"David, help me find out who's behind this, but don't let them know we're onto them. If it's too difficult, just drop it. It's better to lose the trail than to alert them, got it?"
"Understood, Boss."
After hanging up the phone, Aria Grant knocked on Dean Taylor's door.
"Why aren't you sleeping at this hour?"
Dean opened the door only to see Aria looking very serious, which immediately woke him up.
"There's something important we need to discuss. Come to my study."
Without thinking, Dean followed Aria to her study. It was only then that he realized he was only wearing his underwear and looked quite indecent.
"Uh, can I go put on some clothes? It's a bit cold!"
"I was wiped out overnight."
Hearing this news, Dean immediately stopped worrying about his lack of clothing, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Who's so powerful that they wiped you out in just one night? Even though you're a newcomer and don't seem to have any connections, nobody should be paying attention to you right now!"
Dean instantly grasped the seriousness of the situation. It seemed someone was already targeting Aria. He couldn't take this lightly anymore; the 24-hour protection he had promised was no joke.
"Make sure to take me with you whenever you go out from now on. Otherwise, if anything happens to you, I won't be able to explain it to the Boss. Now that someone's got their eyes on you, hiding won't help. It's better to draw them out."
"I know. I've already asked David to investigate. Hopefully, he can find something useful."
Usually, Aria would never accept someone protecting her, but now wasn't the time for her to be stubborn.
With a plan in place, she felt relieved. Then she noticed that Dean was dressed rather minimally and had a bedhead.
"Pfft~ Hahahaha!"
"You pervert! Ahh!"
Their loud laughter and Dean's cry woke Ivy up from her weekend slumber. She stood at the study door rubbing her eyes, a drowsy expression on her face while holding a Sad Frog plushie.
At the moment, Dean's expression was even sadder than the Sad Frog's.
"Can you two stop making noise on the weekend... Hey, Mr. Dean, are you planning on streaking? Not that your body is any good... it's not as good as our classmate Dylan Flack."
Having been double-teamed by mother and daughter, Dean angrily stormed out of the study and back to his room for more sleep. The recent events had been too scary; he needed the comfort of dreams.
Although Dean hadn't noticed, Aria caught the name Ivy had mentioned.
"Dylan Flack? This classmate of yours has a strange name, doesn't he, Ivy?"
Still half-asleep, Ivy looked at Aria without recognizing her at first. When she finally realized she was talking to her mother, she hurriedly corrected herself.
"Yeah, I only noticed him because of his weird name. It's definitely not because his dad is really handsome."
Children will be children, their words often careless. When they're nervous, they just blurt everything out. By the time Ivy realized her slip-up, her mom was already giving her a strange look.
"What does his dad being handsome have to do with you? Anyway, this kid's name is indeed strange. Next time you get a chance, invite him over so I can take a look at him."
Although it seemed unlikely, Aria still decided to see the child for herself and make a judgment afterward. If the kid was actually George Flack's, she wondered who he meant to disgust with that name.
Dylan? What an ironic name. She found it nauseating to think that the love and longing she had for George could be used to name a child he had with another woman.
Seeing Aria's expression sour, Ivy slipped back to her room and locked the door while her mother wasn't looking.
But Aria wasn't in the mood to settle any scores right now, instead, considering whether she should help Ivy transfer schools. Since Ivy had already encountered George Flack and his son, she would eventually find out that George was her deadbeat father.
That interesting child she had mentioned was her half-brother by the same father. Ivy didn't really care, but Aria worried she might not be able to handle the shock.
Without telling anyone, Aria started looking for a new school for Ivy, preferably far from her previous one. However, since she wasn't familiar with the schools, she thought of her best friend Liana Lewis.
In a coffee shop, Aria and Liana were discussing Ivy's school transfer.
"Heh, woman, what are you up to now that you're thinking of me? You never involve me in anything good."
"I want to transfer Ivy."
Aria didn't beat around the bush but got straight to the point, telling Liana her thoughts and the fact that Ivy was in the same school as George Flack's son.
"What if you're overthinking this, and that child named Dylan isn't George's?"
"There's no 'what if' with such things. It's best if he's not, but if he is! Ivy is still young and I don't want her to be dragged into this. I was the one who insisted on keeping her. I've been prepared to be a single mother all along. If one day she wants to recognize George, that's her choice; but for now, she can't know he's her father, especially since he has another family."
Whenever Aria thought of the scumbag George who had kissed her at the party the other day, her stomach turned. He already had a fiancée, so why bother with her?
"I'll help you keep an eye out for schools! But there's something else I need to tell you: George's power is beyond what we can imagine. Since you don't want him to know about Ivy's existence, you should be fully prepared. Also, you can't blatantly investigate your sister's case."
"I know."
Looking at Aria, Liana felt a wave of sadness. Aria used to be much bolder, but it was as if she had become a different person in just five years.
"Aria, sometimes you shouldn't put so much pressure on yourself. Remember that I'm always your best friend and will always stand by you."
Although words wouldn't help much right now, Liana thought saying it might comfort Aria somewhat and alleviate the guilt she felt for not being by her side the past few years.
Aria understood why Liana said this, but she'd never blamed anyone. She had chosen this path, and now she had to walk it alone, no matter what.
"Then, best friend, help me pay for our order this time!"
"You shameless woman, Aria Grant!"
Indeed, Liana appeared more likable this way.