Suddenly, his face darkened and he stopped talking.
Arya did not want to force him, so she just nodded.
"Sure."
She lowered her head and ate the meal in silence. His quiet eyes stared at her face as if he could feel a sense of distance between them. Holding her cold hands, he said quietly,
"Arya, I will tell you about it once I figure out how to tell you..."
She was stunned for a moment when she heard him. She raised her head slightly and looked at his hand holding hers. After a while, she said,
"Everyone has memories they aren't willing to talk about. I won't force you to tell me about it. Don't worry. I'll respect your wishes."
It seemed that she did not understand him. He had never told her anything he was troubled by as well. Even though she did not ask about them, she still cared about him, after all...
A while later, she withdrew her hands quietly and continued with her meal without looking at him.
His eyes dimmed and he just stared at her for a long while.
...
They did not say anything at all. After they cleaned up and went to bed, it was past midnight.
Arya went to bed first. She was sleeping with her back facing Xavier's usual spot.
Xavier frowned a little as he looked at her beside him on the bed. After a while, he went under the quilt and then put his arms over her waist. She struggled a little as his deep voice reached her ears.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I want to sleep." She glared at him.
He tightened his arm and locked her down, staring at her for some time before taking a deep breath.
"Sleep then."
"How do I sleep like this?"
"Shut up. If you're not happy, then do something else!" He said quietly.
Of course, Arya knew what this something else he mentioned was. Her glaring eyes were nearly blazing as she punched him several times out of anger, but he just let her do whatever she wanted.
"Dead pigs don't feel pain... Mmm!"
"You asked for it. I wanted to let you off, but you just had to make me do it!"
The man finally pounced onto her and drowned her in an instant.
...
The next morning, at Hospital.
Victoria's room was remarkably crowded early in the morning. Someone had spread the news of her pregnancy and many reporters waited outside the room to ask about Victoria's condition.
When Madison brought gifts over, they almost could not make it inside the room. The crowd assumed that Victoria's baby was Ethan's child when they saw Madison.
Thanks to the hospital's security team, the crowd soon dispersed.
Inside Victoria's superior patient room, she was resting while Layla was taking care of her.
Madison ordered her servant to put the stuff on the bedside drawer. She stood on the other end of the bed with a gleaming face, but at the same time, her eyes looked conflicted.
"Victoria, those scandals..." Madison started to ask her. This issue was not yet resolved and there were still reporters around. She had been calling Victoria for a long time, but always could not get through, plausibly to avoid these complications.
Ethan avoided her questions as well. After looking through the news and reports, she gave it some thought. Although she did not know if they were true, there had to be a certain degree of truth to it. What actually happened must be really complicated.
"I... I didn't do it on purpose. It's all my fault, Mother. I really can't live without Ethan. I can't stop loving him... but because of Arya, if he had to do this, the only thing I've left to do is to abort this child and walk away from this war."
Victoria's eyes started tearing up again as she held her belly with a hand. Her expression seemed really pitiful while her cries sounded frail, and she looked so sad that one could not help but take pity on her.
"What are you talking about?!" Layla yelled at her.
Madison's heart softened. Although she was very upset about the whole scandal, she understood that there would be some drama here and there in the entertainment industry. If her son loved her, then she was fine with it.
After years of knowing her, Victoria had always been very nice and understanding. She already thought of her as a daughter and loved her, even more so than Arya back then. Although she could not believe she was what people made her out to be, how could she explain the evidence?
Madison was having mixed thoughts at the moment.
She stared at Victoria for some time before asking,
"Victoria, I want you to answer me honestly. Is that child really Ethan's?"
Victoria's sobs stopped and her eyes widened as she heard Madison's question. She could not believe what she just heard. In shock and sadness, she whispered,
"Mother... You..."
"What do you mean by that?" Layla stared at Madison, anger brewing in her eyes.
"Are you saying that Victoria is carrying someone else's child? They've been living together in Ethan's villa ever since they came back. Shouldn't Ethan know if it's his child?"
