Chapter 74: Chapter Seventy-three

Beverly, Hunter, and Mirabella all came to an abrupt stop.

The sight before them was not what any of them could have imagined. Never.

The room, which had been quiet a few seconds ago, now felt charged with tension.

Two people were tangled up on the floor, completely lost in their own world.

Tobias lay flat on his back, his one hand buried deep inside Aria’s hair while his other hand gripped her waist tightly. Aria was on top of him, her body pressed close, kissing him like her life depended on it. Their lips moved hungrily, breaths mixing, hands exploring in desperation.

It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a war between mouths and desire.

If anyone had told them these two would be doing this, none of them would have believed it.

“Dear God,” Beverly whispered, her eyes wide.

Mirabella blinked, trying to process what she was seeing. “What… what the hell is this?”

Hunter’s lips twitched — he was clearly fighting the urge to laugh.

Rena peeked over his shoulder sleepily. “Mana… are they sleeping on the floor?”

Mirabella’s jaw dropped. “Sleeping? They…”

“I… I thought they couldn’t stand each other,” Beverly finally breathed out, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were wide, full of shock.

“I thought so too,” Hunter replied absent-mindedly, his tone flat but his face slightly amused.

They all just stood there, frozen, watching the scandalous sight unfold.

And then, all of a sudden, Tobias’ eyes flicked open. He froze when he saw the trio staring at them, but instead of looking embarrassed, the man smirked.

A second later, Aria noticed too. Her head jerked up so fast that her hair brushed Tobias’ face. She was blinking up at them in confusion. Tobias’s arm was still around her waist. When she realized what was happening, she screamed and pushed herself up from his body.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped, eyes wide with horror. She scrambled off him as if she’d just realized she was sitting on a hot stove.

Tobias, however, didn’t move fast. He sat up slowly, brushed his hair back with one hand, and a smile on his face—like a man completely unbothered by being caught red-handed.

“WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!” she shrieked, her cheeks flushed crimson.

Mirabella placed a hand over her mouth, trying not to burst out laughing. “What are we doing here? Aria, this is my house!”

Tobias groaned, rubbing his head. “I just wanted to taste her stew…”

“You liar!” Aria pointed at him, still breathing hard. “You pulled me down when I was trying to get the spoon from you!”

Hunter leaned casually against the wall, smirking. “So this is what all the drama was about? A spoon and some stew?”

“Boss, it's…” Tobias began slowly but Aria cut him short.

Aria glared at him. “Don’t even start, you overgrown wall of muscle!”

Beverly, of course, couldn’t help herself — she burst out laughing so hard she had to lean on the wall for support. “Oh my God! Aria! You and the bulky guy look like a scene straight out of a romantic comedy right now!”

Aria threw a pillow at her. “Shut up, Beverly!”

Mirabella rubbed her forehead. “I can’t believe this. I thought someone had died.”

“I almost did,” Tobias mumbled under his breath. “She elbowed me in the ribs.”

Aria whipped around. “You deserved it!”

“So in essence, this is…” Mirabella pushed

Aria started wiping her lips furiously with the back of her hand. “He…he…” she stammered, looking for words while pointing at Tobias. “It was a mistake!”

Beverly’s brows arched with amusement. “A mistake, huh? Looked like a full-course meal to me,” she muttered, barely hiding her grin.

Hunter crossed his arms. “Yeah, I’d say that was a very committed mistake.”

Mirabella, however, fell quiet—still stunned. She just stared at Aria and Tobias, her mouth slightly open.

When Aria really noticed Hunter's presence, her entire face changed. Her expression went from embarrassment to panic. “What is he doing here?” she blurted out.

“Oh, here we go…” Beverly said, walking toward the couch and sitting down with a dramatic sigh, folding her legs. “I was waiting for this.”

Aria’s eyes flicked back and forth between Hunter and Mirabella. Her mind began racing. The man standing there wasn’t just anyone. He was the ruthless Mafia Lord who nobody dares defile. The one Mirabella had managed to run away from. The one who’d taken control of her heart and body—and maybe her life too.

Her breath hitched. If he was here, it meant he’d found them. And if he’d found them, then he’d also known about Rena.

That realization sent unease crawling through her body.

She turned to Mirabella and grabbed her hands tightly. “Tell me it’s not what I think, fairy lady.”

Mirabella blinked, startled. The nickname made her roll her eyes automatically. “Even when the situation is serious, you still come up with nonsense,” she muttered, shaking her head. Much like Beverly; her friends were just very crazy.

