Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

WHEN LOVE BECOMES A WRONG
Dream of Autumn

'If loving you with all my heart's a crime…
Then I'm GUILTY…'

Chapter One

Li Syaoran sat on the chair in Atty. Shirota Yuu's office, his head bowed down. The attorney had not arrived yet. He had no right to complain since he (the attorney) wasn't late at all. Syaoran was just early. The office clock read 2:55 and their meeting was set at 3:00. Never mind that he came at 2:20. Yup. Syaoran was that early. Why? So that he won't make an even worse impression on her.

Yes. Her.

Who her?

Her. The girl who was sitting across him.

He looked up and had to gulp. The girl who sat across him was glaring at him spitefully. Her emerald green eyes were fiery with anger, rage, fury, ire, wrath, and all other words associated with those aforementioned. She hated him. No, she loathed him. She despised him. She detested him to the depths of her soul. And he knew this. He also knew that if given the chance and had the power, she would condemn him to damnation where he rightfully belongs, in her serious opinion, together with her mother.

Syaoran's heart was shattered into pieces knowing she would never reassess her thoughts of him. To her, he was the bad guy. The villain. The antagonist. The devil himself. And he couldn't blame her. So who was she?

She was Kinomoto Sakura. The love of his life. His stepdaughter.

"Ah! Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li! Forgive me for letting you wait. Miss Miyu told me you came in early," the graying-haired, brown-eyed gallant attorney apologized as he entered.

"It's okay, Atty. Shirota. Other than having myself in the company of a bastard, I had no problem," Sakura retorted quite calmly, venom evident in the tone of her voice, her glowering orbs not leaving Syaoran. Syaoran bowed his head down in hurt and shut his eyes to prevent the tears from spilling. Color rose to his face.

The middle-aged man, taken aback, looked at Sakura then Syaoran.

"Um," he muttered unsurely and cleared his throat. He pulled the collar of his dress shirt before settling on the chair between the two, the seat on the edge of the table.

"Okay. So let's begin. Shall we?"

Sakura remained silent. Syaoran turned to the lawyer and smiled nervously. "I guess." Then, he turned to Sakura.

"Sakura?"

"Don't call me that!" she hissed. Syaoran was slightly taken aback but nevertheless yielded.

Shirota sensed the tension between the two. But he knew better and ignored it, proceeding to the meeting's agenda.

"Alright then. Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li. Miss Amamiya revised her will, as you have known, on the day before her wedding. The day before her death." He glanced at both his clients. Provoking no reaction, he continued.

"And accordingly, Miss Amamiya left the Kinomoto Corporation entirely to you, Miss Kinomoto as you are the legal heir, being the only child of her ex-husband and your father, Kinomoto Fujitaka." Sakura nodded.

"Furthermore, her other possessions, such as jewelries, clothes, bags—all of them—are yours. However, you must not give it away. Not. And especially not to her cousin Daidouji Sonomi or her daughter, Daidouji Tomoyo." At the last statement, Sakura was about to raise an argument but stopped herself at the last second, knowing the attorney had no say on this matter.

"Mister Li is to be given the Cadillac DTS and the Mercedes SLK55. He will also keep the BMW R80 GTS motorcycle Miss Amamiya gifted him."

She clenched both her hands into a fist in order to stop herself from yelling. She was expecting something like this yet it didn't stop her rage from coming. She wanted him to receive absolutely nothing. Yet knowing her mother… Syaoran sensed her anger but remained silent. He knew better. Anything he would say would only worsen matters, which is the least he would want to happen at the moment.

"Miss Kinomoto shall be given the BMW X3 SUV, the Audi TT coupe, the Chevrolet Optra sedan, the Lexus GS430 and the Toyota Saturn limousine. The mansion…" He looked at the two again to check if they were still attentive. They were so he went on. "The mansion belongs to Miss Kinomoto." Sakura sighed a breath of relief, thinking the worst was over. But perhaps she had thought so soon.

