Chapter 279: Give Him Another Chance Again

"She's not my girlfriend. She's my father's remarriage partner's daughter—my half-sister from a different mother. She grew up abroad."

So there had never been a lover, never been any romantic attachment.

All the intimate appearances back then were merely normal interactions between siblings.

Aria froze for a moment, a flash of realization crossing her eyes.

So that's how it was.

The instant the misunderstanding cleared, a faint awkwardness permeated the air.

The two faced each other, looking into each other's calm eyes, suddenly at a loss for words.

They had both long since let go of the past and grown indifferent to romantic entanglements.

Yet in this moment, with all misunderstandings clarified, beneath all the feigned composure, there remained a trace of subtle, unplaceable tension.

After a few seconds of silence, they tacitly averted their gazes at the same time.

"I see. I misunderstood."

Aria spoke softly, her tone natural.

Larry responded lightly, "It's fine. Many people have misunderstood. She also likes to spread rumors that I'm her boyfriend. Anyway, get some rest. I'll head back to my room."

"Alright."

Aria nodded, watching his upright figure turn and leave. She raised her hand to swipe her keycard and entered her room.

The next day, after overnight cleaning, disinfection, repairs, and renovations, the hotel had completely returned to its previous state.

Aria had rested the entire night. Her physical discomfort had completely dissipated, and her energy was fully restored.

After a simple wash and grooming, she changed into a clean, soft casual dress and went downstairs to the hotel's buffet restaurant for breakfast.

The restaurant was spacious and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mountain scenery. Few people were dining, creating a quiet, elegant atmosphere.

Aria selected her breakfast and found an empty window seat. Just as she picked up her utensils, she caught sight of Larry entering the restaurant from the corner of her eye.

He wore his usual simple outfit, his posture upright, his demeanor cool and detached. Even entering the bustling restaurant, he carried an air of aloofness that made him particularly striking.

Their eyes met, and both nodded politely.

Then Larry walked straight toward the buffet counter to get his food.

Before long, a tall, striking foreign figure followed him into the restaurant.

The woman had blonde hair and blue eyes, delicate and three-dimensional features, bright and bold makeup, fashionable casual attire, and a vibrant, lively aura.

It was Larry's half-sister who had grown up abroad.

Pamela spotted Aria sitting by the window immediately, her eyes lighting up instantly.

Without a hint of shyness or reserve, she walked straight toward Aria.

Reaching the table, she flashed Aria a generous, polite smile. "Hi, you're Aria, right? I'm Larry's sister. My name's Pamela. We've actually seen each other many times before."

Aria looked up at the bright, lively girl before her, nodded gently, and responded politely.

"Hello."

Pamela pulled out a chair decisively and sat down across from her, her personality straightforward with no beating around the bush.

"All those rumors online about me and my brother, and people saying I'm his girlfriend—they're all fake! I deliberately played along with him!"

"Back then, Larry didn't want to deal with all the women approaching him, so I cooperated by acting intimate to help him fend off all the trouble. I didn't expect it would cause so many misunderstandings."

After saying this, she looked at Aria with a beaming smile, her eyes sincere.

"Aria, Larry may seem indifferent about everything these days, but he's actually always remembered you. Now that all the old misunderstandings are cleared up and the past mistakes and estrangements are behind us, I sincerely hope you can give him another chance."

The words came completely out of the blue.

The air fell instantly silent.

Aria's fingertips holding the utensils paused slightly, a flash of astonishment crossing her eyes.

She hadn't expected Pamela to speak so directly, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Her heart was now entirely focused on her career; she had long since lost any desire to engage with romance.

Yet faced with the girl's sincere, earnest gaze, the words of refusal stuck in her throat. She could only freeze in place, her expression subtle, caught between advancing and retreating.

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Larry returned with his breakfast.

He had clearly heard Pamela's last words. He immediately stepped forward, his eyes carrying a hint of helpless gravity, and directly interrupted her.

"Pamela, don't talk nonsense."

Then he looked up at Aria, whose expression was slightly stiff and at a loss, his tone as gentle as possible.

"She's just talking off the cuff. Don't take it to heart. Don't mind her."

With one sentence, he both stopped Pamela's blunt matchmaking and resolved Aria's embarrassment, while maintaining the perfectly appropriate distance between them.

Pamela pouted, somewhat unconvinced, but didn't dare defy Larry's wishes and obediently shut her mouth.

Still, she couldn't help stealing glances at Aria across from her, her eyes full of regret.

After the breakfast incident, the atmosphere at the table quickly returned to peace.

The three ate their breakfast quietly, with no one deliberately bringing up topics related to relationships.

Pamela harbored her little schemes, occasionally stealing glances at Aria across from her, then sneaking peeks at Larry, the smile in her eyes impossible to suppress, though she sensibly refrained from further meddling.

Larry maintained a calm demeanor throughout, his conduct measured and appropriate, with no overstepping words or actions.

Aria completely let go of the subtle unease in her heart, her mindset relaxed and natural.

Her feelings toward Larry no longer held the flutter of the past, nor any hatred. What remained was only the composure settled through life's experiences, along with genuine gratitude.

He was the person who had risked everything to save her life in a moment of crisis.

That was all.

After breakfast, the three exchanged brief goodbyes and returned to their rooms to pack.

Aria had booked a 3 PM flight.

With her vacation over and her rest complete, she planned to return on schedule, back to her familiar city and the orchestra's regular rehearsal routine.

Back in her room, she simply packed her belongings and double-checked her ticket and documents.

After confirming everything was in order, she contacted the front desk to reserve a dedicated airport shuttle for 2 PM.

With packing complete and half an hour before departure, she leaned by the window, waiting quietly.

At 2 PM, the hotel shuttle arrived downstairs on time.

The driver called to confirm, and Aria wheeled her lightweight suitcase downstairs, ready to depart.

Just as she walked out through the lobby's revolving door, she saw two figures standing side by side at the entrance.

Larry wore a black commuter jacket, carrying a simple black business suitcase in his hand.

Beside him, Pamela stood with her bag, idly waiting to board.