Chapter 69

As Aaron ascended the stairs, Avery heard his footsteps approach her door. She intercepted him in the hallway. "Aaron, are you also going to leave me behind?" she asked. Aaron looked at her with indifference, his voice lacking its former warmth. "You said before that Lionel was constantly bothering you, asking me not to kick you out. I gave you one last chance. I thought you would refuse my grandfather's engagement proposal, but what did you do?" Everyone thought he couldn't bear to send Avery away. But the truth was, after Thomas's funeral, she assured him that she would help temporarily appease Jonathan and then reject the engagement. Jonathan was always one to honor commitments. Despite misunderstanding Aaron and Avery's relationship, he stubbornly wanted to fulfill his late friend's wish. Accustomed to calling the shots, his sons and grandsons always went along with his decisions, making him the undisputed authority in the Malone family. Aaron knew that if he couldn't resolve the engagement issue, he wouldn't deserve to beg for Stella's forgiveness. And to truly change Jonathan's mind, he could only hope Avery would willingly give up. Asking Avery to stay was just a way to quickly resolve the matter. But what Avery did during this time wasn't just a temporary appeasement; it put him in an even worse position. "I did say that, but it was under the assumption that Stella might change her mind," Avery grabbed his sleeve, saying. "But now? She won't come back to you! She's already married!" If there had been any chance with Stella, Aaron wouldn't be in this situation now. "Let go. She doesn't love you at all," Avery said. They had 20 years of history together. She clearly cared more about him than Stella did. She had tried everything, but why wouldn't he just let go of Stella and look at her? Aaron's eyes reflected a coldness as he paused for a moment, smiling bitterly at himself. "But I still love her. Even if she doesn't come back, you are not the one who can tell me to let go." Then he pushed her hand away, closed his eyes briefly. "I've done my best for you and Aiden, but I owe her." He deserved the punishment from Stella, but hearing her solemnly declare her love for Ethan still caused waves of dull pain to engulf his heart. A boundless bitterness drowned him, yet she just stared coldly as he was swept away by overwhelming emotions, refusing to lend a helping hand. She never even said she loved him, but now she spoke so casually about falling for someone else. He had too many people and things to consider: parents, relatives, friends, work. They were the most tacit work partners; she never demanded anything, making him feel like he could leave his time with her until the end. But in the end, she was gone. He had squandered her efforts, failed to notice her hidden emotions, and allowed Avery and Aiden's schemes. These were all debts he owed her. He didn't evade the mistakes he made, but he wouldn't forgive Avery and Aiden for their deception. It wasn't enough; they should all experience the pain he felt now. Avery wanted to offer an explanation, but when Aaron reopened his eyes, their icy coldness chilled her to the bone, leaving her speechless and frozen in place. He had never regarded her with such eyes before, his gaze seemingly harboring an enduring resentment. She didn't know what had happened to make him change so suddenly when he went back to Kenwest. Unconsciously, her hand loosened, and by the time she snapped back to reality, the man's indifferent figure had already disappeared at the end of the corridor. When Aaron returned to his room, he took out his phone and habitually opened X. There was only one account he followed. All contact methods had been blocked, making this the only way he could get close to her life these days. Stella's X mainly followed market news updates and rarely posted. But just now, she had updated a post—a photo without any caption. In the photo, there was a bouquet of flowers beside a tombstone. Aaron couldn't help but wonder if Ethan was by her side at the moment he took the photo. Knowing she was angry because of that meeting from the deception, the next day, despite the pain in his legs, Aaron was early in the hotel corridor. He was planning to apologize to her. However, what he saw was a very unpleasant scene. Ethan was casually embracing her, and they were both walking out of the room. They had only gone a few steps when the man turned slightly, lightly laughed, and leaned over to kiss her, gently holding her chin. The corridor was too quiet. Aaron stood at the corner and could even hear the sound of their kissing and the rustle of their clothes. She blushed and looked away from the man beside her, with an affectionate expression. At that moment, Aaron felt like his mind had collapsed, on the verge of going crazy. Anger, surprise, helplessness—he stood there numbly, completely forgetting to move, his body trembling uncontrollably, as if he had been slapped in the face. But compared to what was happening before his eyes, he knew all too well what it meant for a man to leave her room right now. He was unable to stop the tangled mess of his thoughts. Perhaps last night, they had passionately kissed in the hotel room, incredibly intimate—a moment Aaron hadn't experienced with her during their busy times. In the past, Aaron knew she hadn't let her guard down yet. Back then, he wasn't in a position to make promises, always feeling like he had to wait. Wait until they had enough time, wait until he could give her enough sincerity. But now, looking at the scene before him, he felt utterly embarrassed. In just a few short months, it seemed everything had changed. As the elevator doors closed, Ethan looked at him from afar with indifferent eyes, lightly brushing his lips with a silent sneer. Aaron instantly understood it was deliberate—a retaliation for his words at the last banquet, perhaps also because of the 'dinner party' he had deliberately arranged. He didn't know how he left, avoiding the subsequent meetings, afraid to see her again, fearing he would witness their intimacy and lose all sense of composure. Even though many days had passed, whenever he recalled that scene, his heart would ache intensely, suffocatingly uncomfortable. Aaron opened a bottle of wine from the cabinet, sat on the couch, and tried to numb his nerves overwhelmed by pain. But after finishing the bottle, memories of Stella's gentle whispers kept flooding his mind. After a while, he staggered to his feet, pulled out a new SIM card from the bedside drawer, and dialed a number, emboldened by alcohol. After a slow series of beeps— The phone was answered. Every time, Aaron didn't dare speak, afraid she would hang up as soon as he did, yet still longing to hear her voice to soothe his longing. However— "Hello." The voice on the other end was leisurely and relaxed. Shortly after, a familiar soft voice came through, "Who's this?" "I don't know, didn't say anything, no caller ID." "Oh, probably a prank call." "Yeah," the man responded nonchalantly, as if setting down the phone, yet not hanging up. Then he added, "Come, let me help you dry your hair." Not long after, the roaring sound of a hairdryer abruptly ceased, and faintly from the other end of the phone came a subtle, ambiguous sigh. Aaron's hand gripping the phone tightened, his jaw clenched, masochistically listening to everything through the receiver but unable to bring himself to hang up. A moment later, he heard her voice again, "Ethan, what kind of hair drying are you doing? It's still wet after you finish!" Her playful reproach, tinged with slight anger, didn't quite match the gentle image he had of her.