Mother And Son

"Because I am your mother now!"

"......" the simple reply left him stunned.

"I am caring for you, but I can be stern and cold if you keep testing my nerves! Do you want me to do that?" he shook his head unconsciously and she chuckled, "that is better than. Now you must try their pies and scones. They are to die for!"

When Diana returned from the powder room, Rowan was having the pie with a smile on his face while Ana was chatting happily. They looked much more harmonious than before, which surprised her but at the same time relieved her.

"Mother, you are here. I have ordered your favorite rugelach."

Diana nodded and then turned her gaze back to Rowan whose eyes were not frosty anymore. "Did you like your scones?"

"Yes, mother suggested. They are tasty." she smiled as she nodded her head again and again.

"We should be leaving now, young lord!" the knight bowed his head and looked at him with worry when Rowan nodded his head. After ending their meal, he left with his knights.

"Shall we leave too?" asked Diana when Ana shook her head.

"Mother, can you choose a gift for Garrison for me? I want to give him something special on our wedding day." Diana smiled and nodded her head with happiness.

"Of course, I know the perfect shop." she clapped her hands and they soon walked to a jewel shop.

The man bowed his head with respect looking at Diana. "After a long time, my lady."

"Ana, this is baron Mcgril. He has the best cufflinks designed here." the man kissed the back of Ana's hand with a smile, "Mcgril, i want the best designs for my son in law. Do not worry about the budget." he nodded and asked the staff to bring the best designs.

When Diana was looking at the gems, Ana started to look around and soon, she found a chance to leave the shop.

She looked around and walked straight to the auction house on the other end of the plaza while covering her head with the cloak.

"I request you to think again. I have already paid half of the amount and only missed one installment. Once I complete the order, I will pay you the rest of the money, please do not auction my shop." the man implored in a teary voice. He would lose everything if the shop was gone.

Ana took a deep breath. She knew that it was going to happen today and before the auction of tonight but she had never thought she would be so lucky to stumble on the exact scene. Now she did not need to look for the man separately.

"My lord, you must know that is not how business works. The contract stated clearly that you will lose the right over the shop if you missed a single installment. I request you to not create a scene or we will throw you out." the man paused and then smirked "on a second note, i will give you a chance, bring me the money by the evening and i will return your shop to you."

",...." the man stared hard. There was no way that he could get a thousand gold coins in two hours. They were making fun of him. But.. he still stood up, maybe he could convince someone to lend him money.

"Hahaha! Did he still think that he is a noble? Look how he ran to get the money as if someone was waiting at the door to lend it to him." They laughed hard when they saw the desperate man still trying when he was nothing more than a fish struggling after getting caught in the net.

Yet he did not care and walked towards the door where he found a young woman blocking the way.

"Excuse me, miss. Will you please.." instead of leaving space for him to leave, Ana took out a gold back and forwarded it towards him that froze him.

"This is 5000 gold coins. It will pay the rest of your loan, not only one installment." she said softly when he took no effort to take the money from her. "What are you waiting for?" her brows knitted when he kept staring at her instead of taking the money.

"Do you not want it anymore?" she took her hand back when he finally blinked and shook his head.

"I want it! Of course, I want it. But who are you and why are you giving it to me?" his voice was cautious. He had learnt it hard way that people can not be trusted and there is nothing like charity in this world,

"I need half of the ownership of your shop.'' The words made him flinch and frown immediately and his eyes turned colder.

"It will be better if you let me go and find a creditor. I did not want to sell my shop." His voice was stern and cold as he tried to walk past her.

"Ha! We both know that you will not be able to find one so fast. You will lose your shop completely and the amount you have invested in it. But if you take my money then you still have half of the rights of your shop and we both can run it together." she repeated when he stopped in his struggle and stared back at her.

"Did you not want to be a good designer? I promise that I will make you best in the empire so that no one would be able to cross you in the future. You will get your glory back and stand high.

I just want fifty percent of that earning and glory. That is not tough. Is it?"

"Why are you helping me and how will you do that?"

"I want you to stand on top so that the one on the top can fall down." and I can trample them.