The next morning was anything but good. Kain only came to the dining hall to grab his breakfast before returning to his room. He didn't greet, didn't say anything about the previous night.
Aria was fine with this. It showed that he had at least learned his place. And as long as he didn't repeat what he did the previous night, she had no issue.
But then, Mira's sudden attitude towards her was what really bothered Aria.
After having mumbled a good morning, the youngest of the Elmont sisters said nothing to Aria all through breakfast. And when she was done, she merely returned to her room and stayed in there. She didn't conversate with her and try to keep her from leaving as she always would.
Aria didn't know what was going through her sister's mind, but she wasn't in the best of moods to play the good sister either. She also had her own feelings to sort out and was still quite pissed off as well.
Her date with Adrian was ruined, and really, Mira's spoilt attitude was starting to get to her.
'Maybe later I'll try to talk to her' Aria decided as she left for office.
However, when she got to work, some whispers had already started before she even got to her office.
She noticed it in the lobby first, how the receptionist avoided her eyes, how a pair of interns huddled near the elevator were passing a phone back and forth while avoiding gazes with her.
At first she thought it was just some gossip that had little to do with her. The usual blog posts that carried nothing but fake rumors.
It wasn't until she was Inside the boardroom with the members, that the truth was finally revealed.
Having noticed she was unaware, one of the executives cleared his throat and finally revealed to her. "Ma'am… you might want to check the news."
Aria frowned hearing this. She opened her phone and nearly choked when she saw it.
'Viral Video: Elmont Heiress CEO Snagged by Campus Bad Boy?'
There it was!
A video clip from the campus, showing Kain laughing near the Audi, arms slung casually around a few boys. He looked smug as someone behind the camera asked:
"So what's the deal, Kain? Sugar mama or just a lucky catch?"
Kain laughed. " I bagged the best girl in town, man. The Elmont heiress. She's rich, she's fine, and she's mine. Haha, That's all I'll say."
The rest was drowned out by laughter.
Aria's blood boiled, seeing this.
She slammed her phone to the table with a clack, and her pulse thundered in her ears. ' That's it!'
She stood and stormed out of the office building, she was done with Kain!
...
Aria found Kain strolling around the main hall, still in pajamas when she got back home.
The audacity!
" How dare you set me up!" Aria hissed as she slammed the door behind her. Her voice cutting and laced in fury. She went straight into it this time, her usual composed demeanor out the window.
Aria had never been so pissed!
"What?" Kain blinked, both surprised at her presence and her words. "What are you talking about?" He frowned.
Aria didn't bother to explain and just opened her phone to shove the video in his face. "This. You wanted to make our marriage public, didn't you? Spread your name around and ruin my reputation huh? Is that it?!"
Kain gasped as he watched the video play, eyes widening. Then his face went serious. "I didn't say any of this."
"You didn't?" she scoffed. "Then what, your friends just magically decided to make you famous?" Aria neared him, poking a finger right in his face as she yelled furiously.
"I swear, I didn't--"
Aria's hand rose and struck down at Kain's face before he could finish. She was tired of hearing him lie over and over again.
Pa!
Kain stumbled back, holding his cheek, stunned.
Aria's voice cracked as she yelled, " Stop lying. You did this!"
"I didn't mean--" dumbfounded, Kain started in a daze but was cut off yet again by Aria.
"I should never have agreed to this sham!" she shouted, tears prickling her eyes, her voice shaky and ful of hurt. "You're a selfish, lying bastard. You don't care what I've given up to protect you. And now this?"
" I really should have let you rot in jail."
Aria stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Kain remained frozen in the hallway, one hand over his stinging cheek.
For once, he didn't say anything smart. He didn't have anything to say. He just stood there, dumbfounded and silent.
At the crown of the stairs, Mira stood stunned and wondrous. " Jail?" she muttered.
...
Kain sat alone in the dimly lit main hall, a cold can of soda untouched in his hand. Aria had long left, and now he was all alone, reflecting on what had just happened.
His cheek still burned faintly from the slap, but it was nothing compared to the heat bubbling in his chest.
Once again, he was misjudged before he could even defend himself.
The slap wasn't what hurt the most, it was that damned word she called him. A word that had followed him through childhood, through the back alleys of campus and into this godforsaken agreement.
This was why Kain never liked rich people. They were always blinded by their high noses, unable to see below their chin.
Kain never wanted anything to do with the Elmonts. He had always tried to avoid this fate.
But now, having agreed to stay the next five years, he had no choice but to persevere. Not that he didn't blame himself for taking the Audi to college, all of this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't.
He just thought that the next five years would have been easier to spend together with Aria and Mira if he'd broken the ice wall between them, they didn't have to be enemies, walking on egg shells everytime they're around each other now that the marriage contract had been finalized. It seems pointless to him to do all of that.
At first, when Aria had saved him from being sent to jail, Kain had thought she only did it to save the inheritance. But then, the fact that she hadn't told her sister about the situation made him reconsider the likelihood of her being ... Different.
But now, he didn't really know. Regardless, he felt it was pointless to think about all that now.
He pulled out his phone, replaying the viral clip. He didn't remember being filmed at all. Hell, he hadn't even noticed the camera that day. Besides, he and his friends were talking about something entirely different. It has nothing to do with Aria at all.
"Rich, fine, and mine?" He groaned in disgust. "Goddammit, this is fucking edited!"
Just then, footsteps echoed behind him, stopping by the doorway that he had forgotten to shut close.
He turned and to his surprise, It was Mira!