Rod got straight to the point and told Gabriella about running into Kane and Aria. Of course, he embellished the story just enough to make it sting.Something as harmless as Kane holding Aria's hand became, in Rod's telling, full-on flirting with their bodies practically pressed together. He even hinted at more intimate scenes—though he didn't go into detail, just enough to let Gabriella's imagination run wild."What?! Those two are actually—"Gabriella's voice trembled with fury. She clearly believed every word."I heard Kane was taking her shopping. He had his hands full of bags—must've bought her a ton of stuff."That was a total guess on Rod's part. All he'd seen were the shopping bags."That trashy bitch!"Gabriella snapped, her voice rising with anger. "It's not the first time he's bought her things. She's always had that cheap, pathetic vibe."In contrast, Kane had never taken Gabriella shopping—not onc
Aria stuck out her tongue and gave Kane a sideways glance, her eyes filled with warning and threat.Don't think she didn't notice—he had purposely dipped a massive amount of wasabi earlier just to mess with her. That's why she refused to eat it. And the moment she let her guard down, he took advantage of it to tease her again.Her so-called intimidating glare was anything but that to Kane. To him, it was just adorable.Watching her little hand flap at him, Kane burst out laughing even harder.Aria ignored him. Instead, she waited until the burning sensation in her mouth eased, then swiftly scooped some wasabi with her finger and shoved it into Kane's mouth.He hadn't seen that coming. When her soft fingers touched his lips, his heart skipped several beats."Haha! That's what you get for laughing at me!"Aria giggled as she watched Kane freeze in surprise. "You're the one who told me never to let people bully me. I'm just following
Kane had just swiped his card at the register when he turned around and spotted Aria standing a few steps behind him."Anything else you want?"he asked, raising an eyebrow—though his gaze slid past her, landing squarely on Enoch in the distance.Enoch, half-hidden behind a rack of clothes, caught Kane's look and immediately felt a chill run down his spine. That look said everything. He was even more determined now to keep his mouth shut.What Enoch didn't know was that Aria had made up the whole "we're dating"story on the spot. But Kane? He would love nothing more than for Enoch to go around spreading it. If everyone believed it, then Aria would naturally become his girlfriend—for real.Aria guessed what Kane was looking at and quickly stepped forward to loop her arm through his. "Nope. You've already bought too much.""But do you like it?"Kane couldn't help asking, hoping to catch that light in her eyes when she was g
As promised, Kane took Aria shopping, but every store he chose was one of his regular high-end boutiques.He didn't shy away from the surprised looks from the staff. Instead, he walked in with his arm around Aria and even personally picked out clothes for her to try on.Aria wasn't used to being stared at, and since Kane had already handed her a pile of outfits, she quickly slipped into the fitting room to avoid the attention.It was obvious Kane brought her out today to show her off. So the moment she stepped inside the fitting room, he waited right outside.Sure enough, someone familiar soon approached him."Well, if it isn't Kane from ATTA," a man with a large belly greeted him with a respectful smile.Kane recognized him. It was Enoch, one of ATTA Group's business partners."Enoch, good to see you," Kane said, casting a glance at the young woman beside him. He smiled faintly.Enoch noticed the look but didn't seem embarrass
After dinner, Aria's phone rang, and Kane volunteered to wash the dishes.She stepped out onto the bedroom balcony before answering the call."Mom, you're back!"she greeted cheerfully. Based on the time, her parents should've returned from their trip by now.Elena's voice was bright with excitement. "Yes, we just got in. We brought you lots of gifts—when are you coming home to pick them up?""I'm sorry, Mom,"Aria said, biting her lip. "I'd planned to pick you up at the airport, but something came up at work. I can't make it back right now."It was a lie, one she had to tell.She wasn't ready to go home yet. Her parents might notice something was off. And Kane was right—her arm still hadn't fully healed. Raising her left arm too high sent a sharp pain through her shoulder.If her parents saw that and started asking questions, Aria had no idea how she'd explain it."Oh, I see."Elena couldn't hide her d
Aria had gone back to being the sweet and obedient woman she used to be, and that alone put Kane in a great mood.As soon as he returned to the office, Baron immediately noticed his good spirits."Sir," Baron said, walking into his office, "Commissioner Duncan called. Apparently, Rod from the RO Group has teamed up with a few other companies to start a resort development project. The land they're working with is almost identical to ours."Taking advantage of Kane's mood, Baron decided to deliver all the bad news at once."Also, I heard Rod has been sending people out to the west side of town to buy up land. There's a small rural community out there, and a lot of residents are considering selling. If Rod gets his hands on that area, his leverage over us increases significantly."Kane's expression darkened as he listened."Most of the land on the west side is owned by a handful of firms. I know the plot you're talking about—it's small."