Need To Escape

Aria’s POV:

There was some chatter that interrupted my sleep. I slowly opened my eyes and grabbed my head tightly.

“It hurts a lot,” I cried out and scanned the bedroom. It looked like a hotel suite, and then my mind drifted to the steamy night I had with that stranger.

“Oh my,” I realised I was naked, so I walked down the bed and searched for my clothes but couldn’t find them. I spotted a shirt and quickly wore it, and luckily I found my purse.

I retracted my phone and shared my location with Ava: “Pick me up ASAP.” I sent the message and hurried to the door, but I could hear some voices. Was that stranger behind the door?

I hurried to the balcony and stared down. It wasn’t that high, but I could break my leg if I jumped.

My eyes lit up when I saw the built-in ladder. I walked down the ladder and finally made it down. The place was rather quiet, and I couldn’t spot the staff. Was this a hotel?

Even after walking down the street for a while, I still couldn’t spot anyone or a house. What place was this?

I dialled Ava’s contact, and it got connected. “I am almost there,” she said.

“Hurry up, please.” I hurried and hid behind a huge tree. I didn’t want anyone taking a picture of me or for that stranger to follow me.

I stayed there for a while and spotted some black cars driving out of the hotel I just left. Were they searching for me?

Five minutes after they left, I spotted Ava’s car, so I hurried to the road and waved at her. She quickly parked, and I hurried in.

“Drive,” I said, and she quickly drove away from there before I sighed heavily.

“What happened?” Ava questioned me before she scanned my body. “You’re in a man’s shirt.”

“I will appreciate it if you don’t ask me questions, please.” I felt so embarrassed to even think about what happened last night, so how could I bring myself to explain it to her?

She held the shirt I was wearing and pulled the collar. “Oh my…” she gasped in shock, and I raised a brow. What was it now?

“This is a Stuart Hughes edition,” she blurted, and I raised a brow. What does that even mean?

“A complete suit is worth 800,000 dollars,” she spouted, and my eyes widened as I stared at the shirt one more time.

I smacked my lips. “No more talking, just drop me off… I need to sleep.” My head was pounding, and I wasn’t in the mood to talk about a shirt.

“Okay,” she nodded and kept driving while stealing glances from me. I stared at her.

“What now?” I knew that look; she always had this look when something had happened, one that was going to annoy me.

“So uhm… Isa went along with her marketing strategy,” she blurted, and my brows furrowed.

“What strategy?”

“You know…since Olivia is an actress, then it was easy to say she was hired to play that scene in Caleb’s office and that you both are still a power couple,” she explained.

This was crazy. How could she do this without my opinion?

“I am getting divorced, so I don’t care about her stupid marketing strategies,” I scolded.

“Okay, listen to me, baby.” Ava smiled at me. “The situation is messy, but she is right; you can’t lose your marriage and career on the same day.”

“I don’t care.”

“Caleb agreed to attend the interview with you today.”

“Oh…look at him doing me a favour,” I snorted and pulled out my phone before dialling Isa’s contact, and it got connected.

“Before you say anything, just know I had no choice…” Isa quickly explained.

“You told me I could have a three-month break after the release of my book,” I said instead. I was not going to go through with their stupid marketing strategies.

“Yes, you could do that after the interview…”

I quickly hung up, and we had just arrived at my apartment.

“Please have someone get my car from the Kingpin Club and also tell Caleb to send the divorce papers to my lawyer when they’re ready,” I explained, and Ava nodded.

“So what’s your plan?” she asked.

“Run away, go to some place I could cool off my head.”

Ava nodded in understanding. “I got you covered, girl. Just do you, and I will take care of the rest.”

I smiled at her appreciatively, hurried upstairs and packed some of my stuff, and got to my second car before I drove out of the mansion.

It was a long drive before I arrived in my hometown, Yonkers, and parked the car at our underground garage.

I walked to the door and spotted Mommy pouring a cup of tea for my grandmother.

“Gigi,” I called out happily and walked in. Grandma smiled widely when she saw me. I hugged her tightly as Mother joined in the hug.

“Oh my Aria, so good to have you here,” Gigi said excitedly, and I chuckled. I also loved being with her.

“I will be here for a while,” I stated, and Mum nodded happily.

“I am glad you took my advice and came back home,” she said, and I nodded.

“Well, I was going to come anyways.”

“Good, I need more hands.” Gigi added, and we all laughed. She definitely needed a worker; whenever I showed up, she wouldn’t let me go easily.

I scanned the living room and couldn’t spot father “Where is father?”

“He went to the borders for some work and won’t be back soon” Mother explained and i sighed heavily, he was against me marrying Caleb and now that everythign was falling apart, i definitely didn’t have the guts to stare at him

*

Two weeks had gone by, and I didn’t dare log into the internet. I spent my time helping Gigi feed the pigs, goats, and fowls. We also planted corn, as it was the corn season. Mum always made mouthwatering meals for me every day, and I spent my nights dreaming of that stranger, well…mostly of the s*x.

The atmosphere was heaven.

“Aria,” I heard Mum call from the sitting room. I dropped the book I was reading on the bed and hurried to the sitting room, but my steps halted when I realised who had showed up.

What was he doing here?