An awkward silence settled over the room like smoke following Aria's words. They were words that spoke just about much of how she felt about this whole thing. Something no one in the room could speak against, as she very well was in her right to feel this way.
However, since the decision to honor the marriage contract had been taken, there was no need to linger on the topic anymore.
"Well. Now that all is done, I'll leave you two to it then." With a nervous grin, Mr. Delacroix stood, clapping his son's shoulder with pride before taking his leave with the lawyer, Mr. Harrod, after having finalized the terms of the marriage contract.
Aria watched with a stern expression as Mr. Delacroix regarded Mr. Harrod with warm smiles and nostalgic words about how this day was what he and her father had always dreamed of as they left.
Now, it was just her and Kain in the room.
Aria turned to face him, rage surging within her once again. The very existence of him was the core root of all the problems in her life currently.
And worse was, now she was married to him.
The guy who had nearly ruined everything for her and her sister without even knowing it.
Now, her husband...?
What is he even waiting for? Shouldn't he be leaving as well?
Just as Aria opened her mouth to ask, Kain Delacroix suddenly stood, pacing the study slowly with arms folded. "So… this is it?" he asked.
Aria, seated behind the mahogany glass top table, frowned. "This is it." she affirmed.
"No priest? No ceremony? Not even a slice of cake at least?"
"I see no reason to celebrate." Aria retorted, standing up in her seat to signal a cue for him to leave.
But he just paused on his stroll around and chuckled. "Right. This is a marriage of convenience and... consequence. Got it. So am I staying here now?"
'What?!' Aria almost blurted out but she kept her cool.
"Just because we're married, on paper, doesn't mean you get to live with me!" She said instead, calmly yet with every word stressed. This guy was starting to really get on her nerves with the crazy entitlement he has.
Is this what she has to deal with for five years? It hasn't even been half an hour yet!
Besides, why would she even allow that knowing Mira would often be around?
"You're not scared that I might do something reckless again? I mean, trouble seems to find it's way to me as you can almost already tell." Kain moved towards Aria as he said, a cocky smirk tugging at his lips.
" Are you really threatening me right now?" Aria creased her gaze at him, both hands on the glass top. She stared straight into his eyes without the fear of holding back on him.
" Haha!" He laughed and shrugged. "I'm just saying. But if I'm being honest, the dorm is trash, and my dad is a douche. I think I can do with a bit of freedom that this place offers. I promise,I won't get in your way. I don't intend to."
Aria heard him, but she didn't believe a single word from his mouth.
"And why should I believe any of that?" she questioned, her tone cold and calculated.
Kain shook his head with a bitter smile, he raised his gaze shortly after and said. "Because I hate this just as much as you do. So much, that I'd rather be in jail." he no longer sounded carefree. Tis time, his voice was intent, and so were his eyes. There seemed to be a spark of fury in them.
Nonetheless, Aria continued to stare at him even after he finished, almost as though to tell him she wasn't buying into any of his bullshit.
She knew this trick all too well. Aria knew he had a plan in mind. Someone like Kain rarely had anything nice in mind.
However, for some reason, his dark eyes seemed to convey something deeper. Something that hinted at some truth to how he really felt about this whole marriage thingy.
'While it makes sense that I'd be able to keep an eye on him if he stays here, it sounds more like a threat than a request. I can't really tell what he'd do if I do not allow this, he's already talking about ending up in jail. But, what if he uses this all the time to get me to do things I otherwise wouldn't do? What if he continues to threaten me like this? And more importantly, what about Mira?'
Aria fell into contemplation, wondering what to do. On one hand she didn't want Kain telling her to do things with the threat that he'd go to jail, and on the other hand, she was worried about her little sister.
"You're free to stay in the guest room," Aria said flatly a short while after. " Consider this my wedding gift to you. This is the last favor you'll be getting from me as well. Don't think you can keep threatening me with you putting yourself in jail, trust me, you'll only be helping me. Thus is a fake marriage, do yours and I'll do mine."
After giving it a thought, Aria decided to let him stay. This way, she could keep a close watch on him.
Kain nodded and smiled, then he moved to look around the study once again, moving towards the polished shelves with rows of books and the art pieces.
Aria didn't mind his presence now that she'd allowed him to stay. She reached for her copy of the contract and folded it with a single thought in mind. ' This has to be kept a secret, Mira mustn't find out that I'm married to his blackmailer.'
" These are great books I'd like to read." Kain's sudden voice stirred Aria out of her thought. She raised her gaze to see Kain holding two books in hands, one she recognized, " The economics of time management", and the other she didn't.
" Sure. You can borrow those to read, might be of help to you." Aria didn't expect Kain to be the type to love books, but even saints sin.
Kain seemed surprised that Aria reads books too, he half-turned and smiled as he remarked " No offense, but you seem more like the type to conduct hostile takeovers than… reading books."
"You'd be surprised what a woman can be forced into when men start shaking hands." Aria said, clearly not amused by Kain's comment just now.
"Well, cheers to family bonds and paper shackles–" While Kain responded, he stopped when he heard the main door to the mansion open.
Kain raised an eyebrow and watched Aria move to check who it in haste. Aria, at the sight of the familiar younger, yet sophisticated version of herself, who stormed straight towards the study almost had a seizure.
Aria frowned and turned to tell Kain when she saw Mira had returned. " Stay here."
Kain nodded, and then she walked out of the study to meet Mira in the main hall.
The latter's straight, glossy dark blonde hair and fancy backpack slung over one shoulder, Aria could tell from the look on Mira's pretty face that she was quite pissed.