Chapter 37

Aiden stands from the stool beside the bed and pulls the duvet over Emma who is asleep. She didn't want to take her mom back to their house soon after the funeral, she thought the place will bring sad memories… A home is always full of memories… She accompanied Emma since Johnson's funeral, the two passed days already excruciating. She never left her side, giving her courage and consoling her mother like she is totally fine where as she is broken terribly… There is no human who are strong, everyone is weak in one way or another. She tucks her hair behind her ears and inhales a deep breath, she bends and places a kiss on Emma's forehead. Riley waits outside Lisa's room watching Aiden, it's been a couple of days which seems like ages for him to see her, he rarely saw her even though they are under the same roof, when ever she walks out the room she passes him a forced smile, to show him that she is fine but he knows, he knows that smile is fake. He knows that she isn't alright. He knows that she is not strong to console her mother as she needs to be consoled, she needs to be comforted. He rubs the back of his neck and lets out a weary sigh, the noise of her loud cry still echoing at the back of his head, the first time he had seen her devastated. His heart wrenches at the remembrance of it. It's unbelievably difficult to register the fact that no person can be with us forever. 'Aiden," Riley calls out in a low voice. She passes him a smile and steps out the room, she closes the door and looks at him 'Yes," she asks, her voice dry and weak. He stares at her for few seconds, his eyes observing her deep digging her soul. A low sigh leaves her lips, her brows meet 'Hey," she says, her voice a little louder this time 'I'm fine," her grin widens. 'Like you told me ' he keeps a step forward towards her 'Don't bottle up your emotions," he looks down, takes her hands and buries her palms into his 'You don't have to act strong in front of me," he looks straight at her 'I know that you're not okay," he says, his voice low in concern 'You can let it out." 'Riley," she curls her lips in and looks away 'I have nothing left inside to let out," she licks her lips and faces him 'I'm totally fine." 'But I'm not," he keeps another step closer to her 'I'm not fine," he looks into her puffy red eyes 'Im not fine when I see you like this," their eyes never unlocks 'I know that I can't do anything, there is nothing to be done," he moves even closer 'All I can do is keep you healthy and happy, that's what I promised your dad. I promised him to keep you safe, healthy and happy." 'You….," 'I met your dad by myself after we got together," he interrupts 'He agreed to give his precious daughter to me on three conditions," he releases her hands and snakes his hands around her waist. Aiden looks at him her lips slightly apart, her eyes fixed on him; focused. Riley continues 'To keep you healthy, happy and safe," a gentle smile forms on his lips 'He told that I'm lucky to get a girl like you and…," he continues explaining her in detail 'I took a picture of you in the shopping mall with that dress. I showed that to Mr. Johnson," his eyes delates when her brows make a subtle movement in surprise 'He kept on boasting your beauty," he chuckles, he talks making the air around easy, making the chat casual, making her feel better. Aiden's eyes widen when her legs lose gravity, Riley carries her looking up, her feet little away from the floor. She looks at him with furrowed brows, her palms grip his shoulders. 'What…..," Riley interrupts 'I know how you feel right now," he walks with her 'Even though that he is not in front of you," he stops by the dining table 'He will always be in your heart and also," he drags a chair with his foot and makes her sit on it 'Shouldn't I fulfil my promise?," he steps aside and lifts the lid of the containers placed on the table 'I've made spicy noodles," he smiles as he serves, he puts a large quantity of it on one plate and places it on the table, he moves the plate closer to Aiden. She stares at him, her mind replays his words, her heart feeling less sorrow. She moves her legs below the table and pulls the chair closer to the table, picking up the fork she takes another glance at Riley. He puts some noodles on his plate and takes his seat opposite to her, his Adam's apple slides up and down at the smell of pepper and chili. His hesitant hand picks the fork and swirls the noodles, he moves it up to his mouth and looks straight at Aiden. 'Eat," he says, his voice low like a request. She nods and fills her mouth with the delicious noodles made by her boyfriend. She continues to eat her brain accepting the reality. 'Eric and others are hunting for Chloe," he breaks the silence 'He is well hidden," he grits his teeth, his blood boiling in anger at the thought of Chloe's action, how can he be so cruel to kill his friend's father. 