Daughter-in-law Strikes Harder

In the huge suite space was a man sitting on one of the comfortable leather chairs, which directly faced the walls of glass that reflected his image exactly the way he sat. As if it was different having to look at himself while sitting, he conceitedly stared at the reflective glass till his assistant had to wait extra more minutes while standing.

Realizing that Alex was present in the room already, Dalton stood up and ambled around the large space, with so many thoughts running through his head.

He had always been so keen about tremendous success and he was achieving it, but the feelings that he knew about and had not constantly occurred to him so much in the past, were resurfacing and disturbing him greatly.

His wealth and power kept him going so that he didn’t have time to think much about those things, but it seemed like some kind of therapy was going on in his body even without seeing a doctor. Like some kind of eye opener.

He was beginning to notice the things he usually didn’t care about before, and he realized that he had been too sad for almost half his life. It was a deep and inner feeling he had never shown to anyone before, and had not tried to do anything to make it better.

Having to think of his life suddenly again as he stared at himself through the mirror, made him realize that he had been much sadder without Aria being around. Though he had never really been intentionally happy before they got married and after, he could feel himself falling into sadness if she was not around.

Hating the vulnerability of his reality even if no one knew, Dalton turned to Alex straight to talk about something else, before he dwelled too much on his personal life.

“The doctor said that Mrs. Miller’s therapy starts next week by Tuesday,” Alex reported.

“Make sure that this therapy is top secured. We do not want those filthy press publishings stories based on their own ideas and speculations. And make things straight with the therapist too,” Dalton made his orders clear, and slowly strode to the side of the windows to look at the compound view from that side.

He knew that Aria was still so angry at him about the whole hospital situation, and had left the house so early to take a peaceful time alone with her scowling face. However, she had beaten him to his own game and left shortly after he did to meet Collin. Dalton was oblivious to that fact though.

“What about Aria? Is she looking forward to her therapy?” Dalton asked nonchalantly like Alex would even have an idea about that, when he was rather willing to hear something more than her readiness to the therapy.

“I think Mrs. Miller left the house after we did,” Alex peacefully spilled the truth, and it made Dalton’s mood ruined immediately.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

He believed in his head that he was giving her space, to see how she would react after their heated but truthful discussion the previous day, but she did not even give a damn and left after they did. Not a chance was he willing to talk further about them.

“What about the girl that she visits? How are her medical charts and the recovery rate?” He diverted his talk to another matter that still concerned her, but at least was not directly involved with them.

“The doctor said that it is advancing towards 56% and that the hopes are getting higher. The nurse who goes there to take care of the young lady, said that Mrs. Miller cries uncontrollably every time she is in there, like it is her family that is lying there.”

He had been wanting to tell Dalton that fact, because he heard the lady who takes care of the servant girl talking about it, even if she had no idea who Aria really was.

“Unhh?” Dalton arched an eyebrow when he heard what his assistant said, and turned to face him immediately, “Aria cries badly for a maid that served her who is in coma? That is really weird.”

“Has she always been that sympathetic?” Dalton pondered and asked his assistant again, who had no idea of what to say or tell him.

It was really hard for him to understand her, and how her emotions switched so perfectly. She was always angry and apathetic whenever she was with him, but was good enough to help a sick orphaned girl with surgery, and bothered so much about a servant girl who was in coma.

“Maybe she is just like that with you, sir,” The words that were supposed to remain in the heart escaped from Alex’s mouth, and he regretted saying that immediately as he tucked his lip into his mouth.

Dalton however disappointed him.

He wasn’t even so bothered for maybe the first time about a truthful statement that his assistant made, and didn’t act like he heard something or react to it. Aria’s contrasting actions had gotten him more than worked up.

“Do you think if I am the one on that bed and attached to those machines, that she would come and cry profusely for my recovery?” He suddenly asked Alex after mind conversing for a while.

“Sir… Yes, sir,” he stammered.

“I do not think she would come,” Dalton smiled, “And even if she does come, she would come and smirk at my terrible state, and even spit at my cold body. Better still unplug the machines, and watch the lines go flat,” he smirked again.

It made Alex wonder if they were happy or glad smiles.

‘And does that affect you?’ His mind questioned him, and he paused for a moment with a really sad look.

‘Of course, it does. Badly and painfully.’

~`•`~   ~`•`~

“You just had to get me all drenched in this water,” Aria frowned as her hair got drenched in the water, as she used both her hands to wipe her face from the excess water that had gotten on it.

Though she was pissed initially that she had to enter a pool of water unprepared, it became an exhilarating feeling for her instead as she moved inside the water. He knew just when to tease her.

“Do you not like it now?” He laughed, and she tried to feign her anger but ended up smiling instead. It was not really easy to get so angry at him.

He swam for a bit and encircled the large pool, while Aria remained in a spot and just played around with the water. Nervousness was getting the best of him as he swam away from her, the moment he would get the urge to say something again.

“You know you are so beautiful, Ri. Really attractive and charming,” he said and swam away again in fret, which made Aria roll her eyes so cutely. It was almost the same words that Dalton said to her.

Collin came back and moved so close to where she was positioned this time, and he faced her directly with his eyes looking deeply into hers. His left hand left the water and carefully brushed the wet hair that was on her cheek, and she kind of remained still at that point without reacting to anything that he was doing.

His hand grazed her face again like he was trying to help her with her hair, but it was really hard to maintain a normal rate of heartbeat around her. He had never been so into a lady as much as he had been into, which seemed to have even gotten so deep after they met again.

It was too hard to control what he would do next as his eyes darted to her lips, and with his insides and every inch of him dying to have a taste of them. She probably knew what was going on in his mind, and yet she didn’t push him away to prevent their friendship from getting ruined. She was probably curious to know what would happen.

He kissed on her cheeks instead of her lips to feel better, but a distraction occurred and their lips ended up touching. Collin almost thought he would lose his mind at the jolt of electricity that shook through him, and he withdrew immediately when he realized what he was doing.

“I… I… am. I really.. like….” Aria pinched hard on his cheek immediately to prevent him from talking further, so that he would not end up making it more awkward for both of them if he confessed.

“Just calm down, and breathe,” she said again so casually like nothing happened, and used her palms to dry her face like nothing had been up with both of them.

‘She would never be the one to ruin their friendship and act so awkward, because of things she felt are not worth it.’

“What the heck is happening here?!” They both heard someone’s loud voice, and their heads turned simultaneously to see who it was.

It was a lady standing in a red suit dress with a matching bag, and her expression was that of shock like she knew who the lady in the pool was. That was when Aria’s eyes squinted a little to see who it was.

‘What the fuck is Hailey doing here?’ Aria wondered in her mind, as she shot a dirty glare at the lady that was standing before the pool.