After hearing what Aelia said, Javen was so shocked that he stood rooted to the spot even after Aelia had got into the car and the car had slowly driven away.
All these years, Javen had thought that his junior sister had no idea about his feelings for her. He had thought that it was due to her ignorance that Aelia did not respond appropriately to any of his wooing methods.
However, what Aelia now said to him, rectified his misconception.
Javen felt a little bitter on realizing that the girl he had set his heart on, despite knowing his feelings had always seen him as nothing more than a friend.
Actually, Aelia had always been extremely perceptive since young. So, how could she have not known about her senior's feelings for her?
It was just that she thought that Javen and herself were not quite a good match.
Both of them were rather introverted and tended to bottle things up. If both parties failed to emotionally approach the other, it would definitely put a strain on their relationship one day.
Besides, Aelia knew that even if she decided to change herself and take the first step, it would be almost impossible for her to have a sudden reversal in attitude.
Thus, Aelia felt instead of having an unsteady relationship with one of her teammates, it would be better if they remained as friends. Rather than making Javen feel uncomfortable after she rejected him, Aelia thought it was better to act as if she was ignorant of his feelings.
As Aelia sat in the car and looked out the window, she could not help wondering if her way of dealing things with Javen was actually right!
Aelia frowned thinking about how she had been rather cruel in a way, but she really did not know any other way of dealing with the situation without making Javen feel uncomfortable.
When Asher stopped at a red light and turned towards Aelia, he saw his Angel lost in thought with a frown on her face.
Asher had previously seen Aelia talking to Javen just before getting into the car. By the expression on the other man's face, Asher knew that Aelia had said something along the lines of rejecting Javen's feelings.
Now, seeing his Angel frown while being in a daze, Asher could not help feeling a little jealous.
He knew that it was unfair and unreasonable of him to always want his Angel's attention on nothing but himself.
However, for Asher, Aelia felt like the only drug that could save him from the constant darkness that always tried to drag him into an abyss.
Asher gazed at Aelia with a deep look in his eyes. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, he clasped Aelia's palm with his other hand and entwined their fingers.
He admitted to himself that he was selfish. Despite knowing this, he still wanted Aelia to be the warm ball of sunshine only for him. It was enough if he alone recognized and appreciated the qualities that made his Angel so charming and beautiful, both inside and out.
When Aelia felt Asher entwining their fingers together, she finally broke out of her daze.
Placing their entwined hands on the centre console in between them, Asher looked at Aelia and said, "It's nearly two o'clock. Do you want to eat outside or return home for lunch?"
After thinking for a bit, Aelia said, "Let's go back home. I want to be there when Brother tells dad about the fake DNA results!"
Asher nodded and started driving towards the Romanov mansion.
After a moment of silence, Asher suddenly said, "Angel, you don't need to overthink too much about certain things. You don't always need to put others first and worry about their feelings as long as you know that you have treated them sincerely."
Though Aelia initially felt surprised on realizing that Asher was once again spot on about her thoughts, soon her surprise was replaced by her realization that Asher was able to read her so accurately probably because of his constant care and attention on her.
Though Aelia had initially felt uncomfortable in starting her first relationship and possibly the only relationship of her life on such an unconventional note, she now also realized something else.
Aelia felt that sometimes fate was indeed a strange thing. Aelia knew that without the prophecy or the special circumstances surrounding the Delphians, she probably would have never met Asher.
With one being the Crown Prince of a country and the other a young researcher, they were like two parallel lines. Aelia felt as if fate had truly acted as a transversal that had connected their parallel lives.
With her hand being held in Asher's warm palms, Aelia could finally let go of the thoughts about Javen.
She looked at the man sitting beside her with her eyes sparkling in wonder.
She thought, 'There I was worried that no one would ever be able to understand me enough to see beneath my cold exterior. And here fate picked the perfect guy and directly presented him to me!'
Thinking about this, Aelia did not know whether to feel grateful or not. She was worried if it was really possible to get something so invaluable without so little effort.
Asher saw Aelia's sparkling eyes being gradually cloud by worry.
He instantly knew that his Angel was again overthinking things.
Asher slowed down the car and stopped at the side of the road.
Seeing Asher suddenly stopping the car, Aelia looked at him in surprise.
Asher turned towards his Angel and placed their entwined hands on his chest.
Gazing deeply into her eyes, Asher said, "I know, our future seems very uncertain at this moment. We have yet to figure out what actually is the approaching calamity. I know you too are under a lot of pressure due to the prophecy.
But Angel, please trust me on this! Whatever happens, I'll fight my best to provide you with a contented life."
'Even if I have to go against the prophecy or fate itself!', thought Asher but did not say it out loud.
Aelia looked at Asher with trembling eyes that were choked full of various emotions. She felt so fortunate to be loved and cared about by someone like Asher.
Aelia knew that she was always too guarded to suddenly fall passionately in love with someone she met just a few days ago.
But Asher made her want to try. He really made her want to try opening her heart and to fall passionately in love.
As Aelia felt Asher's strong heartbeat through her hands that Asher had placed on his chest, she felt sure that probably someday soon, she too would be able to return Asher's intense feelings for her.