Xavier beamed, his dark eyes filled with glitter as he spoke in his deep voice,
"Don't worry. There isn't any special meaning behind it. I'm just feeling great today."
He pulled her up and sat down on her chair. Then, he slid his arms around her waist. She did not reject him and just sat down on his lap, holding onto the bouquet of flowers tightly.
"Did you close a big deal?" She was grinning happily as she gave the fresh flowers a deep sniff.
He gave her a secretive smile. Instead of answering, he took the flowers away and held her tightly.
Of course, he would not tell her that James had informed him about Ethan signing on the marriage contract obediently and was now drinking alone in a quiet bar!
He had finally got rid of this risk. How could he not be pleased?
Arya put her arms around his shoulder and asked,
"How did you know that I was still in the office?"
"I called the Johnson Residence. Your phone is on silent again, isn't it?"
As if he knew every little thing about her, Arya noticed that she had nothing to hide before him. However, he was like a deep ocean, and she could only reach his shallow pool.
Slightly troubled, she squinted at him as she thought to herself, 'Is it time to finally get to know him better?'
"It's an off day tomorrow. Shall we visit University together? I heard the cherry blossoms are really beautiful there and I've been longing to go check them out. Back then, Mother actually disagreed with my admittance into the military school and wanted me to study at University instead. She once thought of me becoming a lecturer with her in University as well. Well, who knew?"
Suddenly, Arya's eyes turned skeptical.
"Why did you choose to attend the military academy back then?" He became curious, his eyes sparkling with interest and he seemed to look forward to her answer.
Arya just shrugged and gave him an indifferent reply,
"It was nothing very special actually. You know that my grandpa used to serve in the army. He's still keeping some of the habits he got from serving the army, and I actually quite like the idea of arming myself on a battlefield. I have a dream to become a hero..."
"A hero? You?" He raised his eyebrows and glanced at her teasingly.
Arya straightened her back as she sensed the doubt in his eyes as if he was trying to prove something.
"Yes, me! A hero!"
He laughed and did not say anything, but Arya was annoyed at him.
"What's so funny? I'm serious!"
"Nothing..."
"Damn you!"
"Alright, pack your things and go. We'll go to a restaurant tonight. It's already pretty late."
"Then, I want to have French."
"Mmm..."
Xavier left a kiss on her forehead before helping her to pack up. After a while, the couple left the office together.
All the other staff had already gone home, so the building was empty. Xavier was holding her heavy black briefcase with one hand and had his other hand over Arya's shoulder as they walked together. At the same time, Arya was cradling the bouquet of flowers in her arms.
It was a peaceful and beautiful moment, yet Arya was not used to it. She struggled away from his arm when they passed the guard on the ground floor.
Xavier locked his grip onto her shoulder, not letting her go. He glanced over and saw her blushing face, but he decided to not say anything.
Unbeknownst to both of them, photos of them were being taken right then by cameras from outside the building, capturing each and every scene and expression of theirs.
"Let me drive."
When they arrived at the car, Arya handed the flowers to him before grabbing the car keys from his shirt pocket.
...
Ethan had drunk quite a fair bit, but he succumbed under the pressure of Elder Martinez after receiving a call from him, so he still went back to the villa in the end.
Things were already lively when he reached the villa. Everyone was chatting happily as they tucked into the meal on the dining table and watched the press conference regarding the public announcement of the marriage between the Martinez family and the Johns family.
Ethan's sudden decision to sign the marriage contract successfully suppressed the negative news about Victoria. Most news sites were talking about their marriage instead and some magazines even made-up stories about a "10-year promise".
Suddenly, they became everyone's sweethearts. Ethan's actions of supporting Victoria was well-accepted by everyone. Naturally, he became the role model as an ideal man.
"Ethan, you're back!"
Victoria went up to Ethan with a smile the moment he came into the villa. She took the jacket from his hand with a slight blush on her beautiful face. Her eyes brimmed with happiness.
"This is great, Ethan! We're finally married! I knew it. You'd never... You'd never really abandon me... I love you, Ethan!"
Touched, she quickly wrapped her arms around Ethan's waist, hugging him with a frail, but overjoyed expression.
"Thank you, Ethan."
Ethan patted on her shoulder lightly and said, "Mmm, let's eat."
Victoria nodded and sat down happily beside him. Her blush deepened when she saw the grin on everyone's face.
