*knock knock* 

"Miss Isabella?" a voice asked from outside the door of the twelve-year-old Isabella.

"I'll be out in a minute." Isabella replied, her voice still high-pitched but more mature now that she turned twelve.

She combed her hair and pulled them in a ponytail, grabbing her bag from her queen-sized bed, adorned with pink sheets and pillows.

"Miss, would you like to have breakfast with your parents or should I send it here?" her nanny asked.

"It's alright, I am heading to the dining room myself, it's not like my parents would still be there." she answered mumbling the last line.

She ascended the double stairs from her hallway to the living room, walking through the huge double doors to the dining room.

To Isabella's surprise, her parents were sitting on the dining table, her mother silently eating and her father, talking to someone on his phone. The happiness she felt after watching her parents again after almost a month was immense but she kept her composure and politely greeted them.

Her mother nodded, still looking at her food, her face devoid of any expression on the other hand her father gave her a small smile but continued with his conversation. She noticed the new stress lines on her father's forehead, which weren't there the last time she met him, but there were already so many stress lines on him to begin with.

Her father looked ten years older than he already was with those lines and whitening hair, and her mother on the other hand didn't even look human, with no wrinkles and no expressions at all.

Sometimes it is hard to believe Isabella is their daughter, but she keeps quiet. She finished her breakfast stealing glances at her parents, painting their picture in her head for all the time she won't see them for.

She walked away, from her parents and the room to the car, where the driver opened the door for the back seat and off they went.

--------------------

"Hey Isabella, how are you? Did you sleep well last night?" Audrey asked as soon as she entered the classroom.

"I am good and had a wonderful sleep last night. Thank you for asking." Isabella replied. Audrey beamed hearing her response. 

She has been a friend/acquaintance as long as Isabella remembered. Being the daughter of Isabella's father's company manager, Audrey followed Isabella almost religiously since the moment they met. 

Isabella always had a line of admirers and followers behind her, some praising her beauty, her grades, and her wealth, some jealous and considering her a rich brat, but hate it or love it, you cannot ignore Isabella's presence.

The lectures continued as usual, classes getting more and more difficult but Isabella still scored first in her class, having a sharp mind and private tutors, she managed to breeze past most of her subjects. 

The bell rang, signaling the time for PE class, not the time Isabella was looking forward to, but she still got up followed by Hanna, Audrey, and some more girls.

"Did you hear about Locusta Group of Industries, your Father just partnered up with LL constructors, the one on the Gabriel Group's side? I knew they would shift to your father's company, who would want to work with Gabriel Group of Industries." Hannah, another one of Isabella's friends/acquaintances ranted, trying to butter up Isabella.

But Isabella's inner turmoil is only known to her. The Gabriel Group of Industries is the rival of her father's Locusta Group of Industries. They had been in an intense battle to gain power over the entire nation for at least 70 years and counting. The first page of the newspaper is always dedicated to the stunts they are always pulling over each other to slander the other company, sometimes it even results in both companies' disadvantages, but no one can stop them.

Speaking of Gabriel Groups, Alexander Gabriel Smith, the only Son of Arsenio Claremont Smith and heir to Gabriel Group of Industries and the same person who is currently walking in her direction was the only person Isabella want to know of the Gabriel Group.

Both of their classes are at the two ends of the hallway and they cross paths in this class, him going to the downstairs lab, and she to the PE class.

Alexander was immense in the conversation with his friends, walking on the right side but looking left, talking continuously. The distance between them was closing up, as they both walked to their own destinations. 

Isabella couldn't help but walk a little more towards her right, closer to Alexander, as their distance decreased.

To Alexander, he was just walking in the hallway, but for Isabella, the second they crossed each other, her heart thumped in her chest, and like in slow motion, and her eyes closed as she took in his perfume, the one he always used. Her stomach tingled with unexplained feeling, just for that second, she felt emotions that only Alexander's presence could evoke.

And just like how the moment started, it ended, in a matter of a second. Alexander still in deep conversation walked by, noticing nothing. And Isabella started nodding to all the things Hannah ranted about.

Just like that Isabella and Alexander's life parted in different directions again, like how it is supposed to be, meant to be. They are heirs of a business rivalry, and they are meant to be the same, Rivals.

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Hello Lovely Readers!!!!

Hope you all like the new chapter, starting chapters are a little smaller but the length will be a little longer in the later chapter.

I will try to update every other day or maybe daily, please give this book lots of love!!!

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