The Traps of Black Swan

Many thoughts were running wildly in Aarvi's mind. If she has to speak, she didn't know how to and where to start. She knew Hayden was probably in the same dilemma or worse. He was probably afraid to see her run away and clueless about how to address her.

'Should I just ignore as Ronron said?' A thought crossed her mind and she shook her head in denial. She was aware Aaron asked to be ignored so that she could go there. That wasn't his intention.

'What's wrong with me?' She was nervous once or twice at the beginning of her relationship with Aaron while confessing and proposing. But this was too much, why was she being a coward?

She took a deep breath and went aside and sat in the chair where Zain was sitting before. She directly took the topic without addressing Hayden properly, "Where were you after the wedding was canceled?" She sounded too calm, in contrast to the inner turmoil she was going through.

Hayden had expected her to leave him alone so her voice somewhat startled him. He coughed gently to clear his throat, clearly nervous. He was aware she was leaving the country for three years or maybe more, if not now, probably he won't get to meet her.

"Err… I-I was away on business…"

The anger shot up in a split second and Aarvi jerked up from the chair. Clenching her teeth, she stared at her grandfather in disappointment. Though she was angry to listen to a lie, her eyes were moistened and she yelled, more like crying out.

"Lie Lie Lie… When will you stop lying to me?" Though he made everyone believe he was out of the country on a business trip, he wasn't. "You lied to me when I was a kid, you lied to me in my adolescence and you are still lying to me now."

She was ready to accept Hayden lied to her when she was little because he wanted to give her hope without hurting her more. She wasn't little anymore, she had seen every possible cruelty one shouldn't have seen and gone through. Yet there he was lying to her in the name of not hurting her.

Hayden flustered and stood up, holding the desk. He didn't know she found out. He would still prefer to hide it to stop them worrying about him.

Aarvi didn't wish to raise her tone at the old man. She preferred to be level-headed and calm, but she just couldn't hold herself anymore and continued to cry out.

"Don't you still understand that your lies do no good to me? How could you give me false hope? How could you make me endure everything for so many years?"

False hope? That's right. He gave her hopes for something that will never happen. Yet like a stupid, she was believing his words.

"Do you know how I was able to endure those bastards' physical torture? Because of you. Do you know why I am probably still breathing? Because of you. Congratulations, your teachings didn't go to waste. I have learned to endure anything harsh." She vented out, despite knowing she shouldn't do this to an old man.

Hayden held his breath and stared at her. His body shook hearing her. One thing he will be guilty of was he probably should have given her a better life.

"Your family is no different. They tortured me physically and you all tortured me mentally, emotionally. Why didn't you just kill me?" The tears she was holding back rolled out one after the other.

Hayden would have fallen if he hadn't held the desk. A tear slipped out of his lids recalling bruised little Ava hospitalized again and again. He wouldn't blame her parents but himself. He didn't only give false hope to her but himself too.

Despite teaching good things, children often turn rebellious and he thought Ava would be like those children getting tired of her parents. But she was so innocent and sweet, she always tried to find goodness and be happy with that. Probably she should have turned disobedient and aggressive and went against him and her parents. That could have saved her little heart. 

Aarvi Evans, she might have built herself strongly but to him, she was still the delicate little girl he knew. He went ahead and hugged her. He wasn't sure if he needed that hug or he wanted to console her, he just did it.

Aarvi didn't run and cried hearing him apologize again and again. She knew he wasn't completely at fault, it was her stupidity. She didn't know what is right and what is wrong, when to give up and when to endure. She should have made herself into a stone a long back but being soft was her mistake. 

Somebody else can't make us strong or weak. We have the power to build ourselves. Goodness, kindness doesn't have to be weak. But she had made herself into a softhearted weak girl. She has to be responsible for her personality, behavior, and choices.

But what could a little girl do in front of adults?

Zain was at the door, looking at the two cry. While avoiding falling weak, she never dared to face Hayden. Probably she needed to vent out everything and cry again to mend everything.  He was happy to see everything was falling in place at the end. 

He breathed in relief realizing she didn't run away and hid somewhere as she had planned. He needs to thank one person for that, Aaron Rivas.

Closing the door of the meeting room, he dropped a message to Aaron about the grandfather and granddaughter as he went towards the office room which will be called his office from today. 

He suddenly paused midway and looked back. Since the two reconciled, should he coax her to take the position? He wasn't interested in handling so many people, living off his wife felt like a good idea.

'Aaron will skin me alive.' He couldn't take the risk of burdening Aaron's wife. 

Uninterested, he went to the office. His grandfather and Aarvi had already told him business doesn't have to be studied. He just needs to understand what is suitable for the company and employees. Cole was going to assist him so Zain had the confidence to manage everything. 

Whether he will grow the company to new heights would depend on his interest in the coming days.

…..

After calming down, Aarvi grumpily asked, dabbing her face with the tissue, "How is your health now?"

After the cancellation of the wedding, Hayden was so exasperated in the villa scolding his son and daughter-in-law for their behavior when he suffered a minor heart attack.

Hayden didn't just ignore Maisie and Shane because of how they treated Ava, he had seen Maisie and Shane panicking but they didn't call the ambulance or take him to the hospital. Maisie was discussing that Hayden was going to die and they have to take control over the company without letting Zain or 'Jinx' take the position. Though Shane was worried about Hayden, he was easily swayed at the mention of wealth.

Hayden who always saw Maisie and Shane licking his boots knew they weren't good. He just hadn't expected Maisie to be inhumane and his son to fawn over wealth.

Since it was a minor attack, Hayden stubbornly tried to control his body and went out. Since he couldn't use his left hand, he reached Cole and the latter shifted him to hospital.

To avoid the company falling into chaos, they lied as he went on a business trip. The doctor suggested Hayden visit a senior cardiologist due to his age. That doctor was out of the country. Hayden just knew he had to get well else his son and daughter-in-law would tear off his granddaughter. To get better soon he flew to a different country, having no idea even Zain had left Ava's side.

Initially, Aarvi didn't check about him. She believed his words. She had asked her team to check about Hayden after he had appeared at the Avron mansion. Though she was worried about his health, she felt betrayed by all his lies.

Though she looked angry, Hayden knew she forgave him so he energetically responded, "What will happen to me!? I'm strong as stone."

Aarvi almost smiled, why didn't she know her grandfather was childish?