A short silence occurred around Victoria after she finished her sentence. Arya noticed the gazes from all around them and she frowned slightly. She nearly forgot what day it was today.
"What did you do to her? Or what is your aim? Why do you need to befriend her and have her give you a chance?" A quiet voice broke the silence. It was Xavier who had been silent this whole time.
He spoke as he grabbed a paper towel from James, handing it to Arya while his eyes were staring at Victoria. Victoria felt like she had nowhere to run under his gaze. She looked downwards out of fear and avoided looking into his eyes.
Due to Xavier's overpowering aura, Victoria could not stand it anymore and dragged Ethan beside her. She mumbled,
"Chairman Knight, Sister and I just have... some misunderstandings, so..."
"Victoria!" Ethan suddenly called out to her and pulled her closer to him. His eyes met with Xavier's gaze. Just as he was about to say something, Arya emptied the half-filled glass and handed it to a waiter nearby. She told Xavier,
"I'll go and wash my hands."
Xavier glanced back at her, knowing that she was worried this might mess up the event's atmosphere. He nodded and adjusted the shawl on her shoulder.
"Come back quickly."
Her slender figure vanished in the crowd after a brief reply...
"I don't care what misunderstandings you've had with Arya in the past, but you're the first one daring enough to pull such tricks right before me," Xavier stated indifferently as he looked at Victoria,
Victoria's face turned even paler. Even though his tone of voice was calm, she could not take the strong aura radiating from his eyes. She fretted while trying to explain,
"That's not it, Chairman Knight, Sister and I..."
Xavier did not bother to listen to her explanation. He glanced over at Ethan and said quietly,
"CEO Ethan, I hope there's no more next time for what happened today."
Before Ethan could react, Xavier walked past him.
Ethan's expression darkened as Xavier marched past him coldly. His dark eyes turned icy as he suddenly moved Victoria's hand onto his arm. He glared at her sharply and made her panic.
"Ethan, I didn't! You have to believe me!" Victoria grabbed onto his sleeve out of trepidation while tears appeared on the verge of her eyes. She seemed really frail and innocent.
Ethan stared at her for a long time. His eyes and emotions were getting more and more complicated. After a while, he said,
"That's enough. Get back to your seat."
"Cousin!" Evelyn caught up to them and studied Ethan worriedly.
"Let her get some rest. I'll go out to take a breather." Ethan put the wine glass in his hand away before leaving.
...
Inside the washroom, Arya stood before the tap and washed her hands quietly. She raised her head and saw her somewhat exhausted face. Her eyes had dark rings around them. She splashed some water onto her face and felt refreshed when she looked at her face once again, letting out a sigh of relief.
After she was done, she walked through the long corridor upon leaving the washroom. To her surprise, she saw Ethan smoking in a corner. He seemed lonely as she watched his large figure from afar.
Her steps faltered slightly, but she did not stop at all. She averted her gaze and pretended as if she did not see anything, intending to walk away quietly.
Although that was what she thought, before she could even inch away, Ethan had already turned to her and walked towards her.
"Arya..." He called out to her when her head was lowered and seemingly wanted to avoid him as he stepped forward.
"What's wrong, CEO Ethan?"
She stopped before him, raising her head and glowering at him directly.
"If you're here to talk about Victoria, or to warn me not to harm her again, please go back and tell her that I wouldn't do anything against people who have done nothing to me. If I'm threatened, I'll surely repay it the same way!"
Ethan's heart clenched when he heard her words. The light in his eyes quieted down and after giving it some thought, he said,
"It's not about Victoria. I have something to ask you."
Arya glanced at him coldly. He asked straight before she could even reply,
"You... Are you married... to Xavier?"
His eyes moved downwards as he asked, focusing on her left ring finger. That silver shine was so obvious and bright, strong enough to hurt his eyes.
Arya smirked, not hiding anything at all before admitting,
"Yes, you're right. We got married long before your engagement with Victoria, so you don't have to worry that I'll bother you ever again. Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"Why?" Ethan looked into her eyes and asked quietly,
"If you're doing so out of spite..."
Arya's smile seemed a little empty, but her tone of voice was extremely determined.
"You think too highly of yourself, Ethan. I want myself to know that I don't only belong to one person. Starting a new life isn't bad at all."
"Xavier isn't someone you can control, Arya! Do you even know him well? Does Uncle Johns know that you're married? As well as your grandfather and grandmother..."
Arya shut him up before he could finish his sentence. "I have no more links to the Johns family anymore. If that makes it clearer to all of you, I don't mind changing my surname to Johnson! I don't care who Xavier is. He's treating me absolutely well, so why shouldn't I marry him?"
"But you don't love him, do you?" Ethan watched her closely and asked.
Arya was startled. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.,
"One doesn't have to be in love to marry someone. If you don't understand what I want even now... Ah, of course, you wouldn't understand. What I want is very simple. If he can treat me well, I don't care about anything else."
