Take a chance with me : 2. Fractured Harmony
#Flashback Aston Family Home (Author POV)
The entire Aston family gathered to celebrate Letisha’s 22nd birthday. A wide array of food was laid out on the table to welcome their extended family. It was only in recent years that the Aston family began gathering more frequently. The main reason was that finally, a Lady Tanoko had been born into their family.
Letisha wore a pastel pink dress, a gift from her fiancé. She looked stunning with her hair elegantly pinned up and a light touch of makeup that enhanced her natural beauty. Letisha smiled and occasionally laughed, enjoying the jokes from her cousins. Today felt like the happiest day of her life—as if everything was perfect.
However, as the clear sky suddenly grew cloudy, a sudden heavy rain began to fall. The members of the Aston family, who had been busy chatting, turned to the window, and some of them commented on the unusual weather.
“That’s Sonagi,” one of them said. Sonagi—in Korean—means a sudden heavy rain that comes when the weather is warm. The abrupt downpour seemed to symbolize Letisha’s future, a future she could not avoid. A future full of unpredictability.
Jonathan, her older brother, suddenly asked everyone to be silent. On the television screen, unexpected news broke the lively atmosphere, turning the previously noisy house into sudden silence.
A tragic accident involving the Tanoko Group’s heir family in London had claimed the lives of Eleanor Tanoko and the firstborn son of the Tanoko family, Jeffrey Tanoko.
Everyone was silent upon hearing the news. Letisha felt a tightness in her chest, as if something was pressing there. Suddenly, the sapphire necklace she wore felt heavier, as though an invisible hand was pressing on her throat. Letisha held her breath, as if the necklace was a reminder of a fate she could not escape.
When the news ended, the loud ringing of the house phone shattered the silence in the living room. Her mother immediately rushed to answer, and her expression turned deeply anxious.
“Lady Tanoko… Letisha… you are requested to fly to London, now,” her mother said with a trembling voice.
Letisha felt as if the world had stopped momentarily. Her heart pounded fiercely. Upon hearing the words “Lady Tanoko,” the sapphire necklace she wore tightened even more, as if warning her that the life she knew was about to change forever. A role she could no longer avoid.
Tanoko Sport and Wellness Club (Letisha’s POV)
Lily and I had just finished our Pilates session, but she insisted I stay and wait while her husband finished his polo game. She kept whining nonstop—I honestly wanted to smack her—but her excuse was that I needed to relax. If I went home, I’d be immediately swamped with “Lady Tanoko duties” and a million other things.
So here I am, lying back, soaking up the warm morning sun. In front of me, a few men are playing polo. One of them is my husband, Elliot. Today, he looks incredibly handsome in his polo uniform. The way he rides his horse makes me blush a little. Does Elliot always look this good? I watch him with a mix of pride and something deeper, something I can’t quite explain.
The sunlight filters gently through my skin. As I absentmindedly play with my sapphire necklace—the one I wear every day—a group of women who just finished their yoga session suddenly block my view. They chatter loudly.
“Hey, isn’t that Young Master Elliot?” one woman says, apparently just finishing her protein shake. Another shamelessly steps right in front of me and stares at Elliot in a way that’s frankly inappropriate.
“If only my husband looked half as good as Young Master Tanoko, I’d give him everything,” another woman gushes, swaying flirtatiously.
“Look at those thighs—he’s gotta be amazing in bed,” another teases, making me cough sharply in shock. What did I just hear?! I just witnessed women openly lusting after my husband! Suddenly, they turn around, startled to find me right behind them. They surely didn’t expect me to still be here after yoga or Pilates. Usually, I’d rush off to my next appointment.
After they leave, Lily arrives with detox tea and the book we’re discussing in our upcoming book club. She’s holding The Alchemist. It’s a family tradition in the Tanoko household—Grandmother Aurelia ensures her grandchildren, including grandchildren-in-law, read a book each month and share tea together.
“Why can’t we be like normal families who just gossip when they get together? Why do we have to discuss books?” Lily complains, settling into the lounge chair beside me. The book looks like it was just bought yesterday.
“You do know the main character's name is not The Alchemist, right?” I tease her.
“Ugh, Sister Cousin Letisha, please just send me the summary later, okay? That professor will definitely pick on me to explain first and then criticize everything I say. Like, can a teacher do that to their student? Isn’t that bullying?” she whines, tossing the book aside.
I chuckle quietly, amused by her antics.
Lily and I have been close since high school. She was the happiest person when I was chosen to be Lady Tanoko. As both a cousin and a friend, she’s been incredibly supportive. After I finished quarantine for the selection process, she and my brother even conspired to “kidnap” me to London. That short trip was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. The highlight was definitely the masquerade ball—it was so much fun.
Lily waves toward someone I recognize—her husband, Zhong Chenle, the youngest son of the Zhong family’s Shanghai business empire. They met at Harvard, and according to Lily, it was love at first sight.
Chenle sits beside her, and Lily promptly hands him a towel, which he returns with a gentle kiss on her forehead. I smile watching their affection. But inside, I wonder—if Elliot and I married for love, would we have that kind of closeness?
Suddenly, Elliot arrives with Jeno. Elliot sits across from me, and I take a close look at him, having not seen him for days. They just returned from a business trip to Dubai.
“Brother cousin Mark, after book club, can I and Isha go shopping at the mall together?” Lily asks. Her question surprises me—after the book club, I’m supposed to attend a Tanoko Annual Ball meeting.
