"Mommy, did you know them before?" Aria asked in the car. " They were friends of mine when I was younger.' Adriana replied by putting the seat belt on her and kissing her forehead. "Oh, even before me and brother were born?" She asked.
"Yes even before that," Adriana answered. "Hmm is any of them my daddy?" Aria asked again rubbing her chin curiously. Adriana knocked on her head. "You are getting sillier these days. Now don't forget that you are grounded." Adriana reminded her.
"Aww, man…" Aria groaned. "Not an extra summer school program this year! Please, mommy. Of all things, not that…" She begged. Adriana took a seat beside her and signaled Ralf to drive.
"Oh yes, young lady. Summer School program it is. I will register you tomorrow early in the morning." Adriana smiled triumphantly. "Ugh no, I hate school. Mommy, you are getting better at punishing me." She cried dejectedly.
CUTENESS X1
"And you are getting better at causing trouble for me." Adriana countered.
Aria pouted. "But mommy you still love me anyway so even if I cause trouble you have to forgive me." She grinned.
Adriana pinched her nose and smiled. "You are right. I guess I really can't stay mad at you forever…." She sighed faced with Aria's cute pouty face.
CUTENESS X2
"He he Aria loves mommy." She cupped Adriana's face and kissed her forehead with a bright smile. Adriana felt like her heart would burst.
CUTENESS X3
"Even if you act cute you are still punished." Adriana arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Oh come on." Aria laid her head next to her shoulder and sighed. "Fine. Mowy I awept my puwishment." She talked childishly.
CUTENESS X4
"I know you can talk properly Aria. Acting all mushy will still not work on me." She flicked her forehead sternly.
"Fine fine~"
CUTENESS X5
Ralf watched them from the rear view mirror and he smiled. 'Madam and young Miss have a great relationship! Madam must feel guilty for not being with the young miss since she was young.' He sighed knowing Adriana could never be able to turn back the time to experience the little special moments like her first words and first steps.
He had seen his Madam's saddened expression every time she would think about it.
"Your brother is missing you. Let's video call him when we get home okay?"
Aria nodded in response. "Mommy brother is a snitch. Snitches get stitches. I need to teach him a lesson so that he learns how to be loyal to his sister." She laughed evilly.
'James is a slave to his younger twin that's for sure.' Adriana shook her head helplessly.
'Whoops I almost blew my cover…' Aria''s expression went back to sulky.
"I can't bear to do that to my brother. Forgive me for having such thoughts mommy. I promise I will never think like that again. He would probably be sooooo sad if he knew I said those things." She 'scolded' herself and tried to redeem herself hoping her cover had not been blown completely.
Adria watched her acting feeling helpless. 'Double-faced just like her father. Why are his genes the dominant ones?' She wondered.
******
Noah's place
While Adriana and Aria were on their way to the hotel Noah was treated by Kelvin and he was feeling a bit better now.
"Stop. I suggest you rest first. Your head will explode if you keep being so stubborn. Look if you die it's your fault for not listening to me. Your toxin is acting up. Thankfully it wasn't too severe or your head would be hurting all week and you would have a very high fever." Kelvin said with a frustrated sigh and he wrote down things Noah would need for him to stay in a good condition.
Noah drank the water and the pills given to him by Kelvin. He stared at the ground in a daze.
Chris and Angel shared a glance. They both pursed their lips and waited for Noah's instructions.
"They left?" He asked and both his assistant and cousin nodded. "You didn't stop them?" He asked again, still staring at the ground.
"It's not like we have the right to stop her. We convinced her to leave a way to contact her but she only left one of her business cards." Chris handed him the white and gold card Adriana had given him earlier.
Noah took it and gave it a glance. He then placed it in his nightstand. Everything felt so unrealistic at this point. He felt like everything was just a bad dream and that things weren't as they seemed but in the end, it turns out that it isn't a bad dream. It's just the cruel reality….
Why was she so calm and unbothered by it? Am I the only one who cares about the past? He wondered.
"About Aria. We offered to give her a spacious office where she could bring her. She said she would bring her once a week to meet us while the partnership between hers and LABELS is on. After that, she will…." Angel narrated.
"Return to Paris." Both Chris and Angel said at the same time.
"Oh…." Noah clenched the bedsheets.
"Leave." He said a one-word command and the people in the room had no choice but to obey. Before exiting Kelvin handed Noah a note and then he left along with Chris and Angel.
When the door was tightly shut Noah read the note.
'FIRE THE HYPNOTISTS. I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT HE IS DOING SOMETHING TO YOU. I TRUST NO ONE.'
As he read the note he realized that Kelvin is correct. He indeed does not trust anyone that is why he left a note instead of mentioning it in front of Chris and Angel. But he does trust them. He knows they will never betray him and of course, is not like they would dare to betray him.
Betraying him is like signing a death sentence for ones self.
"Hahaha." He laughed at that thought. "Yes, but she can betray me and leave without any trouble. Only she can do that." He threw the note to the trash and laid down in his bed. He could tell he would have nightmares tonight. These nightmares had been hunting him down for seven years but it had already been a week since he last had one.
Just when he thought they would finally disappear, today changed that belief of his.
He closed his eyes and decided to rest. He needed to sleep and wake up tomorrow refreshed. His reaction today was because of the shock but he was confident that after a day he would be able to go back to his normal attitude. He would no longer be affected by her.
He was so lenient because of the disbelief and shock but tomorrow morning he will forget about her and treat her as any other business partner. Yes… that's for the best.