Madison's expression changed after Layla exploded.
"I'm just asking. I just hope that nothing will go wrong."
Victoria could not help but cry,
"You guys can go back now. I'll just abort the child."
"Victoria! What are you saying!? We want the child even if they don't. The Johns family can still afford to raise a child. Madison, your words are really hurtful!"
Layla's expression darkened as she glanced at Madison furiously while comforting the crying, Victoria.
"Do you know that Ethan is really horrible? He really shouldn't be with Arya anymore after being engaged with Victoria. Look at these!"
She then threw a stack of photos on the table to Madison. They were candid photos of Ethan and Arya taken by the South River!
Madison was stunned for a moment. She grabbed the photos and studied them as she frowned.
Why was Ethan with Arya? How did they get these photos?
Madison could only react after a while. Looking at Layla, she asked,
"What is this? You guys had people follow Ethan?"
Sadness filled Victoria's face and she looked at Madison with teary eyes.
"Someone sent it to us... Mother, Ethan..."
Madison's expression darkened. She calmed down before looking at Victoria.
"This matter is still unclear at the moment, so I'll talk to Ethan about it. As for you, the elder is really unhappy with you regarding the scandal. You know that our elder at home places a lot of importance on reputation. I gave him my word and convinced him to let Ethan be with you, but look at what has happened now?"
Madison seemed unsatisfied and she sighed in disappointment.
"Victoria, please note that I've always thought of you as my own daughter, and I've assumed that you're already my daughter-in-law. I went against our elder and agreed to let Ethan be with you. I gave up on your sister, Arya. You've really let me down!"
"Mother! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll change, I promise! Ethan is really angry with me as well. Please ask him to stop being angry with me., I don't know what to do... We've gone through so much to be together. If he gives up on me now... I'll suffer a fate even worse than death. Mother, please... I didn't do it on purpose. I can't live without Ethan... My child and I can't live without him..."
Victoria suddenly started crying again as she grabbed Madison's hand. When her warm tears splashed on the back of her hands, Madison felt pity for her.
Madison sighed after a while and patted the weeping girl's hand.
"Please stop crying. I'm not really sure what I can do now. If this child is really Ethan's, the elder wants both of you to get married as soon as possible, but you'll have to quit the entertainment industry immediately due to your current circumstances. Let this ongoing issue fade on its own. The Martinez Corporation can't take this anymore. I hope you can understand!"
"But what about Johns Media? Grandmother's been sick..."
"Let Ethan handle Johns Media for now. Stay low for a period of time. We can arrange a secret wedding, or we can have the wedding after things have calmed down."
"I hope that you can be considerate about Ethan. I'm sure you understand how much pressure Ethan has to take on because of you. You know how much the Martinez Corporation has tried to help you. Your utmost priority right now is to take care of yourself. You don't have to go abroad. I have a villa in the west outskirts. I suppose you can move there in secret after leaving the hospital. It's pretty hidden, so no one should be able to find out. Be at ease and rest there."
Madison then looked at Victoria questioningly.
"What do you guys think?"
Let Ethan handle Johns Media for now?
Victoria was stunned for a moment. So, Madison meant...
She raised her head and looked at Madison as she mumbled,
"Mother, you mean..."
Madison sighed again, "What else can we do right now? The elder wants both of you to get married quickly. We'll decide on what to do next later on. Most importantly, don't get involved in the entertainment industry ever again..."
Victoria's face turned pale when she heard Madison. As she looked at Layla, she was frowning in deep thought. After a while, she suddenly asked,
"Mother, can you let me think about it?"
"As you wish. That's what we've come up with. We'll talk to Ethan about it as well. I'll head back for now. Later on, I'll send someone over to look after you. Please think it through."
Madison sighed after her sentence. She then turned around and left the room.
"Mother, you've been busy this whole morning. Go back and rest. I'm really alright. I just want to spend some time alone," Victoria turned over and told Layla.