"Look how matching they are. Ethan, Victoria, the two of you are finally a married couple now. Victoria's been spoilt too much since she was little, so please be lenient with her. Elder Martinez, Madison, we'll leave Victoria in your care!"
Layla could not help but feel a little blue even though she had a pleased expression on her face when she saw how happy Victoria was.
"Don't worry. We've always thought of Victoria like our own daughter and we're very happy that she's now married to Ethan."
Madison smiled. "Now that they are married, we're now officially in-laws. Here's to peace between our families. Let's toast to Ethan and Victoria living happily forever from now on!"
Clink!
The sound of glasses tinkling marked the end of the toast.
"Since the both of you are married and Victoria is bearing a Han descendant, stop being involved in scandals anymore. Us Martinez family, your maternal grandfather's Hudson family, as well as your Johns family, are close friends. I hope that there'll be no more scandals in the future. Leave your current career, Victoria. You can go back to Johns Media, or even work in the Martinez Corporation after you've given birth."
It was Elder Martinez who spoke up. While he was almost 80 years old, he still seemed energetic and had a pair of sharp eyes as if he could see through people. His outward appearance seemed rather stern and overbearing.
"Grandfather, I... I know. I will..."
Victoria trembled a little when speaking to Elder Martinez. She grabbed onto Ethan's hand anxiously, gazing at Ethan with her frail and gentle eyes when she replied Elder Martinez.
"Don't worry, Elder Martinez. Victoria has already decided to retire. She'll be staying by Ethan's side in the future. Hopefully, she'll be of help to Ethan."
Layla helped Victoria out when she saw her anxious look.
"Okay, it's fine then. Ethan, Victoria is the Hudson family's precious baby. You can't make her sad, understood?"
Elder Hudson loved Victoria very much, so he became a little protective when he saw Victoria being pressured.
"That's enough, everyone. Ethan and Victoria are a perfect couple. I believe that Ethan will take care of her well. Things wouldn't have become like this if it weren't for Arya and whatever happened on Johns Media's side... but now, Johns Media is all fine thanks to Ethan!" Kristina voiced out.
"True, things have been hectic recently. Arya really overdid it this time. I heard that she even..."
The quiet Richard finally spoke up, "Let's not talk about someone else when it's Ethan and Victoria's big day. We'll go on with our peaceful lives. Don't bother the others."
"It's her that's bothering us. Elder Johns, why do I feel a little irritated by your words? I heard that Benjamin is in a bit of a rut because of this. Is it true that the Discipline Inspection Department is launching an investigation?" Elder Hudson mocked Richard's words.
Richard and Elder Hudson were never really friendly with each other. Because of what had happened back then with Benjamin and Layla, the Johns and the Hudson were never really happy with each other. This still held true even until today.
Kristina nudged Richard with her elbow as she threw him a frown.
"I find it weird as well. Why isn't Benjamin here tonight? How can he, as Victoria's father, miss out on their big day?"
Elder Martinez started to question,
"Is he really in trouble because of Arya?"
Layla and Kristina started to look uneasy. The atmosphere around the dining table suddenly turned stiff as everyone went silent.
"I'm full. Please continue enjoying the meal." Ethan's deep voice broke the silence as he put his bowl and chopsticks down as he stood up.
"Ethan!" Victoria pulled on him, her eyes begging.
"Eat a little more. You've hardly touched the food..."
She was feeling scared and worried inside. The whole time she was just focused on Ethan, she could sense that things were strained between them. Although their marriage should be a happy event, he felt more distant than ever.
Ethan took a deep breath to soothe the suffocation in his chest.
"I'm not really hungry. I'll have some tea over there."
Before anyone could react, he went towards the sofa.
Elder Hudson was really displeased with Ethan's attitude. He could not help but slam the table when he saw Ethan sitting down on the sofa!
The first time, Ethan did not sign the marriage contract and was absent from the dinner. Now, he still had the same attitude for the second time? How dare he?
"Grandfather! Ethan's been busy recently and I'm sure he's tired. Let him be. Let's continue. Here's your favourite!"
Shocked, Victoria swiftly comforted Elder Hudson. Madison shot Ethan a frowning glare. As she was about to say something, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.
"Master, someone gave you and Missus a gift. It's said to be a wedding gift for you and Missus!" The servant brought Ethan a gift box.
Everyone seemed doubtful. Not many people knew about Victoria staying here, so who could it be?
Ethan's eyes were alert. He hesitated for a moment before taking it.