“Just answer me,” Aria said urgently.

Mirabella sighed deeply, her shoulders falling. “I’ll explain everything, Aria. Just calm down first.”

Aria's head shot back to Hunter cuddling Rena who was already half asleep in his arms.

“What do you really want from her, hmm?” She said in a slight shaky voice although she was trying hard to look like his presence was not intimidating.

Hunter lifted a brow, his tone dripping with mock gentleness. “I see you know me. Nice to meet you too.”

“You…” Aria started again, anger rising, but Mirabella quickly held her hand and started guiding her toward the couch.

Hunter’s gaze lingered on Mirabella the whole time, then she spoke again, her voice calm and pleading. “Can you excuse us, please?”

He studied her face for a long moment. He looked like he wanted to argue but eventually gave a short nod and walked away, carrying Rena into her room.

When he disappeared, Tobias cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… I’ll leave you ladies to talk.” he threw a small soft smile at Aria—one that made her roll her eyes. Then, he walked out too.

Finally, the three women were alone.

Aria was the first to speak, still staring toward the door. “So what now? Are you going to tell me what’s been going on?” she demanded, turning to Beverly.

Beverly raised both hands in mock surrender. “What? Don’t look at me. It’s not my story to tell.”

“But you were here when everything happened!” Aria shot back, pointing at her.

“Oh, yes. I was here,” Beverly admitted, “but believe me, I was just as confused as you are now because none of you told me anything about the past.”

“Ok, you both stop arguing,” Mirabella said tiredly, rubbing her temples. She looked exhausted—its been a long day already.

She turned to Aria, meeting her friend’s questioning eyes. “No one planned this, Aria. It just happened. Somehow, he found me. And now, he’s here. And…” she took a slow, shaky breath, “he won’t leave without me and Rena.”

Aria blinked, stunned. “What? Why are you saying this like it’s the most natural thing in the world?”

Mirabella gave a small, sad smile. “Because I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve really come to accept things the way they are.”

Aria’s voice rose slightly. “Does this mean you’re going back with him?!”

Mirabella nodded slowly.

No one said anything for a while. Each of them sat lost in their own thoughts. The sound of the clock ticking filled the room.

Finally, Aria spoke again, her voice softer now. “Your feelings for him… they’re still there, aren’t they? After all these years. It’s been almost four years, Mira.”

Mirabella looked down at her hands, her fingers trembling slightly. “My feelings never went away, Aria. I tried to suppress them, I tried to move on, but seeing him again… after so long…” she swallowed, her voice cracking a bit, “I’m barely holding it in.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she continued, “All I ever wanted was to be loved without conditions. Without being reminded that I was a payment for my father’s debt and my brother’s betrayal.”

“Come on, it’s okay,” Beverly said softly, standing up and going to sit beside Mirabella. She reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. Then she threw a meaningful glance toward Aria, as if to say, ‘are you just going to sit there?’

Aria sighed and moved closer, taking Mirabella’s other hand. “I won’t push the topic anymore, Mira. If you’re sure this is what you want, then I’ll respect that.”

Mirabella nodded. “I’m sure. Really…” she whispered.

Beverly smiled faintly. “You’ve always had my support, Mira. You know that.”

Aria’s gaze shifted to her and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sure you did offer your support. You’ve got the most twisted mind, Beverly. I blame all those ridiculously twisted dark romance novels you read.”

Beverly laughed lightly. “What? Those novels are the reason I still believe in happy endings!”

“Happy endings?” Aria scoffed. “Those are fantasies that only exist in books.”

“Well,” Beverly said, her smile widening mischievously, “now you get to see one happening in real life. How thrilling is that?”

Aria gave her a mock glare. “You are too happy about this situation. Admit it…you’re delighted.”

“Of course I am!” Beverly said, leaning back on the couch. “This is exactly like those billionaire-romance stories I read!”

“Beverly!” Aria groaned, throwing a cushion at her. “You’re really impossible.”

Mirabella couldn’t help but laugh softly despite herself. Her friends’ banters, even when ridiculous, reminded her she wasn’t alone.

“Okay, okay, enough,” Beverly said, laughing as she caught the cushion. “But let’s be real…lie to me, Aria. Lie to me and say you don’t feel even a tiny thrill from all this.”

Aria’s jaw dropped. “What?! Thrill? Are you kidding me?”

Beverly smirked. “Admit it girl...”