Layla nodded. "Okay, I have something to discuss with your grandmother as well. Don't worry, things will be fine. I'll go talk to your grandfather..."
...
After Layla left, Victoria quieted down and the look in her eyes changed several times!
Her gaze landed on the photos by the bedside. She bit her lip as she clenched her fists and her pale face started to seem frigid.
...
As evening approached, the sky seemed dark and several bouts of drizzle came. The whole New York City was shrouded in a hazy atmosphere.
Inside the Chairman's office of Glory World Corporation.
"Master, Director Johns isn't here. Someone said she applied for a half day's leave this afternoon from Vice President Liam."
Rick wanted to retrieve a document from Arya, but someone from the Planning Department had told him about this.
Xavier averted his gaze away from the laptop towards Rick.
"What's the reason?"
Rick shook his head.
"They said she left swiftly after receiving a phone call..."
Xavier frowned. When he opened the drawer and took out his phone, he then realized it was switched off, so he quickly switched it back on.
Before he could even blink, the phone started ringing.
He picked up the call. "Hello?"
"Master, things are bad. Take a look at Weibo and the Economy Times. It's full of articles about Missus!" James sounded anxious.
Xavier's expression turned serious when he heard James and he quickly opened Weibo.
As expected, there were articles directed towards Arya.
His face darkened and a storm was brewing in his eyes. He shoved a glass nearby away in rage.
"Damn it!"
The glass broke into pieces on the floor.
"Master..."
Even James on the other end of the phone could feel his wrath, so Rick did not dare to make a sound.
Xavier put his hand on the table as he took a deep breath. He calmed his anger after a while.
"How's your investigation going?"
"I've found Teacher and I'm heading over now, but I noticed that Missus' car is nearby. I'm not sure if I should go look for him right away." James sounded hesitant.
"Be on standby. Send the address to me."
Xavier then hung up as he stood up coldly and walked out of the room.
"Master, where are you going?" Rick asked as he grabbed their windbreaker.
In a field in the northern suburbs of the city, Arya was dressed in a black windbreaker as she stood on the side of the field. Both her hands leaned onto the ice-cold railing before her while she looked up at the distant horizon. The sky was blanketed in mist and the cold breeze was incessant. With the dark clouds hovering, it looked like it was going to rain soon.
Quite a while after that, she retrieved her gaze and looked down at the field at the bottom of the hill which was currently filled with vigour and vitality.
The rustling cold wind blew her beautiful hair as the corner of her clothes swayed in the wind. There was a beautiful curve carved on her face.
It was not sure how long had passed when she heard the sound of a car approaching behind her. Indifferently, she then turned around to look toward the sound.
A black car greeted her sight.
The car stopped by the roadside very quickly and the car door was opened. Three people got down. The one leading was a very thin middle-aged man who wore sunglasses. He walked up in huge strides to Arya, while the two people behind him waited by the car. It looked like one person was being controlled by another.
Arya looked at the middle – aged man who gradually closed in, and she calmly greeted him,
"Long time no see, Detective Henry."
"You're always so punctual. Have you waited for long?"
Detective Henry took his sunglasses off with a smile. His sharp gaze swept across Arya and he stopped beside her.
"Your situation doesn't look too fantastic. Take a look for yourself."
Then, he handed a newspaper to Arya.
Arya took it. Although she saw that it was all filled with writings about her so-called scandal at the military academy, she was surprisingly calm. She did not even frown before she casually closed it.
She breathed in lightly and then looked down at the scenery below as she asked softly,
"Didn't you say you found him?"
"I did find him, but I couldn't make him talk. He's pretty tough, if he won't talk, then that evidence can't completely convict him either. In other words, that evidence isn't enough to clear your name."
Detective Henry glanced at her meaningfully, then turned to wave at the car below. Quickly another person was being dragged over.
"I've brought him for you. See if you've got a way of making him talk." By the time Detective Henry said that, the man was already in front of her while they quietly backed away.