I was about to protest when Elliot cuts in,
“Sure, Lily. How about you use your car?” Elliot replies casually. I’m silent, uncertain. I never break my schedule, and what if the meeting is postponed?
“I... I have a meeting for the Tanoko Annual Ball,” I answer quietly. Elliot leans in to hear me better, then smiles. Why is he smiling like that?
“Oh... I thought otherwise. That’s okay, Letisha. I’ll ask them to move the meeting to tomorrow. Have fun with Lily!” he says effortlessly. How can he be so relaxed? What am I supposed to do? I’ve never changed my schedule since becoming Lady Tanoko.
“Yes! Then how about we hit the usual bar tonight?” Chenle suggests.
“There you go, always finding an excuse to drink,” Lily pouts.
“Let’s go to the one near the mall, and we’ll pick up the girls afterward,” Elliot says casually, standing up to change out of his polo shirt and into his bathrobe. I notice some of those women from earlier peeking over. What’s up with him? How can he be so carefree?
“Come on, sha, let’s get ready. Don’t be late for book club, especially not for the boutique—I already booked us for shopping later. Brother cousin Mark, Letisha has no limits when it comes to shopping, right?” Lily shouts, making me lightly hit her hand. Elliot gives a thumbs up as he walks toward the communal club.
I sigh deeply. Part of me is glad to enjoy a relaxed moment, but another part worries grandmother might come and lecture me again.
Elliot POV
I focused on driving, while Letisha hummed softly along with the song playing on the radio. After a long shopping session with Lily and Chenle—who threw a tantrum because his credit card bill was getting out of control—we finally decided to head home.
I glanced at Letisha, who was staring out the window, her eyes following the changing scenery outside. It had been two years since our marriage, and this was the first time I truly paid close attention to her. Today, she wore jeans paired with a white Celine t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. I suddenly realized just how petite she was, especially wearing flats like this. Every time she sat next to me, I felt a distance between us that I hadn’t noticed before.
I chuckled, remembering how she nearly got lost amidst her countless shopping bags earlier. That had become her habit—looking cheerful, a bit anxious, but always with unstoppable enthusiasm while shopping. Everything she did was filled with passion. That side of her was always endearing, a side I’d never truly noticed before.
Yet, for some reason, today felt different. I watched Letisha longer than usual—not just as my wife, but as the woman who had been by my side all this time. Why had I only now realized how beautiful she was, even in such simple clothes? Her sweet smile that often appeared during light conversations, her eyes filled with confusion, even the way she laughed so carefree—all of it felt more vivid to me today.
I knew I should focus more on the road, but every time I glanced at her, my heart felt uneasy. A deeper feeling was growing—something more than this formal marriage. But I didn’t know how to express it. I knew my feelings ran deeper than I could say, yet somehow I was stuck in this silence, watching her without being able to say a thing.
I kept driving, but my thoughts and feelings grew more tangled. Letisha, sitting beside me, unintentionally drew more attention than I should have given. Every detail I noticed—her simply flowing hair, her meaningful eyes that often hid everything behind a sweet smile—all of it began to change how I saw her. I didn’t know if this was just my anxiety or something bigger blossoming.
I glanced at her again, this time longer. Letisha remained silent, but now I could see she seemed a bit more relaxed, as if she wasn’t burdened by the world spinning so fast around her. I felt, somehow, that there were deeper things she kept inside—things I’d never asked about, that I’d let slip by without much thought.
“Letisha…” My voice sounded deeper than usual, making her turn with a curious look.
“Yes, Elliot?” she asked, her voice light but filled with curiosity. Her beautiful face looked so natural, though behind it I knew she hid many things I couldn’t just read. And damn, she keep calling me Elliot eventhough i told her to call me Mark.
I wanted to say something, but the words caught in my throat. I wanted to talk about feelings that were harder to keep silent—the jealousy that often disturbed me when I saw her laughing with others, or how I was starting to feel trapped in this quietness. But all I could do was stay silent.
“Is something bothering you?” she asked again, this time softer, as if trying to feel what was on my mind.
I looked at her for a moment, trying to read her eyes, but I couldn’t find the answers I sought. I couldn’t say what I felt. It seemed like words wouldn’t be enough to describe how complicated my feelings were right now.
“No… it’s just… I think we need to talk more,” I finally answered, trying to sound normal.
Letisha nodded slowly, then looked out the window again, as if pondering something deeper. I watched the increasingly blurred scenery outside, but I knew deep in my heart something was beginning to change. That feeling, which I’d hidden for so long, was growing harder to contain.
The car moved steadily, but inside me, many things kept swirling. I felt trapped, and the words I wanted to say seemed too difficult to express. Something more than this formal marriage was growing, yet part of me held back. What was it that I truly felt?
Is it okay for me to love her now? After everything that happened last year?
I wanted to reach for Letisha’s hand, pull her closer, and tell her I wanted more than this formal arrangement. But I knew those words would change everything. And I wasn’t sure I was ready to face that. Not after all that had happened—the feelings, the accident, and everything that made us who we are now.
I sighed, feeling more trapped in questions I couldn’t answer. Finally, I decided to stay silent, hoping that someday I’d find a way to express everything—without fearing the loss of what we’ve built together.
Lady Tanoko's sapphire round cut necklace
