Aria left her breakfast unfinished and left for work. She adjusted the cuffs of her saffron blouse and tucked her phone into her bag as she left.
The air was crisp for a weekday morning, and the familiar hum of the city did little to ease the weight pressing against her temples.
Kain was still having his breakfast when she'd left; Aria was amazed at how much he ate. He was not unlike a starved roach. His excuse was that he didn't know if he'd be eating until he returned later for dinner so he would eat as much as his stomach could take.
Aria hadn't cared much, other than the fact that the man had made himself far too comfortable in her house for someone who was blackmailing her sister just days ago.
She'd purposely left him in the dark about the fact that she didn't tell Mira about the blackmail when he'd asked earlier. Aria was displeased that she had to.
She hated herself for hiding it from Mira. But what was she to do? She couldn't risk losing the inheritance. She wouldn't have had to worry about all of this if Kain hadn't come into the picture.
And now, his mere presence in their home alone made her skin itch.
' I can't let this get to me. As long as things stay like this for the next five years, there should be nothing to worry about.' Aria pushed all that thought aside for now.
She was heading into a board meeting that promised to be as stiff as her back, she couldn't afford to lose concentration.
The ride to her office was uneventful, but her mind swirled.
The burden she had thrown over her shoulders were overwhelming. Aria struggled to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.
No matter how Aria tried not to think too hard about it, the thought remained. She shook her head, grabbed her tablet and prepared for the meeting.
The life of a CEO with familial troubles, it never ends.
By noon, Aria's desk at Elmont corporation inc.'s main office was stacked with reports, and proposals. Her assistant had already come in twice to ask if she was doing okay and she'd turned her away each time, lying that she was fine.
The truth is, despite how unbothered she tried to act, the whole marriage thing with Kain was eating at her. Like a fest of parasite made of pure regret for having decided to go through with it.
Five years with so much overwhelming guilt, and shame. She began pondering if she should let Mira know the truth early on. She'd have nothing much to worry about if she did after all.
However, Aria feared Mira wouldn't listen to her. She knew her sister wouldn't understand.
Aria wanted a break. Something to reassure her that the next five years wouldn't drown her. She wondered if she could keep to her life before all of this without being affected.
Aria had a life she wanted too, she had her own desires.
She recalled Adrian, the guy she'd been speaking with the last few weeks.
She'd only met him recently at a tech summit in Vienna, a month before the contract came knocking on her door. Adrian was charming but quiet; powerful yet private.
His company was a direct competitor with hers, one of the biggest in the industry. Yet, that didn't stop them from vibing.
Their conversations had always lingered beyond strategy and market shares.
They talked about burden, about loyalty, about the scars left by the weight of expectations. They lived the same reality, and he always understood her.
She'd thought, in another world, that maybe… she would have chosen to be with him instead. They had a lot in common after all– a shared world one could say.
However, she hadn't spoken to him in days, and worse, she didn't tell him about the marriage. Not yet!
Aria knew he had some interest in her, she wasn't oblivious to the signs.
She wondered how Adrian would react to the news? Would he listen to her as he always did, and try to understand?
In truth, Aria desired Adrian as well. But then, with Kain now in the picture, she wondered if that ship would ever sail at all. Adrian didn't seem the type to waste time on possibilities.
It'd be selfish of her to make him wait five years of his life. Aria herself wasn't sure what she wanted with Adrian. And one thing Aria detested the most, were false promises.
Aria was 26, she'd be 31 in the next five years. She knew she could still do whatever she wanted by then, but it wouldn't be the same as to knowing for certain what she was doing with her life. Especially with the things she wanted in life.
Contemplating for a while, Aria reached for her phone and dialed his number. She decided to commit and see if she could start something with Adrian at least.
She'd tell him about her situation and see if it wasn't a deal breaker for him.
"Adrian?" she asked when he picked up.
"Aria." His voice was low, velvet-smooth. "I was hoping I'd hear from you. You okay, you don't sound it?"
"Yes," she lied. "Just work. It's been crazy lately." Aria sighed.
"Same here. Want to trade company war stories over dinner?"
She smiled faintly, this was why she enjoyed being around him. " I'd love to have a getaway. Tonight? Somewhere... quiet?
"You name the place."
"I'll text you the details," she said, and the call ended with a soft chuckle from him. Aria felt a light tug at her cold, numb heart. She looked forward to the dinner later, finding confidence in her choices once again. Perhaps, she could still find an anchor in all of this mess she was in.
An escape...
She let herself wonder if they could become a thing after she told him her situation. If Adrian would be willing.
Aria hoped he would. She needs the assurance.
' A little fuck would do to seal the deal in fact.' Aria drowned in her fantasy of Adrian.
But as Aria leaned back in her chair, something in her chest twisted. A reminder that she was now married. It was a strange sense, that turned off all the desires.
If anything, Aria hated betrayals. And though she owed Kain no loyalty, something in her still repulsed the idea. Like she would be wronging Kain in some way or the other.
'Would I care if he slept with other women?' Aria wouldn't.
So then why does she find it hard to do the same?
'Oh Aria, get off your self-righteous horse-ride', She sighed, cupping her face in her palms.
But for real, she needed to talk to someone right now before seeing Adrian. Someone she could unload all of her feelings on before then.
She needed Daniel.