In the other part of the city, in Aria's house, she was discharged early from the hospital. Now sitting on her bed, as she had shown some minutes back, Aria went out of her room, heading to the kitchen, as she was feeling tasty. After that, she went back to her room to rest. Bored, Aria fished out her phone and started playing video games. When something popped into her head, she realized she hadn't asked Helena how they found her. Quickly, she dialed Helena's number.
"Hello, girly, don't tell me you're already missing me, huh?" Helena said at the other end.
"Yeah, I'm off course now missing every person as long as I will be kept company. I'm bored," Aria said.
"Hehehe, Aunty told you to rest in the room, right?" Helena laughed.
"Hmm, yeah," Aria said and sighed.
"Common, don't be bored. Play with your phone or read novels. It will help pass the time, that is, if you don't want to read your notes, school maniac," Helena said, as she knew her friend.
"No, I want to ask you something. Care to answer?" Aria said.
"Sure, go," Helena said.
"How did you and Ace get to know where I was in the school when I went missing?" Aria asked.
"Well, I was surprised you didn't ask. I fed you with the gossip bit, you didn't ask, and seeing Aunty there, I didn't find the right time to tell you. But since you asked, fine," Helena said.
"Okay, now I asked, carry on," Aria said, ready to listen to the gossip she was eager to hear.
"Well, let me tell you something in advance. Ace loves you so much," Helena said, smiling.
"I know he loves me, of course," Aria said, but sounding a bit confused.
"No, my girl, what I see today is different from what you used to see. Did you ever see his worried face? And that is all about you. Well, let me tell you what happened fast," Helena said and explained everything that happened when she was locked in the room, which left Aria speechless.
"Seriously?" Aria said in disbelieve, and then she smiled slyly.
"Ahh, huff, Aria, what's there for you to not believe, huh?" Helena asked.
"Who said I didn't believe that?" Aria asked back.
"Hah, you think I don't know you or what, Aria? I know the sound of your tone very well. So, how did you find it, though I know you also love him that much?" Helena said.
"Huff, Aria let go of the air she didn't know she was holding, then continued. Well, I'm seriously speechless, and happy from the bottom of my heart. You know, I wish I could have seen him like that, so worried," Aria said, giggling over the phone.
"Yes, you have to be. While I'm here thinking of getting a boyfriend who will love me just like how Ace does, God," Helena said, and both of them laughed.
"Don't worry, your knight in shining armor will be on the way," Aria assured her friend.
And like that, they continued to chat until Aria received a call from Ace.
"Wait a minute, let me see who is calling," Aria said and moved her phone from her ear to see who the caller was. Seeing it, she sat properly on the bed and quickly informed Helena.
"Helena, Ace is calling."
"What! Take it quickly. Don't let him wait for you, and be good to him," Helena said, after witnessing how he worried for her friend, she liked him more.
"On whose side are you, huh?" Aria questioned.
"Both," Helena said quickly and hung up, leaving the two to chat with each other.
Inhaling quickly, Aria picked the call and said, "Hello."
"Hello, my dear, how are you doing now?" Ace said from the other end, looking at the girls in front of him who were on their knees.
"I'm good, just feeling a bit tired. How are you?" Aria asked back.
"Good, but now excellent since I heard your voice," Ace said, smiling charmingly as he listened to her.
While in front of him, Diana and her girls were frightened to their wit's end, and already surrendered to whatever would happen. They had already exposed themselves and regretted what they had done, after continuously getting in the water and standing in the chilly weather to blow them.
Now kneeling, Diana listened to what he was saying and wished it could be her, but no, it would never be.
"Hey, I want to show you something. Care to switch to video call?" Ace asked.
Hearing him, Aria wondered what he was going to show her now at night, and she looked at the clock in her room; it was already nine at night. But she still answered, "Yes, why not, love?" Aria said shyly.
In the other hand, Ace's eyes widened; he was being seriously forgotten. Why would she be cheesy right now? But he still enjoyed it. Smiling, he said, "Call me that again."
Hearing what he said, Aria smiled. She liked him much more than before, after what Helena told her. So she said, "Hubby," with her small, soft voice.
Ace's heart was now melting over what she said. Not just was she calling him "love," but also "hubby." He found it annoying when girls called their men names while watching movies, but not anymore.
But as his eyes swept past those girls, he felt like ripping them apart. Hanging up, he called back on video call, and Aria answered.
"So, what is the thing?" she asked, smiling.
"Someone wants to say something to you," Ace said.
"Someone?" Aria said, taking aback. Didn't he say he was going to show her something?
"Yes, here," Ace said and switched it from selfie to the back camera so she could see what he wanted to show her.
Seeing what was being shown to her, her eyes widened in shock. It was Diana and the girls who beat her. But before she said a thing, the girls started talking.
Seeing Manson signal them, the girls started apologizing one by one. "Aria, please forgive us for what we have done to you. Aria, we will repent for our mistake. Please forgive us," the first girl said and burst into tears, which made Aria's mouth agape at what she was saying.
Aria quickly called Ace. "Yes, dear?" he answered.
"What have gotten into those girls' heads?" she asked.
"Oh, I have put some sense back into them. If they couldn't help themselves to be good children, I can lend them a helping hand," Ace said, smiling lovely.