"—but—" Oba continued.

Sakura's eyes flashed. But?!

"—though the mansion is a property of Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li—"

Oh dear no, Sakura thought.

"—is to live—"

NO!

"—in the mansion—"

Fuck no!

"—until he marries." The color in Sakura's face drained.

"Miss Amamiya also wanted that Mister Li be given a monthly allowance of ¥125,000." That hit a nerve—hard. Sakura's head snapped to Syaoran, who was giving her a contrite look.

Shirota blinked. "Miss Kinomoto? Are you okay?"

Sakura was tense, pale and panting. She cannot believe her mother would do this to her. Though there were a lot of good in Amamiya Nadeshiko's will, like giving her full control of the company her father had worked so hard to expand, and granting her ownership of the mansion, the bad outweighed the good in terms of gravity. Living with the devil will be hell on earth. And not rightfully inheriting what's hers could compensate that, in her opinion.

(A.N.: Though I know a lot of you would say otherwise. Living with Syaoran would be heaven on earth, wouldn't it? wink)

"Miss Kinomoto?" Sakura snapped back to reality and realized it was Syaoran who had called her. She ignored him and turned to the lawyer, who looked just as worried as Syaoran. "I'm fine," she assured them in a voice that's barely above a whisper.

Shirota continued. "Lastly, the residences Miss Amamiya owns in Tomoeda and Kyoto also will be given to Miss Kinomoto as well as the real estate properties that belonged to Mister Kinomoto, namely his mansions in Yokohama, Osaka, and Nagoya. Miss Amamiya's penthouse in Osaka will, however, go to Mister Li." Sakura has heard enough and stood.

"I guess that's all I wanted to hear. Unless there's more to it," she asked Shirota.

Shirota shook his head. "That's all to the will, Miss Kinomoto." Sakura nodded and turned to leave. "Miss Kinomoto!" Shirota called her.

Sakura turned and saw him holding something pink in his hand. "Yes, Atty. Shirota?"

Shirota extended his hand, motioning her to take whatever he was holding, which turned out to be an envelope. She did and inspected it. It was sealed.

"Your mother gave that along with the will. She asked me to give it to you," he gave her a smile. "I think she knew her time was up the next day. A premonition maybe or intuition, I don't know how she managed to figure that out but…" he trailed off.

Sakura furrowed her brows. "She knew?! If she knew… and if she were smart enough, she should've cancelled the wedding instead of bringing bad luck—" Syaoran winced. "—into the household," she barked not caring if she had hurt someone or not. She didn't care at all.

"Thank you for everything you've done, Atty. Shirota," she thanked the lawyer then gave Syaoran a hard glare before turning on her heels and left, leaving the two gents in awkward silence.

Syaoran stood. "Well… I guess I should be leaving, too. Thank you for the time, Atty. Shirota," he thanked the lawyer as well. Shirota nodded in acknowledgment and stood.

"It's but my duty, Mister Li." He extended his hand, which Syaoran took and shook. "If you allow me to speak, Mister Li, I am one who respects my clients' private lives. But I am only human who sometimes cannot help but judge other people." Syaoran nodded, though uncertain where Shirota was going. "That is why when Miss Amamiya decided to revise her will with a certain fiancé getting benefits, a certain fiancé who happens to be younger than her, not to mention a year older than her daughter, Miss Kinomoto, I disliked this man to a point. I thought he's this filthy gold-digger, social climber." Syaoran tensed.

"But after meeting you, Mister Li, I take my words or thoughts back. And I apologize."

Syaoran smiled. "Accepted."

Shirota grinned and patted him on the back. "Don't worry about Miss Kinomoto. She's just probably looking out for her mother, and most importantly, what's hers."

"I know."

"Just be good to her, Mister Li. She'll warm up to you in time. I've got to warn you, though. The girl's pretty much stubborn. Give her time. Life has been a bit hard on her."

Syaoran nodded.

"Good evening, Master Li," greeted the butler Akashi upon his arrival.