'I looked into your dad's accident," he says reluctantly as he was confused whether to tell it now or later. Aiden's actions stop, she places the fork on the plate and looks straight. He takes a sip of water and continues 'It is murder," the second word comes out barely audible 'I looked into it with the help of Eric," he explains as he tries to read her face, her expressionless expression makes him fail. 'I know," she replies dryly, her voice sore. She nods and looks own at her plate like mentally telling herself something. She looks straight again 'Riley," his name rolls down her tongue in desperate 'Do you think I took the wrong way through out," her voice cracks, she sniffs and runs her hand through her hair, tears prick at the back of her red eyes. She bites her quivering lower lip and holds her chin high 'I was stubborn to get him out and prove his innocence," she continues, holding in her tears which would flow down at any moment 'If I didn't seek to fight back then dad won't be dead right now," her voice breaks, her shoulders hunched, the tears begin to roll down her pale dry cheeks. Riley walks to her and stops by her chair, he pulls her to him. She hugs him 'Was I wrong?" she asks, holding tight onto him. 'No," he answers looking down at her, his fingers massaging her scalps 'You were never wrong," he says 'Even your dad knows that you were not wrong," he takes a moment of silence and continues 'Indeed he is proud that his daughter is strong and punishes scoundrels," his mind recalls Johnson's words and his delightful face. ‘Aiden is strong but when she is broken she cries like a baby. She became bolder after Alex's death, he was in the military. Isn't she good at fighting? It's because he trained her. He visits us twice in a month and we have dinner together. You know the joyous dinner. He was murdered by the governor and framed for a crime he didn't do, we tried our best to prove his innocence but our lawyers were bought out. It's all the money. Neither of our family members showed up in his funeral, he was taken as a shame to the military. She worked hard and finally got into the department, she killed the governor… She never shares us anything and keeps us in the dark but we know, we know what she does. People think she is a monster but I don't care because she is a superhero to the victims. She knows how it feels to have your loved ones framed and nothing can be done because of our social status. Isn't my daughter great? I've always been proud of her yet some part in me makes me worried every day and night. It's her safety. I've spoke to her many times but she never listens, she is indeed stubborn sometimes but her stubbornness gives someone hope.' The shabby small sized room in the old lonely flat by a corner of the street. The drop of water leakage echoes in the few furniture house, the opposite house is the only neighbor, the grey walls makes the space even smaller. Chloe runs his hands through his hair, pulling out the roots. His jaw clenched, brows furrowed and eyes squinted. He grunts aloud and turns around 'How come the police blindly believes that I killed Kim?," He asks. 'They are searching you for interrogation," Kevin answers. 'Interrogation? Do you think they'll stop by that? Do you think that bastard Riley and Aiden won't find a way to put me behind the bars?" He hops forward and grips Kevin's collar, his eyes staring at him manipulatively ,he crushes the material as he pulls Kevin closer to him 'Are you trying to put me in prison?," he yells, grinding his teeth. Knock! His grip on Kevin's collar loosens when he hears the knock at the door. He steps back immediately, his face white, fear rising up in him. He is frightened. Afraid that this will be end for his company, the end for his life and the end for his dream success. 'Check the door," he orders. Kevin nods and steps back, the blue burning orbs stares at back when he strolls to the door. Every passing second makes his heart thump. 'Chloe," Tira knocks again. A sigh of relief leaves Chloe's lips when she called out, Kevin opens the door. Tira scurries in, her heels clicks on the stained tiled . She stops in front of him and glares at him 'Why did you kill Kim?," she screeches, her loud voice echoing in the room. 'Kim!," Chloe chuckles, he caresses her template with his thumb, in a fraction of second he holds her arms and pushes her to the wall, she hisses when his nails dig into her soft skin 'Even though I didn't kill him," he says, his voice dangerously low and stern. Tira flinches, shivers run down her spine when her eyes meet his. He moves his face closer to hers 'He deserved to die… This issue wouldn't come this far if it's not for him. Aiden will not know it's me, the trial wouldn't continued, my business would have expanded," he growls. 'Aiden?," Tira says, his grip on her loosens at the mention of her name 'Did you kill her dad?," she asks. Chloe steps behind and turns around 'She challenged to take away what's mine and almost did it, so I took away what's hers," he answers, like telling himself 'Before something happens I will take away him she loves as well."