CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
Aria's POV

Sophie must have been heading somewhere because she looked put together as she stood inside. Her long beige fluffy jacket gave her outfit a more glamorous look. 

I did not care about where she was headed anyway. The security opened the gate for me, and I walked in, ignoring his greeting because I was drained, physically and mentally. 

“You came back earlier than we expected. Ethan and I were just going for a family hangout.” She said and walked towards me, as though she wanted to mock me but needed to be close enough so I could realize it. 

There was no big concern or care for me in her eyes. I wasn't even on the lookout for it anyway, but I was so stressed, and I was hoping she wouldn't try to irk me more. 

I remained quiet and acted like I didn't hear what she said or notice anything she did. 

Ethan walked out as well. He had a happy gait as he pressed down on our G-wagon, which we collectively own. He had not realized that I was walking ahead of him.

I wondered why his joy was full, like he wasn't aware of all the turmoil that was going on in my life and with my company. 

It reminded me of how much he didn't want me to keep working in the company. But I thought that was only because Kael was present as the CEO. 

“What a shame. Why do you look like you've been beaten by life?” Sophie said and scoffed.

Ethan looked up. It was then that he was just realizing that I had been around him all the while. 

“Wow, Aria.” He said, his smile fades into confusion as our eyes meet. “I wasn't expecting to see you. How did you get back? You should have called me; I would have come to pick you up from where you were.”

He seemed so genuine. I didn't even know how to be mad at him. I wasn't sure he was acting as much as I hoped he was, so my anger towards him could be justified.

“I was dropped off. I didn't need a ride.” I responded curtly and walked over to the door. 

I didn't want to interrupt their outing. 

Ethan followed after me and grabbed me by my hand.

“Ethan! We are late already. You can come back for her later. She will have all the time to spend with you.” Sophie yelled, standing impatiently beside the G-wagon.

I just scoffed after hearing what she said.

“You don't have to worry about me. I wouldn't want to be the reason why you're not having a great time again.” I said, forcing my hand off his hand as I walked away. 

Ethan kept up with me, “Why wouldn't I be worried about you. If I knew you were going to be back today, I would never have agreed to follow her for this outing. It's just unfortunate that I had promised to accompany her, and you know, she would not let me back down easily.”

I couldn't believe Ethan was still trying to convince me to release him, like I had ever told him not to go with her. It irritates me more that he was making an excuse for his actions.

“You didn't even think to check on me?” I didn't know when that flew out of my lips. 

“Oh, I was planning to come after the party. I didn't want eyes to be on me, that's why I didn't show up.”

“Eyes to be on you? I don't get? Do you even know how much I went through or all the amount of stress I went through? Ethan! All you were thinking of was the fact that you didn't want eyes to be on me?” I couldn't hold back how mad I felt to have heard that from Ethan. If anything, he shouldn't have said that to me at all. I felt so irrelevant to what he said.

“Oh, cut the crap!” We didn't know Sophie when Sophie got closer to us. “Don't try to make my brother feel bad because of the mischievous things you and your family get yourself mixed up in. It's not his fault that you're where you are at the moment. So cut it out.” She snapped and pulled Ethan, who followed her like a baby brother without the audacity to act however he deemed fit. 

I smacked my lips. 

Maybe I deserved the way she spoke to me because I was mad at Ethan for putting himself first in a critical situation like this. 

Or maybe I'm not so important to him after all. I don't even know what to think of him. I honestly don't.

I tried not to think much of it, and I walked into the house. 

I met the parlour, scattered with both Sophie and Ethan's stuff, like they were children. And more of it were Sophie's things. 

There's a way Sophie brings Ethan's wrong childlike behaviours out and I don't know if she does all of that to intentionally hurt me or make me frustrated. 

I threw myself on the couch and sighed severely. 

I couldn't even lie on it because her undies hung everywhere on the chair. 

“Who the fuck does this lady think she is?” I said, raising her cream bra.

The fact that Ethan saw all that and he didn't complain. I couldn't wrap my head around it. 

I was trying to think of what I could do concerning the missing file, but the parlour was in too much chaos, making it so hard for me to think.

I walk up the stairs to the room. Placing my phone on the bed, I find Ethan's shirts on the floor in front of the wardrobe. Specifically, the ones I got for him. She always claimed my style for a man was lame. I wasn't surprised.

I packed them all and started trying to put the things that were out of place back in place. 

I heard my phone ringing