Chapter 54 Not The Upper Hand
Chapter Fifty-Five
Aria nodded her head, still smiling sweetly, “Alright step-stepmother,” she uttered, “But first, I think I’ll have to go to our room. To drop our things off.”
She stood up, beckoning on Lucian, who immediately did the same.
However, Clara jumped to her feet, putting her hands out to stop them, “No!” She yelled, causing everyone to look at her with raised eyebrows.
“I beg your pardon?” Aria asked.
Clara immediately shook her head, her demeanor returning to its relaxed one. She grabbed a hold of Aria’s suitcase but Aria held on.
“Don’t worry, Aria.” She uttered, still trying to take control of the suitcase, “I will take Lucian and your bags to the room for you. You go ahead and discuss with your father.”
Aria held on to her bag firmly, and smiled only at Clara, “No, do not worry about that, step-mother. I’m sure father can wait for a few minutes more,” she uttered, “Besides, I do want a few minutes with my husband.” She looked round at them, a smirk on her lips, “Alone.”
Clara’s eyes widened and Selena and Tori glanced at each other, their mouth tight with distaste.
Aria could see that they were really disappointed by her decision to go to the room first.
Well, there was a reason why she wanted to go the bedroom first. She could not let her stepmother be two steps ahead of her.
Clara gripped her dress in fury, but she still managed to maintain her smile. She glanced at George who was looking lost at everything that was happening.
He caught sight of her look, however, and quickly understood what she wanted him to do.
Clearing his throat ominously, he said in a cold voice, “Aria, I am a very busy man. You had better come and let’s have that meeting immediately.” He uttered, “Or you’d not be having it.”
Aria turned slowly to smile at him, “You’d better make time to have that meeting with me, Father.” She uttered, “I know what it is you have to say, but believe me, you do not know what I have to say.”
“You!…” George sputtered pointing furiously at Aria, red in the face, “You unfilial daughter, how dare you speak to your father this way?!”
Lucian stepped forward at that moment and George immediately mellowed.
“Hehehe…Lucian…well I was…” he started nervously but was immediately interrupted.
“We will be going to the room first,” Lucian announced, his voice brooking no disobedience. He looked round at everyone, “Is that understood?”
Clara’s grip on her dress was so tight that it was a miracle the fingers did not snap right off.
Her smile was trembling as she replied, “Why yes,” she uttered calmly, “I absolutely understand.”
There was a bit of silence for a few minutes, until Aria spoke up once more, cocking her head to the side mischievously, “After you, stepmother.”
Clara inhaled and exhaled a shuddering breath but she managed to keep up her calm front. She smiled and nodded, then turned towards the staircase.
Aria and Lucian trailed after her, until they got to the room which had been prepared for them.
Clara smiled pleasantly, “We prepared this room as soon as we got your consent to our invitation,” she uttered as she walked in with them, showing them around the grand room.
“I do hope that you like it,” she concluded, waving around the large room, with its glittering chandelier, floor to ceiling windows, the double bed with its cream and gold trimmings, the sitting area with its cream sofas and the black stone table in the center of them.
Aria nodded distractedly, “It’s okay. You can leave now, stepmother,” she uttered dismissively, walking towards the sitting area.
Clara gritted her teeth at those words.
She really did not want to leave Aria alone with Lucian. If the bitch continued to delay, it would be harder for her to carry out her plans.
So she smiled pleasantly and decided to try once more.
“Aria, now that you’ve been settled down in your room, don’t you think it’s time to talk to your father?” She asked.
Aria ignored her, reclining languidly on the sofa as she typed on her phone.
Meanwhile, Lucian walked towards the floor to ceiling window, his gaze focused on the gardens outside.
Clara was so mad that she was being ignored, that it was a miracle steam did not come out of her ears. She, however, took a deep breath and tried once more.
“You know, he did not get to talk to you when you came back from the countryside. Don’t you want to see him now to hear why he has to say?”
“I don’t need any of his half baked explanations,” Aria uttered calmly, still typing on her phone, “I am the one with something important to speak to him about, so take a chill pill, stepmother.”
Clara’s mouth hung open, furious and flabbergasted.
Seeing her silence, and her insistence to stay in the room, Aria sighed wistfully, as she took off her shoes and started massaging her feet.
She looked tired but there was a mischievous gleam in her eyes. It seemed like Clara would not rest until she was out of this room. Aria wondered what exactly was Clara hoping to achieve with her being out of the room.
“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” she thought.
And that was to leave the room.
Sighing once more, she stood up from the sofa, “Well, I guess I better go meet him, so I can rest fully.” She uttered, walking towards the door.
At the door, she paused to look at Lucian who was standing by the floor to veining windows watching her with hooded eyes.
She gave him a sweet smile, “I’ll be right back.”
Lucian only blinked in reply.
From the corner of her eyes, Aria could see that Clara was almost flipping with joy as she also walked towards the door.
“Aww, you newly weds are just so cute,” she uttered with fake exuberance, “Don’t worry, Lucian. I’ll make sure her father does not keep her too long.”
With that, she went out the door with Aria.
Lucian sighed and was about to take off his coat when there came a tentative knock on the door.
It was soon pushed open, and Tori appeared.