"Good evening to you, too, Akashi," he replied with a smile in hope of maintaining rapport with the servant. He had been staying at the mansion for more than a week now. Ten days to be precise. He had moved there two days prior to the wedding, upon Nadeshiko's request. He declined, though, to share a room with her, saying it'd be most proper to do so after the wedding. This didn't help lessen Sakura's annoyance with him, unfortunately.

Needless to say, he was given a room of his own, right next to his then fiancée's room, far away from Sakura's, which was on the other wing. So far, the household was slowly warming up to him. And his relationship with them is way better than his relationship with Sakura. They realized he was not as bad as they had all pictured him out to be. He was quite polite and respectful. Even up to after the Mistress Nadeshiko's death.

He was about to go up to his room when…

"Li," someone called him. He looked up and his heart jumped to see Sakura, her beautiful face stony. "In my office. We need to talk." And she left.

"By her office, she meant Mistress Nadeshiko's former office, Sir," Akashi informed him.

He nodded. "Thanks Akashi." And followed Sakura.

Upon entering the pale orange room that once belonged to the deceased Nadeshiko, he found her daughter sitting behind the oak desk, leaning back on the high-backed cushioned chair, arms crossed in front of her chest, and the usual icy stare present in her emerald green pools. "Don't worry. This won't take long."

He stood in front of the desk. She didn't even bother offering him a seat. "As my mother willed, you will be living in my house until probably you find another wealthy woman whose riches you'd want to inherit." Oftentimes, Sakura was one who would mince with words. But when you are facing the man you oh so love to hate, there is no room for beating around the bush. Syaoran hid the pain that her words were causing him and looked down.

"In the meantime, while we—rather, I, am stuck with you," she said the last word with contempt. "I think it would be the best for the both of us to mind our own business. Am I clear on that one, Li?"

"Yes, Miss Kinomoto," he said in a low voice.

Sakura smirked. "Good. You may go."

Syaoran looked at her in the eye in hopes of making her see how much she means to him. The eyes are the windows to your soul, his mother once said to him. He was a bit surprised, though he didn't show, to see a slight change in her expression. She looked at bit bewildered now from the look he was giving her.

"I-I said you may go!" she repeated. He gave up and broke the contact, simply turned and left the room. He went upstairs to his room and lay down on the bed. A tear rolled down his eye. Sakura… I'm so sorry. I love you so much. He turned around so he was lying down on his stomach, his face buried in the pillows, and cried. All emotions, all the pain that were building up in his chest, he let it all out. His whole being hurt. And it was all because of his intense love for a girl. A girl who would never be his.

He first encountered Sakura back in his junior year in college. They were in the same year but different courses. He was taking up engineering, while she business administration. They were from different colleges, naturally, and neither had known each other very well. He 'met' her through his friend and classmate, Hiiragizawa Eriol. They weren't acquaintances. But Eriol knew her since she happened to be his longtime crush, Daidouji Tomoyo's cousin.

It was one noon when they were having lunch under the trees that the Chinese lad caught sight of the beautiful blossom. In his eyes, she was the most heavenly creature he had set his eyes upon. She walked past them in hurry. Most probably to get to her class on time. Syaoran was only given a fleeting glance of the girl yet her face was immediately etched in his mind from that moment on. She filled his mind all the time and it drove him almost to insanity not to see her again. He longed to see the delicate face that haunted him in his dreams frequently and stare at it for a long time to memorize its every feature.

He saw her again two weeks later and the best thing was, it was up close. Eriol had asked him to accompany him in asking Tomoyo out after mustering the guts to do so. He reluctantly agreed, not knowing he'd thank Eriol later for asking him firsthand. His friend found the girl he was looking for sitting on the bench near the fountain.

"Syaoran!" he stopped him. "There she is!"

Syaoran looked up and saw Tomoyo. But it wasn't her who made his heart suddenly go frantic. Sitting beside his friend's object of affection was the girl he had sought out to see the past fortnight. Suddenly, he felt his feet frozen to the ground, unable to move.

