Forbidden Romance

Chapter 3

As soon as she reached the wood mahogany door, her hand hesitated mid-air, poised to knock. The muffled voice coming from inside reached her ears. Seemed her mother was just around. Gloria thought it could be a normal call from relatives, but then she heard something that paused her hand again.

"Yeah, we have to cancel all the arrangements. unfortunately, I could not celebrate our second anniversary this week. You know what happened to Rachel."

Gloria was stunned to hear it. Nervously, she lingered in front of the luxury palace. refraining from entry.

What happened right now changed her entire perception of Catherine, her mom. She realised that her mother wasn't alone but immersed in a world of affluent acquaintances. She headed back to the road as she didn't want to stay there even for a second. She opened Uber and booked a Cab for the airport. She waited for a moment app was still finding its ride. She irritatingly didn't wait for Cab's arrival and crossed the road.

On that scary, chilling night; Gloria walked alone, dragging her small travel bag. She was desperate to escape away from her mom, so away that even her mom’s voice couldn't reach her.

One thing she realised now, her mom had not changed yet. Even after Rachel's death, she cared about no one else. That’s what she hated about her mother’s carelessness.

“Did Rachel take her life because of Mom?” She was walking along the road, her mind fogged with questions. She had an empty stomach since morning. Unknowingly, her eyes turned cloudy as she stumbled forward. Amid the blurred surroundings, she failed to notice the approaching car from the opposite side of the road.

"Hey dumbass, are you blind.". A harsh voice pierced the night. An annoyed glare from Gloria met the passing car. She hated this city and the people from here. She just heard that California people had no road manners but today she just experienced it.

The car approached her, creating a whirlwind of dizziness that sent Gloria tumbling to the ground. A red Lamborghini screeched to a sudden halt before her. It gathered a curious crowd.

A young man around his twenties, Noah was taken aback by the intense stares from the furious crowd. The incident gathered the audience, speculating that Noah must have hit her. He felt a rising sense of terror as unfamiliar faces peered through the glass of his Lamborghini.

"Come out. You hit this girl. You dumb ass. These f*****g rich kids have no mercy for the people walking on the streets. They think of them as animals." The crowd's shout echoed. Noah appeared to panic, He didn't understand what to do.

He stepped out of his car. A Young, tall and athletic man who had a tattoo of some Japanese letters under his ears. He tapered his dark brown eyes at the crowd. His tousled hair hinted at a carefree charm, and his athletic build suggested an affinity for outdoor activities.

In front of his Lamborghini, he found a fallen girl. Clad in a sleek black dress and Clutching a small travel bag. Her face was obscured with her hair. Looked like she was leaving for somewhere far.

"I didn't hit her. She is not even injured." He explained to them. There was no sign of blood, still a small gap between his car and that girl. An elderly woman accused him, "You smelled like alcohol; you just hit her. We are witnesses."

Noah was indeed drunk, but not this much that he would drive the car recklessly. He has been driving since he was fifteen and in his five years of experience he didn't hit a street animal. Even he had not felt a strike that car made while hitting any object. But people were not ready to listen.

"Pick her up and take her to the hospital. I am coming with you." insisted the old woman. Annoyed, Noah reluctantly agreed. The crowd carried Gloria into his car.

Noah just came from the party when he got the call from his father and this happened. He was panicking while driving his car and trying to see the woman in his car.

"What an unlucky fellow. If she wanted to die, why did she appear in front of my car?" He mumbled angrily. Annoyed, he poked his fingers in his ears as the old woman advised against drinking.

As they reached the hospital, they admitted Gloria. The nurse approached Noah, holding a health card in her hand.

"Her health card belonged to New York and now expired." The nurse complained and returned her health card to him. Noah took out his credit card and handed it to the nurse.

"Gloria.. D'silva" He whispered while staring at her card. He pressed his lips and turned to the old woman.

"Can you let me leave now? I have paid for her treatment." He requested that the elderly woman. But she shook her head and denied it.

"What if you intended to kill her? What if you tried to rape her." She started exaggerating. Noah laughed at her sarcastically. He had never seen someone crazy like that woman. It was not even hit.

"Aunty, you should be sitting at home this hour." He taunted that aunt and found that men behind him laughed too. It was almost midnight and he was still in the hospital. The hospital atmosphere was sucking him.

The faint antiseptic scent hung in the air. His the metallic taste of blood around testing labs he hated everything. Just an hour before he was in the club, surrounded by colourful lights and beautiful girls. But now all he can see is white tile walls and white curtains. The screams of the newly born child and the deceased patient's relatives were everything that he never experienced before.

“The patient has woken up.” The nurse came and announced in the gallery. He swiftly rose from the bench and approached Ward.

His eyes fell over Gloria, who came to her senses and just sat on the bed. She was staring at the glucose bottle with her striking blue eyes. Lost in contemplation, her gaze distant and thoughtful. Her pale, porcelain complexion, possessed a simple yet captivating beauty. Her eyes, like two sapphires, held a hint of mystery. often reflecting the depths of her thoughts.

“Hey, where are you lost?” Noah snapped in front of her eyes. Startled, Gloria stared at him with shock.

"Who are you?" she inquired, puzzled by the unfamiliar face. Noah remained silent.

"Tell me, did I hit you with my car? When you were walking in the middle of the road?" Noah asked her loudly so that people around him would stop accusing him. but she was trying to recall it, her head was aching too much.

"Hey, you are not injured. I didn't hit you. Tell it to them." He grabbed her shoulder. Gloria stared at his hands that clenched her shoulder and shook it vigorously. It was an unfamiliar touch for Gloria, and she found herself captivated by his handsome face mere inches away. He wore a white sports t-shirt under a black leather jacket, creating a striking contrast.

Gloria struggled to recollect her visit to her mom and the moment her vision blurred.

"No... He didn't hit me. I fainted." Gloria declared. It brought a broad smile to Noah's dimpled face. He confidently smirked at the old aunt and the men beside her. She was disappointed by it.

"Are you sure?" She asked Gloria again. Noah showed his palm to her and stopped her.

"Are you dumb? she said it clearly. I didn't hit her." He said and the old woman left with her men. He turned to Gloria again but she was lost in her thoughts. She didn't seem well but weak and tired.

"You helped me, thanks for that. I will repay you this." He said, waited for her reply. But seeing her lost again made him wonder. Girls were dying for his attention. His popularity at school made him the most sought-after boy. capable of rendering girls breathless with just a smile. Yet, Gloria seemed indifferent. His ego hurt just to see this, he knew it was easy for him to get attention from any girl but in this case, his charm failed to impress Gloria.

"Hey... Gloria." He shook her shoulder again. Gloria tapered her eyes, thinking how this person knew her name. "I said, I will help you."

"No need of that." Gloria denied. She stared at the clock and realised it was one midnight and she had a flight by three thirty.

Gloria swiftly pulled the needle from her hand, rose from the bed, and grabbed her travel bag. Her actions surprised Noah.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he inquired, even though he was late, he was still curious about her hurrying. He seemed concerned too because Gloria didn't seem normal, she appeared weak and broken.