Chapter 74: Alicia's Unanswered Question?
"Little Aiden, answer me honestly. Do you love any other girls besides me?"
Alicia's voice was filled with a mix of longing and desperation. Her gaze, intense and obsessed, locked onto Aiden, swirling with emotions that she couldn't hold back. She didn't care if anyone overheard. Her words echoed loudly in the air, drawing the attention of everyone around them.
All the girls nearby perked up their ears, their curiosity piqued. They had a variety of reasons to care about the answer to this question, and they weren't alone. Even most of the boys in the vicinity were paying close attention.
The girls, particularly, wished for a simple "no" They had always viewed Alicia as nothing more than Aiden's older sister, she seemed like Aiden's doting older sister—youthful, perhaps too much so. But now, as they heard her ask this very personal question, the realization hit them like a wave—this woman wasn't just a doting sister.
The way Alicia's emotions bubbled over made it clear that she wasn't about to let Aiden go.
The possessiveness in Alicia's gaze was almost suffocating, weighing down on everyone present.
Even so, the girls didn't find Alicia's behavior entirely strange. If they had a little brother who looked like Aiden, with his angelic features and captivating aura, they might have found themselves just as obsessed. But still, none of them envied Alicia's position. In fact, most of the girls thought to herself.
'Who in their right mind would want to be his sister? You can't even have a romantic relationship with him. That must be awful! Yeah, I'd hate to be her!'
Yet, none of these girls knew the truth about Alicia and Aiden's relationship. If they did, the heartache would have been unbearable for them. They would have been devastated, crying their eyes out in disbelief.
The very idea that Aiden might love someone else—a person who already had such a close bond with him as his own big sis—reality would crush their fragile heart completely.
Ava, Chloe, and the Vice President, who had been following them, were also interested in hearing Aiden's answer. Each of them had their own reasons, and each reason was deeply personal. Their attention was fully on him now, waiting for his response.
Meanwhile, the boys, who also overheard the conversation, had a different hope. They were silently hoping that Aiden would admit to loving someone else—anyone else. Some of them had even begun recording the conversation on their phones, ready to post their answer on the school's forum.
Why? Because Aiden's single status had haunted them for far too long. Over the years, so many girls had turned down their advances because they were fixated on Aiden. He was the "angel" in their school, a figure of fascination that made it almost impossible for other boys to have a chance with anyone. The fact that Aiden had never been in a public relationship was a curse.
If today marked the end of that era, the boys could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Their collective thought was, 'When this guy breaks the hearts of countless girls, we'll be there to comfort them. That's our chance!'
A few of the boys exchanged subtle glances, nodding their heads in silent agreement. It was as if an unspoken alliance had formed among them. They were all in this together, hoping Aiden's confession would finally put an end to their years of suffering caused by the menace called Aiden.
But while all this tension built up around them, Chloe remained in her own world. She was deep in thought, remembering her past. Outside the gate of the ceremony hall, their figures were barely visible in the distance. No one was close enough to disturb her as she reminisced about her previous life.
As for Aiden, he was fully aware of the stakes. He knew his words could cause a misunderstanding, and the situation had the potential to spiral out of control if he wasn't careful. His eyes met Alicia's, seeing the obsession swirling there. He had no time to deal with all of this now, with the ceremony about to begin, but there was no escaping this moment.
He had to respond and this moment is far more important than the ceremony.
Still, the eyes of those around him were fixed on him, waiting for his answer. There was no escaping this moment and he also couldn't less what others thought of him now.
Taking a deep breath, Aiden spoke calmly, his voice carrying through the room. He looked directly into Alicia's swirling eyes, unfazed by the intensity of her gaze.
"Big Sis, I love you with all my heart."
The moment those words left his lips, Alicia's face broke into a stupid, almost relieved smile. Her eyes still swirled with obsession, but there was a glimmer of satisfaction in them. She waited eagerly for him to continue, hanging on to every word.
"However, I also love two more people besides you in my life, and—"
Before Aiden could finish his sentence, Alicia interrupted him. Her voice was loud, filled with emotion, and cutting through the air like a knife.
"Why?! Why, Little Aiden? Why would you do this to me? Have I done something wrong? Have I upset you somehow?"
Aiden sighed inwardly. He could see now that his sister's mental state was more fragile than he had realized. Something was bothering her deeply, and it had taken a toll on her emotionally. He knew he had to find a way to solve this as soon as he could, but for now, he had to handle the situation in front of him. He had to be cautious. The situation required careful handling.
With a gentle tone, Aiden tried to reassure her, hoping to bring some peace to her troubled state "Big Sis, you've never upset me. It's not like that. You just need to hear me out. I promise everything will make sense."
But Alicia wasn't listening. Her eyes were still locked onto him, and her voice rose again, even louder than before. "How can you expect me to understand? Why can't you just love me and only me, Little Aiden?"
Without warning, Alicia reached out and grabbed Aiden's shoulders, her slender hands gripping tightly. She squeezed with all her strength, her fingers digging into his skin but still couldn't penetrate his skin under his coat.
"Little Aiden, there's only one thing left to do now! Don't blame me for what happens next!"
Alicia's voice trembled, and a hint of madness crept into her tone. "It's your fault, Aiden! You're the one who forced me into this! Hehehe!"
The pain in Aiden's shoulders was sharp, but he had expected this. His big sister was far stronger than she appeared. If this had happened in the past, he might have cried out in pain. But thanks to his training with Aunt May, he had developed a higher tolerance for pain. The harsh training sessions had been worth it, and now he was seeing the results firsthand.
Still, it wasn't the physical pain that concerned him—it was Alicia's state of mind. Her behavior was erratic and unpredictable. He needed to diffuse the situation before things got worse.
Without hesitating, Aiden leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. He held her close, trying to calm her down with his presence.
______
Chloe, who had been peeking around the corner, tilted her head cutely to the side as she snapped out of her thoughts. The memories of her past life had been weighing heavily on her mind, particularly when it came to her father, Andres. She remembered how he had acted when he found out she had awakened a rare elemental affinity for space. In her previous life, that moment had changed everything.
But in this life, Chloe had stayed away from that dinner, feigning illness to avoid her father's attention. Just as she had predicted, Anderes hadn't cared at all. He had lost interest in her, and that was exactly what she had wanted. Her plan was working.
Chloe knew that attracting her father's attention would only bring misery into her life—and into Mary's life as well. Anderes was a cunning, ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Chloe knew this all too well. He had once threatened her, using Mary's safety as leverage to control her.
But things were different now. However, she was fortunate as she had her space affinity talent to protect herself. It had allowed her to escape her father's clutches. If it weren't for that, she couldn't even imagine how miserable her life would have been, forced to follow the orders of the man she despised most in the world.
Her thoughts lingered on her father's manipulation and cruelty, but she also felt a sense of relief. She had escaped with Mary, and Chloe was free—free to live on her terms and to protect the one person she cared about most in the world: Mary.