"E-Eriol?" he called out to his companion nervously. But the azure-eyed boy was so bent on asking the other girl out, he failed to realize his friend was having a problem.

"Let's go Syaoran!" He dragged his dark-haired friend towards where the girls where.

Syaoran found it almost impossible to breath. He felt his chest suddenly tightened as they drew near. Then, there she was. In front of him. It was so surreal. Suddenly, all other things—the fountain, the benches, the trees, the other students, Tomoyo, and Eriol—disappeared and time stood still for Syaoran. And all he could see was her. She was everything he had remembered: glowing porcelain skin, radiant golden brown tresses, pink pouty lips. But what caught Syaoran in a daze was her eyes. They were of a unique shade of green that reminded him of precious emeralds, his favorite shade. Syaoran couldn't think of any other words to describe her but perfect.

"So I'll see you Saturday?" Eriol beamed. Tomoyo blushed and giggled. "Saturday."

"Okay… So… I'll see you around!" the blue-haired boy bid his ladylove goodbye, pulling his friend who was still in a world of his own. Syaoran almost tumbled.

He didn't want to leave just yet but when he looked over, saw the girl, along with a grinning Tomoyo, standing up with her things bundled in her arms, about to leave, he followed Eriol.

"I can't believe she said yes!" Eriol shrilled. Syaoran smiled at his happiness. "Good for you, man. And, um, by the way…" he cleared his throat. Eriol raised his brows to him.

"Yeah?"

Syaoran pulled at his collar as if it was suffocating him. Then, color rose to his face. "Do you, uh, happen to know the girl Tomoyo was with?" he asked shyly. Eriol looked at him amusingly and laughed.

"Syaoran, Syaoran!" He shook his head in amusement and paused for effect. "Yeah, I do."

"You do?!" he mused.

Eriol nodded. "But before I tell you, can you do me a favor?"

Syaoran's head immediately bobbed. "Anything!"

His friend grinned. "Good. Then you'll help me prepare for my big night this Saturday, okay?"

"Of course! I did say I'd do anything, didn't I?"

"Excellent."

Silence enveloped the two.

"So?"

Eriol looked at Syaoran wryly. "So what?"

"Who's she?"

"Tomoyo's cousin," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Really? What's her name?" he asked eagerly.

Eriol smirked. "I'll tell you after the date. I'll let you keep your end of the bargain first."

Syaoran halted in his steps and gawked. "Aw c'mon, Hiiragizawa! I keep my promises!" he cried out despairingly. His friend cackled as he continued to walk ahead of his amber-eyed friend. Then, he turned around and shouted, "Her name's Kinomoto Sakura." And walked off. Syaoran stood still, his heart increasing its pace as more blood rushed to his face and a very wide grin plastered itself on his face in response to elation. He didn't care if anybody heard their conversation. All he cared was he knew who she was. At last, the lovely face had a name.

"Kinomoto… Sakura…" he whispered to himself over and over again.

He thought had never heard a name that was as beautiful as hers. And he probably won't, he thought. A beautiful name to go with an exquisite face.

"Sakura…" he whispered again as he lay down on his bed at night. "My Sakura… I love you…" he said it out loud. Yes, he was in love with her. Though Eriol refuted it, saying one cannot fall in love with somebody for her looks alone, his words fell on deaf ears. Eriol gave up and left, leaving a lovesick Syaoran with his thoughts. And he fell asleep thinking of her.

A tear rolled down Syaoran's cheek as he thought about the past. How different it was from the present. In the past, he had to search the entire university to see Sakura. Now, he was living with her under one roof. Yet it held no difference at all: she was still as unreachable as the stars.

It had been one tiring day and Syaoran felt the emotional exhaustion overwhelm him. Like any other night that followed the day he first saw her, he fell asleep thinking of her.

To Be Continued

A.N.: Read and Review! :)