Chapter 378: Argument
ARIA
For a moment, I honestly thought I was hallucinating. Maybe it was the lighting, the golden haze of chandeliers and the glassy reflection off the wine surrounding us, or maybe it was because my brain simply refused to connect the dots. Kael’s brother. My best friend. Together. Smiling like this was all normal.
Sarah’s voice snapped me out of it.
"Aria," she said brightly, that breathy tone that sounded soft and harmless. "Oh my goodness. You two look good." Her eyes slid to Kael, then back to me, her smile tightening just slightly.
I blinked, once. Twice.
"Sarah?" My voice came out smaller than I wanted. "What are you doing here?"
Before she could answer, I was already closing in, grabbing her while forcing a smile at Andrew, because it felt like the polite thing to do even though something in me screamed.
I turned to the nearest staff.
"Sorry, could you tell me where the restroom is?"
The waiter gestured down a hall lined with mirrors and private rooms, and I tugged gently at Sarah’s wrist. "Come with me. Please."
She looked confused, almost innocent, but followed without protest, her heels tapping softly against the marble as we slipped away from the table and Kael’s unreadable stare.
The second the restroom door shut behind us, I turned to her. "What are you doing here?"
Sarah blinked at me through the mirror, her reflection calm, even a little amused. "What do you mean?"
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "You were with Kael’s brother, Sarah. Andrew Roman. How—why—?"
Her expression flickered, just slightly, something quick and unplaceable darting through her eyes before she smiled again. "Oh, that? I met him by chance, I swear. We bumped into each other near the entrance, started talking, and he offered to buy me dinner. I didn’t know you’d be here."
I wanted to believe her—God, I did—but my stomach twisted. Nothing about this felt like chance.
"Sarah," I said quietly, "do you know who he is?"
She tilted her head in confusion. "Of course I do. He’s the one I passed by on the way to your office. Kael’s brother. You mentioned him this morning didn’t you?"
"Then you should also know Kael doesn’t exactly like him."
Sarah’s smile didn’t waver. "I didn’t realize your boyfriend came with a list of people his friends are allowed to speak to."
"That’s not what I meant," I said, exhaling sharply, "I just—this is weird, Sarah. You showing up here, with him—it’s—"
"It’s dinner, Aria." Her tone softened, but there was a subtle edge beneath it. "You’re overthinking. Like always."
She reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from my cheek with a tenderness that almost felt suffocating. "Relax, okay? Let’s just go back out there before both of them start wondering what’s wrong."
I caught her wrist again before she could reach for the door.
"Sarah, wait."
She turned, brows knitting together in faint irritation, but I didn’t let go. "You don’t understand," I said, my voice lower now, trembling with something that wasn’t anger, more like fear. "Andrew isn’t just some stranger. He’s Kael’s brother, and he’s dangerous, Sarah. You shouldn’t—"
"How do you know that?" she interrupted, tilting her head, her voice soft.
"Because Kael—"
"—says so?" she finished for me, her tone cutting in that subtle, perfect way that made my chest tighten.
I froze.
Her eyes flickered, not cruel, but heavy with some strange blend of disappointment and accusation. "Aria, you always do this. You take whatever the man you love says as the absolute truth. You did it before, and you’re doing it again."
"Where’s this coming from?" I demanded, though it sounded weaker than I meant it to. "Why are you saying this?"
Sarah laughed under her breath, a short, hollow sound that didn’t reach her eyes. "If Andrew’s really so dangerous, then what does that make Kael? They’re brothers. Born from the same family, built on the same power and blood money you’re so terrified of. Maybe you should be taking your own advice."
"That’s not fair," I said, shaking my head, feeling my throat close up. "Kael isn’t like them. He isn’t—"
"Wasn’t he the one who got you fired?" she shot back. "Over a mistake anyone could’ve made? Or did you forget that part because he smiled at you afterward and made it all better?"
"Sarah—"
She wasn’t done. Her voice grew quieter, but sharper somehow, slicing through the air between us. "How many people do you think he’s ruined, Aria? How many names did he bury so his spotless reputation could stay exactly that... spotless? But it’s fine, right? Because he’s good to you. Because you love him."
"Stop," I whispered, my stomach twisting.
"Do you even tell him everything?" she asked suddenly, her gaze piercing through me.
"What are you talking about?"
"The baby," she said, voice barely audible but heavy enough to make the world tilt. "Kael’s baby. Does he know that you lost his child?"
The air thinned. My pulse drowned out everything for a moment. I couldn’t even form a word.
Sarah’s expression softened, but her tone didn’t. "He doesn’t, does he?"
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. My silence said everything.
She sighed, stepping closer, lowering her voice to that gentle cadence that made her sound kind. "You see? You don’t even trust him enough to tell him something like that. Maybe, deep down, you already know he’s not who you think he is."
Her words hit somewhere raw, somewhere too close.
I stared at her, feeling something inside me recoil, a small sharp betrayal that didn’t have a name yet. And she must’ve seen it, because her expression flickered, softening into a sad little smile.
"I know you love him," she whispered. "And I’m happy for you, I really am. You deserve to be loved. But... maybe I do too. Maybe it’s time I get a chance at love, don’t you think?"
I opened my mouth, confusion spilling out with my breath. "Sarah, what—"
But before I could finish, a sudden burst of noise shattered the tension, a raised voice, the scrape of a chair, something breaking. The sound came from the main dining area, sharp enough to make us both turn toward the door.