Her voice sounded bitter. Her tiny figure went past him as she spoke,
"We're back to our starting point now. Now, we can leave each other alone. I don't want to look back at our past anymore. However, the conflict between Victoria and I won't just stop all of a sudden. If you continue to support them, I won't go easy on you."
Her voice entered his ears like a sharp wind, stunning Ethan.
She saw Xavier waiting at the staircase the moment she stepped out of the corridor.
He turned around when he heard the sound of footsteps, glancing at her as he extended his arm towards her.
She looked down as she went down the staircase, going straight towards him without any hesitation. He put his arms over her shoulders as she went near him.
"Let's go back. It's late."
She nodded, but after a while, she added,
"I don't think you ate anything. Aren't you hungry?"
"I'll go back and cook something," he replied quietly.
"Actually, I wanted to say that I'm not exactly full as well..."
...
When Ethan chased after her, he saw Xavier walking along with her under the dim street lights. James had already opened the car door without them needing to tell him.
The car started moving through the night while the banquet still went on inside. The lights by the entrance shone in his eyes and the night breeze not only messed up his collar, but it also rifled his emotions as well.
"Ethan..."
After some time, suddenly Victoria's voice reached him from behind, Ethan turned around and realized that she was standing right behind him without him noticing.
"Why are you here? It's cold outside..."
Victoria was concerned about Ethan, her pretty little face still appearing a little sickly.
Ethan glanced at her with a complicated gaze. After a while, he went down the stairs.
"Get into the car. I'll send you back."
"Ethan, can you stay with me tonight?" Victoria caught up with him and grabbed his hand.
"I'm... a little sad..."
Naturally, he knew that it was about Arya and what happened just now. Many people must have seen that and some people even started discussing it, especially after Xavier said something like that. Most of them had thrown odd glances at Victoria and she only managed to get out by giving an excuse of going to the washroom.
"I want some quiet time alone. Let me send you back to West Park," Ethan replied quietly. Victoria's face turned even paler as her whole body shivered in shock at Ethan's reply.
It was the first time he had ever declined for her to stay over at his place.
"Ethan, what's wrong?" She confronted him in shock.
Ethan took a deep breath as he looked at Victoria before him, Arya's voice echoing in his ear.
He could not bear to see Victoria's morose face as she tried to hide her pain. He then said,
"I'm a little tired. I..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Victoria went forward and hugged him tightly. Her gentle voice was filled with unease.
"Ethan, don't reject me... You know, I really need you right now. I'm really sad..."
Ethan looked downwards at the sallow Victoria quietly. He could not bear to reject her and he nodded, dragging her away and taking his car keys out from his pocket as he walked towards the car.
Victoria smiled and went along with him, gently holding onto Ethan's hand...
...
It was around 9 p.m. when they arrived at home.
Ethan took off his coat and tie as he walked into the bathroom in his bedroom. Victoria sat on the bedside, about to make a call back to West Park. However, her phone rang when she just took it out. Her eyes turned cold when she saw the number and she went out onto the balcony.
She picked up the call swiftly.
"Hello? How's that matter?"
"I've sent the documents to your private email. Take a look at it." The cold voice hung up on her after a short reply.
Victoria frowned and stared at her phone. After a short silence, she deleted the number and went back into the room.
She was tired after a long day. She left her phone on the bedside drawer and just as she was about to look for some clothes, she accidentally saw a glass jar full of stars in a corner...
She was bewildered for a moment as memories flashed back in her mind.
If she was not mistaken, this was Arya's birthday present to Ethan back then!
This was supposed to be on the bookshelf. Ethan had placed it on the table when he was rearranging the bookshelf, so why did it change places? And was the jar different now?
Countless possibilities flashed through her mind, each one of them giving her a grave sense of unease. Her hands clenched up and she just stared at the glass jar without moving an inch.
After some time, she came back to her senses when she heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. She peeped over.
"Ethan, are you done already?"
"It's your turn," Ethan replied her as he sat down on one side of the bed wearily.
Victoria got up and went into the bathroom.
After she was done, Ethan was already lying down on the bed.
Victoria uncovered the comforter and went in, snuggling beside Ethan and suggestively touching his waist as she asked him gently,
"Ethan, I've decided on your engagement gift. Do you still want it?"
A refreshing aroma reached his nostrils. Ethan opened his eyes and Victoria's pretty little face was right before him. A seductive charm rose from her gentle-looking eyes as she kissed him before he could reply.
For a brief moment, that familiar void came back to him. He was anxious to look for something to fill it up and his eyes started to go blurry when he looked at Victoria in front of him.
"Of course." He grabbed Victoria and turned her around, reversing their positions. He watched Victoria below him quietly while a voice came from his mind clearly.
The woman right here was the woman he loved dearly!
He pressed down onto her anxiously and started his plunder like a tirade of fierce waves. He had zero consideration for Victoria at all as he took her violently and ferociously.
The suffocating emptiness came in waves. The more he plundered, the worse he felt about the emptiness inside him. In the end, he stopped his movements and got off Victoria...
At the same time, in Maple Residence.
