She's beautiful. I can stay here all night staring at her. Like the times I stared at her images in the billboards -- but hating myself afterwards for fantasizing her, reminding myself that I hated her.

Hating her was my only defense to stop this foolishness of wanting her so badly. I told myself that it was just this crazy ego that unleashed my animalistic nature to crave for the forbidden.

She could never be mine.

Her mind was like an egg shell full by Zion. She admired Zion way too much and compared every guy to him. For her, he was the smartest, the handsomest, the coolest and the greatest-- no one could surpass him.

I loved Zion, he was my cousin but I treated him like my older brother. He was my mentor, my confidant and my best friend. But he had too many flaws too, not perfect as what Athena had imagined.

I prevented myself to indulge in jealousy. It was not my nature being jealous to anyone. I grew up being too confident of myself -- my strengths and capabilities. I lived life the way I wanted it and I was not the type who dwelt on someone who would not want me.

Life is not perfect. We can't have everything that we want. And for me, this is one of them. Athena is not the only woman in the planet. There are too many amazing women out there. Someday, I can find someone who will appreciate me for who I am.

But tonight...

All my logical thinking flew off. Suddenly, all I could think was spending more time with her. I did not want the night to end. I wished that the time would stop so we could talk and laugh more.

"Oh my God!" Athena exclaimed as we went inside the private art gallery of the hotel. "These paintings are so beautiful."

"Yeah, all original from famous artists."

She was like a kid who got excited easily. Her whole face spread into a smile. "I'm sure they're priceless."

I nodded. "That's why it's fully guarded and not available for public viewing. Some of these are more than hundred years old."

"Wow... how many paintings do you have in here?"

"Around fifty. But there's a lot more at the attic."

Her eyes grew bigger amazed at what she saw. "I can't believe your family has all of these."

"My great grandfather Enrique Monteiro collected them. At first he had it put inside the rooms of this hotel but later on decided not to when he lost two valuable paintings. A guest stole it and it's good that they were able to recover the paintings."

"Lucky that they were able to get it back. What's your favorite in here?" Her face shifted from left to right.

"Plenty. Like this one." I showed her a painting of a white bird that flew out of the window and heading to the bright sun. "It signifies freedom and overcoming our fears. The light of the sun indicates the future. Whatever decision you'll make today, you should think of it wisely so you'll never go wrong in the future."

"That's right." She nodded and kept on walking, admiring the paintings. She suddenly stopped and looked at the huge painting of a woman in peach-colour dress. "Who's this?"

"Ahh... that's my great grandmother, Sophia Castello Monteiro."

"She's very beautiful."

"Yeah, she is. My great grandfather Enrique Monteiro fell in love with her at first sight."

"Aww... that's so sweet." A smile of enchantment suddenly touched her lips.

"They were supposedly arranged to be married, but Sophia was very stubborn. She left her parents' house to avoid meeting Enrique, but he followed her. The moment they met, right there and then, he knew that she was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It took him awhile to win her heart... and when he did, he treasured her love and made her the happiest woman in the world."

"She's very lucky that she found such a loving man." Her expression stilled and became serious.

I shook my head trying to make her understand about that something... that something called love.

"Every girl is lucky when she found a man who would love and take care of her. A man who would leave everything... his work, his family, his friends and other priorities just to be with the woman he loves." I said smoothly.

A momentary look of discomfort showed on her face. "I... I need some fresh air. Can we go outside?"

"Of course. Do you want to go to the rooftop? There's a garden in there."

Her face brightened a little at my suggestion.

"Yes please. I would love to see it."

Later, we were lying on the artificial Bermuda grass at the rooftop looking at the moon, the stars and the sky above. We were talking nonstop about the things we loved, until our topic became serious.

"I love my parents so much that I don't want them to be disappointed of me anymore." She shifted position removing her hand behind her head.

"Most of us feel the same way." I answered and offered my arm to pillow her head. She accepted and moved closer lying beside me. I could feel the warmness of her body despite the coldness of the night.

"No, not on me. I feel like I'm an disappointment to them. When I was young, I've been a spoilt brat. You'll agree on that for sure."

My smile turned to a chuckle. "Your dad spoiled you, just like uncle Eros did to Emerald."

"In some way, but having a dyslexia... I feel like I failed my parents, especially dad. They always want me to excel in class, to be smart and confident, to earn a degree in Harvard and be brilliant in business. But I did not accomplish anything. I'm twenty three but I'm still the same as I was ten or fifteen years ago."

"Don't let dyslexia hinder you. Just pursue your dreams and work hard on it. All you need is passion and perseverance."

"That's why I want to buy the museum. Arts, paintings and artifacts are my passion. I also want to show to everyone that I can manage my own business."

"You don't need to show to anyone that you can do this or can't do that. Just follow your heart and your instinct. Do it for yourself, not for other people."

"For you, it's easy to say that Carter. But I want to please my parents too. I feel like I'm a burden to them being pampered and all-- shopping, travels, parties and so on. It was only when I signed up in this modelling career that I stopped asking money from them."

"Parents love to pamper their children. You don't have to be guilty about it, consider it as a privilege being born as Ares Niarchos' child."

"Just like you do, being a Monteiro and a Petrakis."

"Well... it has a lot of advantage, but my parents taught me the value of hard work at an early age. I worked for my dad as early as thirteen in his construction company."

Her laughter echoed like music in the air. "My dad doesn't want my hands to get dirty. I remember, I always have a sanitizer in my bag."

"He's very protective of you. I think I would too if I'd have my own daughter someday. I wouldn't let any boy come near her."

"That's crazy." She giggled. "Dad feels the same way, but with Zion... he likes Zion for me."

"Of course, uncle Eros and your dad are very close friends."

She was silent for a while as we continued to gaze at the stars. I was counting them until she said.

"I thought about what you said earlier."

"About what?"

"About your great grandparents."

"What about it?"

"Their love is so wonderful."

"It's true love."

"Do you think what Zion feels for me is true love?"

"You're the only one who can answer that Athena."

She looked so sad. "He doesn't have time for me. It's you who's here with me now lying here and gazing the stars when it's supposed to be him."

I heaved a sigh. I could not answer her either. I did not want to tell her the truth, it would only hurt her feelings.

"Do you think he loves me Carter? I feel like he doesn't. I don't think he's willing to give up everything for me." She turned to me, lying sideways.

"Shhh... stop it. He's marrying you, and I'm sure he feels the same for you. He wouldn't agree to marry you..."

"Only because I asked him to. He agreed to marry me so I could get my trust fund and buy the museum."

I knew about it but decided to keep silent. I did not want to embarrass her. I rubbed her arm, it felt so cold. I regretted not wearing a jacket, I could have put it on her.

"You're shivering." I drew her closer and she instantly went in my arms. Her head pillowed my shoulder and her hand rested on my chest.

We stayed there hugging each other. When she lifted her face and her eyes captured mine, like a passing magical light that swirled around us, we felt the spell burning inside us.

I did not know what happened, but slowly our faces drew closer and closer until our lips met.