Mira didn't look angry this time. As opposed to the last night, she was just… somewhat triumphant and exhausted.
"If you have anything left of a conscience, you'd leave," she said, crossing her arms. "You've done enough."
Kain raised a brow. "I didn't do this."
"You didn't?" she snapped, her face the perfect sketch of skepticism.
"No."
She blinked. "Well, you took the Audi didn't you?"
"Yeah. I did." Kain sighed, there really is no way to defend himself. That was him in the video, and the Audi he took to college. "I guess no one can really tell the truth, I mean, what can I say, that's me in the video."
"So why do you continue to lie exactly? It really is pathetic" Mira said, her voice hinting a passive aggressive tone.
Something in Kain's chest cracked.
He stood, eyes burning as he stared straight into Mira's eyes. "You know, most people hate being blamed for crap they didn't do. But I don't mind. However..." He stepped closer, a finger raised on the air, " One thing. The only thing I hate the most, is being called a liar. She did it, and now you're doing it too."
Mira looked uneasy seeing Kain shift from being defeated to being this... defensive.
Kain continued, voice low. "If you think I'm going to sit here and let some loser ruin me with a phone camera and some AI edits, you're wrong. I'm going to beat the truth out of whoever made that video. I swear!"
And with that, he left the room, fury radiating from every step.
...
Meanwhile, Aria had returned to office, doors locked and all of her work handed to hr assistant to handle for the rest of the day. She'd also told her to send back anyone who wanted to see her.
She sat curled on her office couch, her phone buzzing beside her.
She hadn't looked at it in hours. But that didn't stop the notifications.
Social media; Board members; even her assistant.
However, only the messages from two people made her stomach twist.
Daniel: Hey, I saw the news. Do you need me to clean this up? Just say the word.
Adrian: So this is what you've been hiding? I would've understood, you know. Maybe...
Aria closed her eyes, fingers trembling as she picked up the phone and typed in response to Adrian.
" Can we meet? I'll explain everything. Please."
" Okay." That was all Adrian said.
Later that evening, Aria sat across from Adrian in a quiet rooftop restaurant that overlooked the skyline. He had ordered some wine for them, but Aria hadn't touched hers.
The usual mildness between them had turned a heavy atmosphere,
"I'm sorry," Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Adrian didn't speak.
"I didn't mean to lie," Aria went on. "I just… didn't know how to tell you."
"Tell me what, exactly?" he asked softly, his voice masking his apparent disappointment.
"That I got married." Aria said, honestly. Despite knowing that Adrian was well aware of what she was talking about. After all, he'd reached out to her after seeing the news too.
Silence reigned between them for a long while. Until Aria felt the need to clear the air and explain. That was what she was here to do anyway.
"To fulfill a clause in my father's will. It had to be me or Mira. She's younger, and she has a future. So I thought I could handle it..." She explained, not fully delving into the details.
"And the guy in the video?" Adrian asked.
Aria hesitated. "That's him. His name is Kain."
Adrian exhaled through his nose, pushing his glass away.
"I wanted to tell you," Aria added, seeing the shift in Adrian's expression. Her voice was calm, yet full of guilt and honesty. "I swear. I just… didn't know what you'd think. What you'd see me as." Aria looked up, staring to find his eyes.
Adrian looked at her, eyes unreadable. "And what do you see yourself as now, Aria?"
She didn't answer. Those words cut her deep. She knew Adrian had a point.
He shook his head. "I liked you because you didn't hide behind your family's name. But now I feel like I don't even know you."
Her throat tightened. "I don't know. But I do know that I don't want to lose you." Aria said in a tender voice, reaching to grab Adrian's hands.
But Adrian backed away, his voice a hurt whisper " I don't know Aria, maybe you already have."
...
Kain, sitting in the college library, scrolled through the social tags on the viral video, furiously screenshotting accounts that had posted the video, by the order of their dates. His knuckles were white from clenching, as the video had been reposted by an unimaginable number of accounts all over the social media.
"#RichGirlGoneWild"
"#CollegeCasanova"
"#KainTheCuffedKing"
Each tag made his blood boil. He'd never felt the hate for social media and the people entirely, until now. Kain didn't bother reading the comments, he knew he'd only be giving himself the headache.
Instead, he continued in his search for the earliest poster of the video.
He was so certain that this was all a farce, an act of sabotage aimed at him. Thinking about it now, he'd returned home to find Aria and Mira waiting for him to question him about the Audi the previous night. Aria he understood, but Mira? Wasn't she in the dorm or something before? He could clearly remember she didn't have breakfast with them the previous day?
And more importantly, how did they come to know about it? Clearly it wasn't from the video as Aria wouldn't have to confront him the second time about it. It seemed as though someone was deliberately monitoring him and leaking these informations to Aria and Mira.
' In any case, I will find whoever it is and clear my name with Aria...' Kain was determined, even if he had to rip through every damn account.