Chapter 146 Reunion
The door at the entryway was gently pushed open. Aria followed Lance into the Gray mansion, immediately greeted by the warmth inside.
Hearing the sound, the Gray parents came down the stairs with smiles, their faces full of joy at seeing the younger generation.
"Aria's here, come in, come in."
Lance's mother hurried forward, taking her hand and asking warmly about her well-being, her tone incredibly enthusiastic.
Lance's father stood to the side, his expression gentle, nodding at her with a light smile.
Aria bent her knees slightly, politely greeting them as uncle and aunt, then handed over the bouquet she'd prepared in advance, her eyes curving into a soft smile.
"You're too kind, dear."
Lance's mother took the flowers, beaming with joy. The living room was filled with warmth and harmony, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.
No one mentioned, and no one knew, that at this very moment in the sitting room on the other side of the villa, old Mr. Gray was having a conversation with an important guest.
After a few pleasantries, seeing that dinner was ready, Lance's mother turned to instruct a servant, "Go ask Dylan to come for dinner. Everyone's here now."
The servant acknowledged and turned to leave, but after just a couple of steps, the sitting room door opened from inside.
Old Mr. Gray walked out first, looking sharp and composed.
But the figure that followed closely behind him made the air in the entire living room freeze completely in an instant.
The man stood tall and straight, his dark suit emphasizing his cold and intimidating presence. His features were sharp and defined, his eyes carrying the calm authority of someone long accustomed to power.
It was Arthur.
The smile on Aria's face froze instantly. Her fingers clenched tight, her heart felt like it had been struck hard with a hammer, and even her breathing stopped.
She never imagined she would run into him again in such a setting, in such a way.
Lance instinctively took half a step forward, subtly positioning himself to shield Aria, his usually gentle gaze instantly darkening as his eyes met Arthur's in a silent collision.
The smiles on the Gray parents' faces also froze in place, looking completely bewildered.
They had no idea, never knew that the old master would be meeting a guest at home, and that guest was Arthur.
And Arthur's gaze, from the moment he stepped out of the sitting room, had locked firmly onto Aria, not shifting even slightly.
Those eyes were unfathomably deep, churning with shock, suppression, pain, and a trace of almost obsessive intensity, piercing straight into her eyes.
The warm yellow light in the entryway, soft and gentle, suddenly became glaring the moment their eyes met.
Aria, holding Jasper's hand, unconsciously tightened her grip.
Time seemed to be paused by an invisible hand.
The air froze, even breathing became audibly clear.
His gaze first fell on her face, those eyes that had appeared repeatedly in his dreams, so real they made his heart tremble.
The next second, his eyes moved down uncontrollably, landing on the child she was holding tightly.
Those eyes, that nose bridge, that calm yet distant expression—so much like how he looked as a young boy, and so much like...
With just one look, his heart felt like it was being squeezed by an icy hand, his breathing skipped a beat.
He stood there, his fingertips slightly pale, the polite words he'd prepared all stuck in his throat, leaving only a dull roaring sound.
Aria's other hand, hanging at her side, quietly clenched into a fist, her nails digging into her palm, barely managing to steady her expression.
She thought she'd built up iron walls around herself, but the moment she saw him, all her defenses nearly crumbled.
An ordinary family dinner had completely changed in this moment.
No one spoke, but undercurrents were already surging in the air.
No one in the room had expected the two sides to reunite under such circumstances. Lance's expression was the most complicated.
He immediately saw the gaze in Arthur's eyes that could almost burn someone, locked dead on Aria, carrying the shock of finding something lost, years of suppressed obsession, and a trace of panic that even he himself hadn't noticed.
Lance's throat tightened, and he instinctively shifted slightly, shielding Aria and Jasper a bit more behind himself.
This subtle movement was like a needle, gently piercing the barely maintained calm of the scene.
The Gray elders had various expressions, taking in the strange and tense atmosphere between the three, but no one spoke.
Arthur stood not far away, his gaze heavy, staring at her without blinking.
Five years of separation, thousands of words, finally turned into one extremely soft, hoarse murmur, almost inaudible, "Aria."
Arthur almost instinctively cast aside everything at hand and strode toward Aria.
The voices and gazes around him all became a blurred background. In his eyes, there was only her, and the quietly standing child beside her.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest, blood rushing to his head. Excitement, panic, wild joy, disbelief—all emotions twisted together, choking him until he could barely breathe.
He stopped in front of her, his voice so hoarse it was unrecognizable, every word trembling, "Aria... who is he?"
Aria's fingers clenched tight, her face instantly paling a few shades, instinctively wanting to shield the child more closely.
Arthur's gaze locked dead on Jasper's face, his Adam's apple bobbing as he asked the question that had churned in his heart countless times, the one he himself hardly dared to confirm, "Is he... my child?"
Though phrased as a question, the certainty in Arthur's tone revealed his suspicion.
The air completely froze in this moment.
One sentence had exposed the secret Aria had hidden for five whole years.
And tied the fates of three people completely together.
Aria finally snapped out of that dizzy spell, her first instinct was to look at Lance beside her.
Lance met her gaze, his brow slightly furrowed, his eyes also showing shock and confusion, saying softly, "I didn't know he would be here."
Lance had no reason to lie to her. If there was anyone in this world who least wanted her to meet Arthur right now, Lance would probably be high on that list.
Lance made a quick decision, positioning himself between Aria and the child and Arthur, looking at old Mr. Gray and Arthur, his tone as calm as possible but carrying undeniable resolve.
"Something suddenly came up at the company that needs Aria to come give me some advice. We'll have dinner another time."
This sentence was like timely rain, pulling the scene back from complete deadlock.
Old Mr. Gray sighed, waved his hand, and could only nod in agreement.
Just as Lance reached out to gently touch Aria's elbow, preparing to take her away.
A figure quickly blocked their path.
Arthur's face was extremely cold, his dark eyes churning with emotions he couldn't suppress, staring at Aria's back as if trying to nail her soul in place.
His voice was low and hoarse, each word squeezed out from between his teeth, "Stop."