The man was tall and one of his eyes was blind. Inside, a fake eye rolled backwards, appearing a little sinister in disharmony. He looked like he was more than 40 years old.
It was Teacher!
"So, it is you!"
When Teacher saw Arya, his expression instantly looked sinister and he stared coldly at Arya.
"Witch, how dare you ruin me!? You still dare come looking for me? Do you see this? My eye was ruined by your pen!" Teacher said through gritted teeth. His fierce demeanour made him look as if he wanted to swallow Arya alive.
One got exceptionally infuriated meeting an enemy. When she thought about all these horrid years, Arya felt a surge of rage in her too. Her fingers that grasped onto the railing turned pale from holding on tight. Her starry eyes studied Teacher as she sneered,
"I really regret not immediately stabbing your other eye blind back then."
"You b*tch!"
"Isn't it thanks to you that I was expelled from the military academy? Teacher, I know that Victoria made you do it. How much money did she give you? Are you so willing to sacrifice yourself for her like this?" Arya said coolly.
Teacher's gaze flashed as he answered very quickly,
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You don't?" Arya turned slightly and looked at him from the side. A faint smile flashed on her delicate and fair face. She really played it down as she spoke.
"Huh, I don't know what nonsense you're spewing. You ruined me. I haven't even settled this score with you! Today would be perfect!" Teacher gritted his teeth and looked at Arya, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. He suddenly clenched his fists and was about to hit when —
Arya quietly looked away as her hand holding onto the railing tightened. She scoffed.
"Is that so? Then, let's settle it today!"
By that time, she already could not hold back and abruptly turned around to grab Teacher's collar. She was swifter than him, and in the next second a slap came forth!
Pa!
Before Teacher could react, a slap came and then he felt a sharp pain on his shin! The loud and clear sound broke the silence in the field and everything happened very quickly.
Teacher was stunned by the blow. When he finally reacted, he was furious.
"B*tch! How dare you attack me!?"
"Why wouldn't I? Back then, Victoria wanted you to use the necklace to frame me, didn't she? And you even thought of coming onto me? With looks like yours, do you think that'd work?"
Arya's face was cold as ice. Both her hands quickly pushed Teacher's shoulder down. She lifted her leg and viciously kicked him a few times angrily again. It hurt so much that Teacher could not help but cry out in pain.
"Who do you think you are? Forget that you're ugly, you're so dumb too, a whole man used by a woman, getting yourself a lifelong deformity, now you're just miserable, if I were a useless toad like you, I would've long ended my life, where do I find the dignity to be a man?"
Arya kicked him viciously a few times before she pushed Teacher away. She looked down on him in disdain!
Teacher was immediately infuriated by her words. Propping himself up on the railing and looking at Arya sinisterly, how could he hold back anymore? He pounced forward immediately and shouted,
"You b*tch! I'm only like this because of you, you evil b*tch! It's your luck that I fancied you. Who do you think you are? If I knew that you were so hard to manage, I should've used the drugs and kill you then and there! Let the sexy pictures of you make headlines on all the media!"
"Is that so? You finally admit your dirty and disgusting motives!" Arya evaded him and said coldly.
"I just fancied a little of your good looks. Huh, it's not like you haven't played around before, so why do you have to pretend? Ethan's heart isn't with you. Given your little identity, are you a match for my cousin? Even an idiot wouldn't choose you. You're just like your father back then, so stupid that he gave up an instant boost in his career!"
Teacher's hands clenched into fists while his eyes were filled with viciousness and disdain.
"So, you don't plan to let go of this chance and want to help Victoria ruin me? Back then, Victoria successfully made Ethan dislike me and look down on me. Why does she have to push me to the edge before she's happy?" The corner of Arya's lips curled up slightly as she asked coldly.
"Huh, obviously it's to make sure you can never make a comeback! To make sure you'll never be able to enter the Han family! That's the only way I'll really feel assured. I've told my cousin that's the only way you wouldn't be a threat to her!"