Chapter Twenty – Confrontation.Debby noticed the man staring at her again, she frowned. This was one of the reasons she avoided coming to America. There was always some annoyed freak hoping to kidnap her. The last time it happened, it was because she was Chinese and the man wanted China to release his brother in jail in exchange for her freedom. The audacity! But she did like the idea of being sort after, only she preferred if it was by Damien. The summit was coming to an end and Damien was the one speaking. The students were cheering and screaming after he announced a donation and offered free tour around his company for the young engineers. Debby smiled as he received the praise but her smile faded when she realized that the ‘proud wife moment' belonged to someone else not her. It was twenty minutes before the summit would end, she left her seat through the back and aimed to meet with Arya. She couldn’t just keep calm about what she saw, she wanted that cheating wife to know
Chapter Twenty-One – Missing The crowd started cheering after the summit was officially announced closed. Winx and Arya stood up to clap. Arya noticed Damien walk out through a door. “Let me introduce you to him, come.” she pulled Winx by the hand. Outside the building, they found Damien searching about for someone. Arya told Winx to wait and rushed to him. “Good speech in there.” She started a smile on her face. But he didn’t return the smile, that was a first. “Did you see Debby? She isn’t inside.” He told her before rushing towards his car. Arya frowned, was he bothering about Debby when she was complimenting his speech? Winx ran to her, with opened hands. “Why is your husband looking troubled? Honestly, he looked quite hot running.” “He’s looking for that Debby girl.” Arya rolled her eyes. The grin of Winx’s face fell. “Why?” “I don’t know. He should look for her, I don’t care.” Arya replied. She attempted walking back into the building but Winx held her arm. “Wait, ask
Chapter Twenty-Two – Tell him.The drive back to the Wade’s mansion felt longer than when they were going to the summit, maybe it was cause Arya felt more awkward being in the same room with Damien. Basically, that day, she was one sentence from confessing to her crush. If she had, then sleeping on a bed with another man would be wrong. And Damien’s earlier words, prioritizing her over Debby, still made her giddy. But her mind kept reassuring herself that he was polite because of his relationship with her sister. She exhaled, taking out all her challenging thoughts into the air. The air around her was chilly so she wrapped her hands around herself. “Seth was right, I should have worn warm clothes. I mean, after everything, I didn’t even confess to him.” She sighed. She glanced at Damien who didn’t seem fazed by the cold. He had a cloak and inner shirt on. She dropped her hands. “Guys covered up and look attractive. But a girl gotta show skin to look attractive? Ugh.” She grunted
Chapter Twenty-Three – Don’t help her. “You mean this girl tried to talk with her crush but ended up just saying he’s cool.” Junior raised his brows, glazing at Arya. They were in his room, his television was blasting off Disney songs on repeat. He was snuggled in his bed, eating grapes, while Arya was seated besides him. She nodded. “That quite summed it up. And this girl wanted to know if there’s anyway to redeem the situation. I told her to forget it but she felt I wasn’t much of an expert so…” Junior shook his head, leaving his bed. “You have a very interesting friend. If she is serious, what’s holding her from just telling the guy?” “Shy. Can’t be so direct as she’s expected to be loyal to another man.” Arya rapped, then chuckled nervously. Junior snapped his head at her, dropping his grapes on the tray. “What? Is she dating someone already?” Arya made a tight lipped smile. It wasn’t exactly a case of dating but marriage. Only that she shouldn’t be loyal as it’s arranged
Chapter Twenty-Four – Sad is shopping. Damien smirked after seeing Arya fall down the bed. At first, when he was watching her face the ceiling with eyes opened, he thought that was how she fell asleep. “Are you okay, down there?” he moved towards the edge of the bed and mumbled. Arya was still shaking in fear and embarrassment. How long had he been freaking watching her? She wanted the earth to swallow her up. He asked if she was okay again and she couldn’t help but notice how deep his voice was when he mumbled words. It gave a sexy feel, the bedroom voice. She leapt to her feet like a dead game character. “Yeah, I’m good, just surprised that you were… awake.” She prohibited herself from using ‘staring at me’. “I stared at you as I thought you were actually asleep, sorry to startle you.” He smirked, and rolled back to his aide. She pouted, hearing him. So if she was asleep, he’d stare? She needed to get away from that man or her heart will fall. Clearing her throat, she said.
Chapter Twenty-Five – Pretty dress. The door was opened and Arya stepped out. She stared down at her flip-flops and her dress, second guessing if she should have actually worn that. “C’mon, you look amazing.” Damien assured when he noticed her expression. Her face lit up and she stepped out of the car. He stretched his arm for her to hold, and she clung into it. The gesture put a small smile on Damien’s face as they walked into the mall. The lights of the mall pierced into Arya’s eyes and she squinted, but her eyes widened again, darting around the place. It was almost empty even if it wasn’t yet midnight. Pretty dresses and cosmetics filled the front row, making Arya run to them. She picked up a nude bow and raised it to the light. She smiled, bringing it down and ran to another row. The sales assistant strolled towards Damien as he watched his wife. “Sir, is she the one?” she had a distinguished British accent, matched with a poker face. Damien faced her, then nodded proudly.
Chapter Twenty-Six – Thief. Outside, Damien was getting a call from his mother. She was reporting an insult Debby gave her, where she asked a question and the girl yelled back at her. Damien’s hand stayed on his hips as his mother narrated, he was resting on his car, facing the mall to keep watch on Arya. He knew his mother typically exaggerated her reports but since she added Junior as a witness, he was sure it happened. “Mom, I’m sorry about this and I promise to talk with her. But I also hope Junior didn’t snap at her.” He asked, calmly. “Why do you care if he did? Should he watch me get insulted by that girl! Whatever he did yielded no result as she didn’t answer the door when he knocked!” Mrs. Wade ranted. Damien sighed, rubbing his temples. Couldn’t the universe just make a day all round beautiful for him? “Mom, it’s not like that. Debby gets irrational when she’s mad, like storming out of the house and the likes. She was kidnapped earlier today so I’m…” “Kidnapped? The
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Opening up.Arya had a brain freeze so she shook her head when the ice cream man tried to give her another when the one she had having remained little. She glanced inside the mall where Damien was speaking with the sales assistant. She licked her ice cream, still feeling sulky that the thief was allowed to leave after she begged. Damien may be too nice for his own good, that lady would never have felt guilty if she wasn’t caught. “Are you worried about something, pretty lady?” it was the ice cream vendor. Arya looked up at home feeling shy. Did he call her pretty? Was she pretty? “Um… no. I’m just waiting for him.” She pointed at Damien, with a small smile. “Thanks for calling me pretty.” she felt the need to say. That was a hard compliment to come by. The ice cream vendor smiled back. “Aren’t you?” he walked back into his shop. His last words made Arya’s smile widen, when Damien came out, she put them away so he wouldn’t ask why.He walked to her with a r