Chapter 82 Not Just a Coincidence

Chapter 82 Not Just a Coincidence
“That makes no sense, Christian!” she hissed, her voice low and strained.
Ariana shot him a sharp glare, noticing his hand still wrapped around her wrist. She yanked it free with a rough jerk, ready to fire back with biting words, but Christian spoke first.
“I’m sorry. I’m just too happy to see you again in person.” His lips curved into a sincere smile. “So this isn’t a dream after all.”
Christian straightened and stepped closer, stopping right in front of her. The proximity unsettled Ariana. She couldn’t look away. Even so, the possessive intensity in his gaze still burned as it fixed on her.
“I’m proud of you, Ariana. Your presentation was truly impressive. You keep amazing me more with every passing second,” Christian praised.
He then glanced briefly toward Lorne, who stood not far behind him. Lorne gave a small nod, as if he understood. Christian turned back to Ariana and this time, the sincerity in his eyes was so palpable it sent a shiver down her spine.
“Since you left, I’ve never seen you as Michele again. You are yourself,” he added.
Ariana held her breath for a moment. She could feel the honesty in his words, something she had never experienced during all those years as a substitute wife in the Matheus estate.
“Lorne, we’re heading back to the company now. See you again, Ariana.”
Christian walked away in long strides without looking back. Ariana could only stand there, frozen, her brows drawn together in confusion.
At the same time, the phone inside her bag began to vibrate insistently. She reached for it and saw the name on the screen. It was Lucas calling.
“Mom, when are you coming back? I’m really bored in the hotel room,” Lucas’s small voice complained from the other end of the line.
Ariana glanced at her watch, a small smile forming on her lips. “I’m on my way. Do you want anything?”
“I don’t want anything. I just want you to come back quickly,” he replied, making Ariana chuckle softly, her earlier tension slipping away.
“Be a good boy and wait for me a little longer. We’ll have dinner together tonight,” Ariana continued, her tone light.
The irritation from her encounter with Christian vanished completely as she pictured her son’s adorable face.
“Alright, I’ll wait patiently. My stomach is starting to get hungry now. Be careful on the way, Mom. I love you!”
The call ended. Without wasting any time, she urged Anne to head back to the hotel as quickly as possible.
The moment she arrived and opened the hotel room door, Ariana was startled by a tight hug around her legs. She looked down to find Lucas gazing up at her with a wide smile.
“Welcome back, Mom,” he greeted.
“Thank you,” she replied, gently stroking his head. “Did you miss me that much, Lucas?” she asked as she crouched down.
She rested her arms on her bent knees, looking deeply into her son’s sparkling eyes. Lucas nodded enthusiastically.
“I missed you so, so much. I didn’t even sit down because I kept waiting for you in front of the door,” Lucas said, his small voice utterly adorable.
Ariana’s face tightened in shock at his confession. Anxiety surged through her. She immediately felt along Lucas’s small legs, checking for any injury.
“Why’d you do that? Do your legs hurt now? Tell me, which part hurts?” Ariana asked, her voice beginning to tremble with panic. “Should I take you to the hospital right now?”
“No, stop, Mom! You’re doing it again.” Lucas held one of Ariana’s index fingers with his tiny hand and sighed. “Ever since we moved to Germany, you’ve been overly worried about me. I exercise with Uncle Edward all the time. There’s no way my legs would hurt just from standing for a while.”
At the mention of Edward’s name, the tight breath lodged in Ariana’s chest suddenly released. Relief spread through her. She lifted her head.
“Lucas is right. What’re you so worried about, Ariana? Did you forget I’m here?” Edward’s deep voice filled the room.
He let out a light laugh as he stepped closer. “Do you really think I’d let him stand there waiting for you like a statue?”
He then lifted Lucas into his arms, settling the boy comfortably against him. Edward began to tickle Lucas’s stomach playfully, making the child giggle and squirm.
“He lied. Look at the corner of his mouth. There’s still some food left there,” He said, wiping the corner of Lucas’s lips.
Ariana’s blue eyes immediately flicked toward the sofa in the corner of the room. Sure enough, several opened snack packages were scattered there. She straightened up and offered Edward a sincere smile as he looked back at her.
“Thank you, Edward, for taking care of Lucas while I was busy. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?” Ariana invited.
Dinner was eventually held at a luxurious restaurant on the hotel’s ground floor. Ariana sat with Edward and Anne, while Lucas sat quietly on her left, holding his spoon.
Ariana and Edward had grown closer after she officially took over her grandfather’s responsibilities in managing the company.
“Who’re you actually meeting here in London, Edward?” Ariana asked after finishing a bite of her meal.
Edward lifted his gaze slightly. He briefly looked at his wine glass before meeting Ariana’s eyes again. In truth, he had only pretended to have business in the city. On impulse, he had decided to follow Ariana when he heard she would be going to London.
“Just an old friend,” Edward said shortly, picking up his napkin and wiping his lips slowly before continuing. “We met at a major gathering a few years ago. You were there too at the time, with Mr. Matheus. Do you remember?”
At that, the smile on Ariana’s face slowly faded and turned stiff.
“Just tell me if you need anything while you’re here. You know I was born in this country, right?” Ariana said, trying to change the subject.
“Of course. That’s exactly why I followed you here.” Edward glanced at Ariana’s plate. “Why haven’t you finished your food? Don’t you like it?”
“I keep finding myself looking at the table over there,” Ariana said, snapping slightly out of her thoughts, then pointed to a table some distance from theirs. Edward and Anne both turned to follow her gesture.
“They seem like a family, ma’am,” Anne said.
“I think so too. It’s such a shame they have to argue like that in front of their daughter in a public place,” Ariana whispered, concerned.
From that corner of the restaurant, the sound of raised voices began to draw the attention of other diners. A middle aged woman with a flushed face sat rigidly, while across from her, a blonde teenage girl sat with her head lowered beside an adult man.
“You know very well how much I like you, Mr. Matheus!” the woman shouted. She pointed sharply at Sophia. “I’ve even said I don’t mind paying for your daughter’s medical treatment!” her breathing grew heavy.
“I’m the only one who can save Crownbridge Group from collapsing right now. You know that very well, don’t you?”