Arya felt much better after taking a shower. Her exhaustion had melted away and by the time she went downstairs, Xavier was done cooking supper.
Arya suddenly remembered that there was a meeting the next day as she had porridge inside her mouth. She lifted her head and studied the man opposite her drinking his porridge elegantly as she asked,
"What time is the morning meeting tomorrow?"
Xavier grabbed a napkin and cleaned his mouth before replying,
"9.30 in the morning."
Arya nodded, then she replied, "We'll arrive at the office by 9 a.m. then. I'm sure everyone will party late tonight. I've called Reena just now. They haven't ended yet. It's almost 10 p.m. now and they're just getting started."
"It'll be done by 10.30p.m. Rick and the others will take care of it. You don't have to worry."
Xavier suddenly looked at her with his deep and serene eyes. "I'll propose the matter about Johns Media on the agenda tomorrow. Vice President might pay Johns Media a visit in a few days. In addition to your mother's 20% shares, Vice President is confident in gathering 35% of Johns Media's shares, making Glory World the second largest stakeholder."
He discussed Johns Media's matter with her.
Arya went silent for some moments before nodding. Suddenly, she remembered something and quickly asked,
"35% shares? Are we going to make high-priced purchases? Smith's group is interested in Johns Media as well. Tell Vice President to be wary."
Xavier did not deny it. "We're not the main party developing Movie City, but it's not a bad deal to try the showbiz industry now. I want to let James handle this project. What do you think?"
"James?" In shock, she slowly swallowed the food in her mouth.
"Isn't James your personal assistant?"
Xavier put a hand on his forehead and rubbed it as he said in a tired tone,
"James has been a foster child under my father since we were young. He's my brother and he's not going to just follow me forever. He should have his own life."
Arya went silent again. She then nodded before wiping her mouth with a napkin and replying,
"You're right. I have no objections."
"Compile a set of documents for Movie City and Johns Media. Hand it to James at work tomorrow."
Arya stopped Xavier as he was about to do the dishes.
"It's fine. I'll do it. You go upstairs and take a shower."
She could not bear to see his exhausted expression as her heart softened. She then picked up the bowls quietly.
Upon seeing her picking up the bowls and vanishing into the kitchen, he went upstairs.
After doing the dishes, she prepared the documents for James as well as the necessary documents for work the next day. By the time he was done showering, she entered the bedroom to see him calling someone by the bedside with his sleeping robe on. She heard phrases like "media" in his conversation.
His phone call ended when she reached beside him.
"Let's rest early."
He switched his phone off and put it on the bedside drawer. He walked to the other side of the bed and lay down quietly.
She switched off the lights and slipped into the bed too. Swiftly, he went closer to her and she could feel his body warmth. After some silence in the dark, she suddenly turned over and called out to him,
"Xavier?"
"Mmm?" He replied quietly, his grip on her waist tightening slightly.
She took a deep breath before continuing,
"When I came out from the washroom just now, I bumped into Ethan..."
She had no idea who to tell these things. In the end, she decided to talk to him about it. For some reason, the things that she found frustrating and complicated would all become clear and simple after talking to him about it.
She had to admit that sometimes she just wanted to talk to him without any definite reason at all.
"What did he say?" He asked as his body warmth seeped into her through his chest, slowly warming her up. She wanted to hold onto that temperature, so she slowly moved her body closer to him and soon found a comfortable position as she lay down on his chest.
"He asked if I'm married to you..." She told him quietly.
"Then, how did you reply?" He asked calmly.
She took another deep breath, and then sighed,
"I told him we're indeed married, so I think the Johns family will find out very soon. I just wanted to let you know. I'm afraid they might give you a hard time later on..."
She was well aware that if they found out about it, excluding Kristina, Richard and Benjamin might visit him for a talk, so she wanted to let him know beforehand.
He laughed when he heard the concern in her voice. His slightly hoarse voice reached her ears.
"Then, how would you like me to coordinate with you?"
As if he could see through her easily, just by mentioning it, he could already guess what she was thinking about. Arya was not used to him always knowing what she was thinking.
She was quiet in the dark for a long, long time. Soon, she put her hands on his around her waist.
"I hope they can see that we're really in love with each other. Grandfather... is worried about me... It's fine as long as he knows I'm doing well. Also, if they request anything from you, you don't have to entertain any of them..."
"Aren't we really in love right now? Just what are you thinking?" He asked quietly. Then, he continued as he was reminded of something,
"Arya, no matter what the reason you agreed to marry me back then, I just hope the both of us can now be loyal to this marriage. Time has proven that we're compatible with each other. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
She was startled for a moment, then she nodded. "I understand."
"Good, the things that will come are bound to come. If you can't handle it, I'm always here. Remember that, alright?"
His words of comfort were working on her. Soon, the uneasiness in her heart disappeared.
She nodded as he grabbed his hand. She could tell from his voice that he was exhausted.
"Mmm... Good... Go to sleep then. We have work tomorrow morning."
There was no reply from him. Only the sound of his light breathing answered her...