Chapter 264 Suspicion

Chapter 264 Suspicion

After returning home, Aria completely adjusted her mindset.

From today on, she put all her focus back on herself—taking care of her health, doing rehabilitation exercises, then preparing full force for the International Arts Festival.

……

After a few days of coldness, Lucas was the first to crack.

Having calmed down for so long, he'd finally figured out his own problem.

He hadn't lost to Larry, nor to the past.

He'd lost to his own possessiveness and pettiness.

So he took the initiative to video call Aria, his tone sincere, carrying obvious remorse.

"Aria, I'm sorry. I've been seriously reflecting these past few days, and I was wrong. I was too hung up on things, too consumed by internal turmoil. You've been more than transparent—it was me dwelling on unnecessary things, making you tired. I shouldn't have doubted you or created distance over an accident."

Seeing him apologize so earnestly, the last bit of discomfort in Aria's heart slowly dissipated.

Her tone was calm. "I don't blame you for being jealous. What bothers me is how exhausting things have become between us. I want mutual trust. If you can't do that, we'll only get more and more tired."

Lucas immediately made a serious promise.

"I'll change. From now on, I'll trust you one hundred percent, absolutely no overthinking."

After they reconciled online, the atmosphere eased considerably, but the thorn in Lucas's heart hadn't actually been removed at all.

He said he'd change, said he'd trust her, but the possessiveness and insecurity in his heart remained hidden in the shadows, not diminished in the slightest.

The more he cared about Aria, the more he minded the inescapable entanglement she had with Larry in this lifetime.

Even stranger-level chance encounters looked particularly glaring in his eyes.

To completely stabilize their relationship and make up in person for his previous immature internal struggles, Lucas came looking for Aria first thing the next morning.

He'd prepared a bunch of Aria's favorite snacks, desserts, and nutritional supplements she needed for rehabilitation, filling a large bag.

At seven a.m., Aria practiced at a nearby piano studio every day at this time.

Lucas sent her a message ahead of time saying he was coming to find her, then slowly headed out, planning to give her a little surprise.

Seeing the message, Aria felt relaxed.

She genuinely wanted to live a good life, be in a relationship, work hard on her career.

But what no one expected was just how coincidental things could be.

She'd just reached the door and hadn't yet seen Lucas when Larry's figure appeared in her line of sight.

He still had that calm, understated look, wearing simple black casual clothes, his demeanor clean and composed, stripped of all the obsession and hostility from years ago, looking completely at ease.

He wasn't deliberately looking for Aria—he just happened to be passing by on business.

The two ran into each other face-to-face, both momentarily surprised.

Larry stopped first, carrying a black storage box in his hand.

"Since I happened to run into you, I'll return this to you."

Aria froze for a moment, looking down at the box.

She immediately realized—these were all the personal items she'd lost at the scene when Sophie had kidnapped her and trapped her in the mountains.

That incident had ended hastily. Her jewelry, everyday small items, and several handwritten music notebooks had all been left at the scene, their whereabouts unknown.

She'd been too lazy to look for them afterward, figuring what was lost was lost, not giving it much thought.

She'd always assumed those things were long gone or had been handled by the police. She never expected them to be in Larry's possession.

Larry briefly explained, his tone devoid of excess emotion.

"When we were cleaning up afterward, I had someone collect everything you lost at the scene and kept it safe. There was never a chance to return it to you, and keeping it served no purpose. Since I happened to run into you today, I'm returning it to its rightful owner."

Aria reached out to take the box, her heart unmoved, only nodding politely.

"Thank you."

Larry nodded, then took the opportunity to remind her, "Sophie has completely fled the country now. The evidence chain is complete, and domestic authorities have issued a warrant for her arrest. You should still be careful during this time."

Having said this, he turned to leave.

But this brief conversation of just a few minutes was seen in its entirety by Lucas, who had just arrived at the door.

He stood not far away, witnessing the two standing face-to-face, Aria accepting something from Larry's hands.

All the jealousy and suspicion he'd forcibly suppressed in his heart erupted again in this moment.

Lucas's emotions spiraled somewhat out of control, the tenderness in his eyes completely vanishing, replaced by intense possessiveness.

After Larry left, he strode over, his face dark, his tone sharp and frightening, completely devoid of his usual gentle consideration.

"What were you two just talking about? Aria, why did he come specifically to find you? Why did he give you something?"

Aria hadn't expected him to suddenly appear, much less to instantly change his demeanor. She immediately frowned and patiently explained.

"Just a chance encounter. He happened to be passing by and returned the things I lost during the kidnapping, then reminded me to stay safe. That's all there is to it."

To Lucas, these words sounded like nothing but excuses.

He couldn't hear any explanation at all. Suspicion completely overtook his rationality, and his words became particularly hurtful, each sentence barbed.

"Chance encounter? Where in the world are there such coincidental encounters? He didn't return these things for so long, and he chooses now—right when we've made up, right when I'm coming to find you? Aria, have you never let him go at all? Have you two been in contact privately this whole time? Was your so-called complete closure all a lie to me?"

Each baseless speculation completely crossed Aria's line. She instantly felt her heart go cold.

Today's encounter with Larry had been completely aboveboard, without a single private message or the slightest overstepping of boundaries.

To accommodate his feelings, she'd declined the class reunion and avoided all people and situations that might make him overthink.

She'd compromised again and again, explained again and again, but no matter what she did, the suspicion in Lucas's heart would never disappear.

As long as Larry appeared in her world for even a second, he would immediately dismiss all her efforts and transparency, assuming she couldn't forget her old feelings.

Aria instantly found all her persistence and compromises utterly laughable.

The exhaustion and disappointment she'd accumulated for days could no longer be suppressed.

Her expression also turned cold, her voice calm yet tinged with disappointment.

"I haven't lied to you, and I haven't been in private contact with him. From beginning to end, these have all been chance encounters. Lucas, can you be reasonable? You were the one who promised to trust me, to change your internal struggles and suspicions. It's only been one day, and you've completely reverted. What exactly do I have to do for you to feel secure?"