"I knew this place was the best place to lift your spirits," Rowan smiled as he watched Aria slurp her iced latte through a straw.
Her face was visibly brighter.
She set the cup down on the table, sighed, and lifted her gaze to the sky. Almost every day, they came to this café and sat in the outdoor section.
"I just love this view," she said softly. Somehow, it made her feel happy—free. Maybe this place was perfect for healing. People passed by constantly, and she especially loved it in the evening.
"I just hope Mom is at peace wherever she is. We were supposed to make it through everything together… until this h..." Aria sniffed, forcing the words back as tears welled up.
Rowan lowered his head. He didn't tell her to stop crying, he knew this was exactly what she needed.
Aria wiped her tears and forced a smile.
"I'm spoiling the mood," she said lightly sniffing her nose, she looked at him and smiled
"So… how's your relationship with Karina?" She said trying to lighten up the atmosphere
Rowan's expression darkened immediately. He hated whenever she mentioned that name. She was completely clueless.
"We're kind of in a situationship," he replied. "We had a big fight last week."
"Oh… I'm sorry."
She felt like she had made things worse again, then she decided to keep shut
Suddenly, unease crawled up her spine, as though someone was watching her. She glanced around and noticed a black car parked across the road. It looked… suspicious.
---------
Inside the car, Adrian stared at Aria with intense eyes.
He had asked Ray to drive to this café on a hunch, and he was right. She was here. He recognized her instantly from the photos.
Ray, seated in the driver's seat, was confused. Why had his boss suddenly ordered him to stop here? Adrian had been staring out the window in silence.
Following his line of sight, Ray's eyes widened.
Woah… isn't that Mr. Dawson's first daughter? And that man, her childhood friend.
'But how is she connected to the boss? Why does he look so invested or is his boss interested in her'
Then he saw it, the man her childhood friend holding her hand.
'No, no, no, no… what are they doing?!' Ray screamed internally. He could already feel the dangerous tension building in the backseat.
Adrian frowned and tugged at his tie, irritation tightening his chest.
"As long as I have you here with me," Rowan said gently, holding Aria's hand across the table, "I'll be fine."
Aria smiled at his words.
Just then, a woman passing by accidentally dropped her phone. The sharp sound of it hitting the ground echoed.
Aria flinched.
The memory hit her instantly, her mother falling, the sound replaying over and over in her mind.
Her breathing turned shallow, uneven.
"Aria? What's wrong?" Rowan stood up abruptly, panic flashing across his face as he rushed to her side. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Aria stood up suddenly, grabbing her bag.
"Ro... Rowan… I need to leave."
She hurriedly flagged down a taxi and got in.
Rowan and the woman whose phone dropped on the ground, stood frozen, confusion written all over his face as the taxi drove away.
Meanwhile Adrian and Ray watched everything unfold in silence.
The moment the taxi pulled off, Adrian straightened and his face turned cold and thought in his mind
'Clearly unstable and not even his type, he was sure the only reason she accepted to this marriage was for money.
Because why else would she want to enter a loveless marriage especially after her mom's death. He knew and has met alot of women like her, after seeing an opportunity to live in luxury for the rest of their life, they just jump into it without minding the consequences, and he hates women like that!'
"Ray drive me home" Adrian ordered