It was a nicely wrapped gift. There was even a pretty card on it. When he opened the card, there was no signature on it, just a single sentence.
A gift for Mr. Martinez and Ms. Johns!
Ethan squinted as he glanced through the card. It did not look like anything special, so he put it aside before opening the box.
It was a VCD inside and there seemed to be something else underneath it.
Ethan picked up the VCD curiously. He went towards the video player machine after a moment of hesitation. Then, he retreated to the sofa and grabbed the remote control and started playing the disc.
After some buffering, Victoria appeared on the screen. There was another man with her and they were in a corner of a coffee shop.
The video seemed pretty dated. Victoria was still in her teenage years while the graphic was a little blurry and the audio was weak. Victoria could be heard addressing that man as her cousin.
This person seemed a little familiar. Ethan felt like he had seen him before!
His eyes stared right at the screen. He then saw that Victoria handed a cheque-like paper and a thick envelope to the man.
The audio was not exactly clear. However, Ethan could only hear fragments of conversation.
"This is the cheque... and $ 30,000. After it's done, I'll make sure to reward you better."
The man quickly took the package. Victoria seemed like she was hesitating. After some struggle, she grabbed a bag of pills from her bag and gave it to the man.
"It's up to you whether you want to use it or not... as long as... you can make her leave on her own..."
"Don't worry. It's just one Arya! I'll make sure to get it done. Ethan and the Martinez family will be yours when the time comes..."
"Of course, I won't forget about you. Wait for a few days before doing it."
"Got it."
...
The next scene showed Arya's conversation with Teacher at the field the other day.
"If I'd known 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 splash across the headlines on all the media!"
"I just fancied your good looks. Ha! 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 even 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!"
"So, you don't plan to let go of this chance 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?"
"Ha, obviously, it's to make sure you can never make a comeback! To make sure you'll never be able to enter the Martinez family! That's the only way I'll be really assured. I've told my cousin that's the only way you wouldn't be a threat to her!"
...
Ethan's body tensed up. He stared at Teacher who was blind in one eye. He was the reason why Arya had been expelled back then in the first place!
Clank!
Ethan's grip loosened on the glass. As a result, it fell and shattered into pieces on the floor. At that moment, Victoria and the others all turned around towards the screen when they heard the ferocious voice of Teacher from the television.
Victoria was stunned upon watching the clip. Her expression changed drastically after a moment and she screamed before rushing over to Ethan's side frantically.
"Ethan! Ethan! That's not true! It's not true! Listen to me! Please listen to me!"
In her panic, Victoria grabbed Ethan's shirt as she was trying to explain herself. Ethan shook her hands off before looking into the deeper layer of the gift box. He turned it upside down and poured everything out. It consisted of photos of Victoria meeting Teacher as well as the transaction records between them.
Swoosh!
Ethan flipped through the photos and papers until he was absolutely flabbergasted.
"Ethan... Ethan, listen to me. These aren't real..."
Victoria's face turned pale as she was defending herself frenetically, but she could not come up with a valid excuse. Her language and expression only amplified her helplessness.
Did she not arrange Teacher to go abroad? Why was this video here?
Ethan turned towards Victoria in disgust. He still could not believe it. His eyes were filled with shock, disappointment, anger, and even heartbreak.
All his emotions were mixed up as he fell into a gloomy dejection. He stared at Victoria straight for some time before closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. He opened his eyes again and looked at Victoria's pale face, thrusting the photos and papers right in front of her.
"What are these? Explain to me what the videos mean!"
"Ethan... I... I..."
Trembling, she looked at Ethan in fear as she was tongue-tied.
Ethan stared at her. After a while, he had on a cold, sad smile on his face. He took a deep breath before letting go of the photos and papers slowly.
"Cruel... So cruel, Victoria. To make sure she doesn't make a comeback ever again? To make it impossible for her to get in the Martinez family? How could you?"
"No! That's not it, Ethan! I didn't expect something like that would happen. I just wanted Sister to back off on her own. I just wanted to make her feel inadequate with you and hope that she'd leave. I never thought of hurting her ever! Ethan, you have to believe me! You have to!" Victoria explained frantically as tears fell. She seemed exhausted but still held onto Ethan's sleeve tightly.
"Believe you?"
Ethan laughed maniacally at himself before suddenly staring at her fragile little face. Her teary expression was really pitiful.
"I trusted you too much and you threw it all away, lying to me again and again!"