighted Kelvin and ran with excitement as she hugged him. “Hi, Mom.” He said in a low tone. “I can’t believe you are treating him like he got a degree, you would rather not tell him the truth!” Rosalie fumed in anger as she tackled her mom. “You should let him rest, he just came out of jail!” Mrs. Weavers said as she continued to pamper her overgrown son. “Go out there and do what your mates are doing to earn good cash, and stop giving lectures.” Her mom said, her face gloomed with happiness and relief. “I’m honestly tired of staying in this toxic space with you all, I’m leaving this house!” Rosalie said, her heart burned out from frustration and pain. “Please leave! Come back when you are useful, and can remit good money to your family since you can’t be productive.” Her mom said to her, her gaze focused on Kelvin, who just returned home. With a heavy heart and determination, she picked up some of her belongings as she decided to move out of the house. She was leaving behind the life she had known, with the hope of being a better person and getting a better job. She was tired of their demands and daily taunts, and with uncertainty in her heart, she gathered courage and moved in with her best friend Jonathan. ********** Dylan had been so restless, ever since he encountered Rosalie, he was enchanted by her humility and beauty. “Seeing a girl who has values in a city like San Francisco is very difficult.” He pondered. He had longed for genuine love, to find someone who wasn’t after his wealth or family name. Dylan needed a girl who would fall in love with him because of his personality, and not because of his family wealth. Theodore Dylan is the only successor of Theodore’s Empire. He had been disappointed by different ladies all around the world. They never loved him genuinely, but rather because of what they stood to gain. For some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about the lady he almost knocked down. He wanted to meet her again, but not as Theodore Dylan. He wanted to be just Dylan, to know how people would treat him as an average man. Furthermore, he planned to disguise himself and conceal his real identity to avoid preferential treatment from men and women. But most importantly, he was seeking Rosalie, the girl he almost knocked down. Transitioning into an average man wasn’t as easy as it sounds, but he knew it would lead him to find genuine love, so he could finally have company. He was 35 years old already and needed to settle down, so he can as well produce grandkids for his mom. After some days of planning, he ventured into the world of the average citizen of San Francisco, driven by just one goal, which was to find true love. Dylan got an apartment and settled in nicely, he immediately got a job as a janitor in a high school. He realized no one gave him attention, everyone was all about their businesses, he could finally breathe in fresh air as he walked through the bustling city unnoticed. ********** One night in a mall in San Francisco, he went to get some personal items when their path crossed coincidentally. Unaware of his identity, their eyes locked in momentarily, and his heart rate increased, he couldn’t believe it was Rosalie. He was in shock and got lost in his gaze, she gave a fainted smile as she walked past him. Dylan’s adrenaline spiked up, and he immediately knew there was something special about this beautiful, calm lady. He halted, as he watched her disappear into the crowd in the mall, he needed to start up a conversation immediately but for some reason, he didn’t know how to go about it. Wooing a lady has never been an issue for Dylan, but he found himself rehearsing his lines in his head. “Get a hold of yourself, Dylan!” He muttered to himself. He quickly navigated his way through the crowd as he got a glimpse of her beautiful long black hair. “I have to talk to her! I can’t let her go this time.” He said to himself as he increased his pace to catch up with her. “Hello! Excuse me!” He called out to her as his voice got lost in the crowd. She turned gently to face him with surprise and uncertainty written all over her face. “Hi.” She said with a nervous smile. “Hi, I’m Dylan, I must say you look stunning.” He said to her. “I’m Rosalie.” She said with a faint smile on her face, admiring a perfect-looking man standing in front of her. “How may I help you?” She asked politely. “I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you looked, as you walked past me.” He confessed with a trembling voice. “I get that a lot.” She chuckled softly. “You are honestly a beauty queen, you caught my attention.” His gaze lingered on her. “Thanks for the compliment, but I have to rush somewhere. Anything else?” She added. “Yes… oh, I mean No, but yes, I need your number.” He stammered, his gaze trapped on her beautiful face. “Sure.” She gave him her contact without hesitation. They locked eyes for a moment, and with a little wave and a faint smile, they bid each other goodbye. As they wanted to part ways, the lights of the mall went off, followed by panics and screams from individuals. Rosalie, who had always been afraid of the dark, was the first to panic, he immediately grabbed her by her hands. “I’m here.” He said, his voice laced with concern as he pulled her closer to himself. He navigated their way to safety amidst the chaos of sellers and shoppers in the mall, using just the torchlight from his phone. As they rushed out of the mall, they met a group of violent guys, who emerged out of the parking lot. The look on their faces indicated thirst and bitterness, they immediately knew they were thieves and the reason behind the light out. Dylan and Rosalie held their hands very tight, with their hearts racing, tension roamed around the thick atmosphere, as the guys slowly approached them.