Chole panicked as the situation had already slipped out of her hand. She surreptitiously glared at Aria.
It was all because of this child. She is the the reason of all her problems.
Aria felt the gaze filled with hatred as ell; how can she not? She had experienced it multiple times in her past life.
Aria's hold on Sophia tightened as the past flickered through her eyes; those haunting eyes and pointed fingers of everyone. She can never forget that.
Sophia and the manager also saw Chole's glare and Aria's reaction; their reaction intolerable. How dare she.
"This is enough. Chole you have caused ample problems for us already. I don't want any more of that. You are fired. Apologize to the little girl this instant." the manager ordered Chole, being completely done with her behavior.
"If I am already fired, whats the need to apologize. It is not like I will gain anything from it. Why should I apologize then?" Chole sardonically; completely disregarding evrything at the moment.
"You should apologize to the lady for your behavior because you were in the wrong. But since you feel like you are correct than fine. From now on, Chole is blacklisted from this mall and every otherbusiness that is under the Smith Enrerprise." The manager declared.
"NO! no..NO. You can't do that. I will apologize. Please don't do this." Chole was really terrified upon hearing manager's words.
The Smith enterprise was not merely any firm; It was an empire, a conglomerate which had been on the very top for more than 500 years. It's name carried its weight across the entire world. Working for and with the Smiths was a dream everyone manifested, and going against them was something evryone dreaded. There was a very famous rumor around them; Going against Smiths means going closer to death. Anyone who dared to scheme or conspire against them utimately met death or a life worst then death.
But they weren't alone. With their friendship with the other two top families; Davis and Williams, the three together are unbeatable. Together, they formed a trinity formation no one can break. They are called The Triarchs.
Whenever they move, the world held its breath. Their power, authority, command, control, dominion and jurisdiction, all unmatched.
Getting blacklisted by any of the one led getting blacklisted by the other two as well; meant all the doors closing one after another until nothing but ruins remained. no one in their right minds will ever offend them and Chole was well aware of that as well.
"It doesn't matter now. The decision is made and no one can change it now." The manager declared closing the chapter perpetually.
"We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused by our staff's oversight, As a gesture of goodwill and compenstion, we will like cover your shopping for today. I hope you will accept it." The manager sincerely apologized for all the nuisance.
"It's fine. Thankyou foe everything." Sophia didn't bother with it anymore and left with Aria after collecting their shopping bags.
On their way back to their hotel in the taxi, Sophia gazed at her always loquacious and gossipy daughter who had suddenly gotten at all hushed and silent and pulled her in her emrace.
"What happened to my princess? Is she still upset for what happened at the mall?" Sophia asked fastidiously; worried that she might upset her already upset daughter more.
Aria woke up from her daze and calmly replied Sophia.
"No mom. It is nothing like that. I already forgot that incident. The bad auntie already got her punishment. I am just tired."
"Are you sure princess." Sophia asked again just to confirm.
"Yes mom. I am absolutely fine. I just want to feeling drained and want to take a nap." Aria said, trying to settle down her mother's worries.
Sophia though not entirely convinced, still started to pat Aria, laying her head in her lap.
Aria pushed her head in Sophia's stomach, wrapping her tiny arms around her waist as the name Smith brought the memories of her previous life in her mind.
The three generations of the Smith lived together; the old couple Smith, the current chairman of Smiths, Noah Smith and his wife Rose along with their three children. The younger ones were a pair of twin; a boy named Elijah and a daughter called Evelyn. Then came the eldest son, the heir and the crown prince of Smiths; Andrew Smith, the most handsome eligible bachelor in the world. The boys envied him while the girls lusted him but he was like a cold block of ice berg who melted for no one expect his family and friends.
She only met him once in her previous life. It was her first birthday after they moved to capital city. She remembered how excited she was that day but no one remembered, or maybe they didn't care. They never did, like always.
Feeling low and dejected, for the first time, she went against her father and ran away from home leaving everything behind and decided to go for trekking deep in the mountains all alone without telling anyone.
Reaching the foot of Sunveil Summit, She started to climb; taking her time, watching the nature, capturing its beauty and feeling free from every burden.
She didn't even realise when the time passed as the sun set down and the night came over her head when she decided to camp there when it started to rain heavily. Strtching her hands over her head, she ran fast deeper in the mountains and took a shelter in a cave; dark but weirdly warm.
Having nothing else to do, she decided to explore the cave. Takingout a flashlight from her bagback, she walked further inside the cave when suddenly she heard a howl of a wolf along with the noise of someone running from inside towards her.
Terrified, she stumbled a step back when a shadow came running towards her; crashing into her as they both fall down; him landing atop of her, breathing heavily as their eyes meet.
That is when the magic happened.
The time stopped, their hearts skipped a beat as their breath got uneven, both completely lost in each others eyes as if the fate had done its job. Their stars aligned as if they became one.
The howl of the wolf broke their daze as the shifted their face to the left; the wolf coming towards them. The guy quickly stepped up, reaching his hand forward.
Aria gazed at the hand infront of her, then to the guy as she hesitatedly placed her hand in his with a trust she herself couldn't explain.
Helping her standing up, both swiftly sprinted out of the cave, their hands still clasped together.
A they ran, the wind whipped against them, as the wolf continued to follow them like its prey when suddenly the guy pulled her towards the west. A raging river came in their view.
Aria panicked as she realised what the intended to do and wanted to stop him. But it was to late. The guys had already jumped in with her.
Aria tightly hold onto him, as the river whirlled them inagainst its powerful, fast-moving, and turbulent currents. Both of them trying to swom to the shore but the fast-paced waves and the rain was making it difficult for them.
After a long time with multiple trails, they finally reached the shore. The rain has also stopped by now.
Aria and the guy drop down on the ground; breathing heavily, entirely exhausted from all the action.
looking up, both gazed at each other and burst out laughing. Leaning onto him, Aria combed her hair back with hands as she spoke out first.
"That was literally hilarious. Seriously, how did you even got entangled with a wolf in the first place?" she asked; genuinely curious about it.
"I didn't go there on my own. I came here for trekking but because it suddenly started to rain, a ran and took a shelter in the cave. Who would have guessed that I will meet a hungry wolf there." The guy replied, clearing amused and frustrated at the entire situation.
"I am Aria by the way." Aria introduced herself, offering her hand.
"My name is Andrew Smith," the guy, Andrew replied, taking the hand infront of him, shaking it lightly as they once again got lost in each other's eyes.
Their gaze broke at the sound of loud thunder as both clear their throat in embarrassment.
"So..." Aria tried to start a communication but didn't know where to start.
"So.....?" Andrew also wanted to speak, to share, to know everything about him but was just as confused as her.
They both wanted to speak but didn't have any words to say. The eyes held onto each other, wanting nothing more than the other person to say say something first, to initiate something.
The calling ringtone broke snapped them back to their senses. Andrew quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket. Gazing at the name of the caller, his gaze darkened as he answered the call.
"Hello...Is it done?....That perfect.... What! I will be right there. You prepare everything."