The Traps of Black Swan

Amused, Aaron watched her acting. 'Is she jealous?' He thought but he also knew she wasn't the type to be jealous so easily.

Since she started her play of 'they did unspeakable in the office', he played along to see how far she could go. He reached and scooped her in his arms effortlessly and caringly asked, "Aren't you sore? Why are you walking around?"

Naomi: "..."

'Sore?' Aarvi was now confused, she didn't understand why she will be sore. Her brows raised at him asking what he was talking about.

Aaron remembered her reactions when they were bluffing the kiss and now so he understood she is naive in something. His eyes moved to her lower body indicating what he was talking about and saw her flush red immediately.

Aarvi discerned he was playing along, 'How the hell will I know it will be sore?... Wait, why will it be sore?' She thought as she turned away from his deep gaze and caught Naomi thirsting for her blood.

Naomi would have thought Aarvi was just tricking her due to jealousy but how Aaron was behaving tenderly serving Aarvi confirmed what she assumed. 'T-They can be in just physical relationships, r-right?' She forced herself to think it her way and avoided looking at them curling her fingers into tight fists but she couldn't possibly turn deaf.

Aaron left Aarvi on his chair to avoid hurting her back by sitting and working on the couch. Then he teased when she adjusted herself on the leather chair, "I will be gentle."

Aarvi froze hearing his suggestive hypnotizing voice, 'Why did I get caught to him? Can't he be dumber?' She wasn't going to lose her composure in front of Naomi hence she just hummed pushing him away but the man still kissed her forehead.

Aarvi blurted out in a low voice without understanding why he keeps kissing her every time they come close, "Are you addicted to kissing me?"

Well, it still reached the ears of the one who was sitting on the other side of the desk to witness Aaron's bewitching smile at Aarvi yet she felt her heart raise the beats. 'Why? Why should it be her? Why can't I be the one?'

She couldn't believe the years of silently following Aaron and waiting for him to notice her were turning to ashes right before her eyes as soon as Aarvi entered their life. 'I am intelligent, educated, dedicated to my profession, stayed with him for years, why does it have to be her who came just yesterday?' Hopelessness and anger surfaced in her.

Aaron didn't respond to it, he propped his alluring face in front of Aarvi, "Try, perhaps… you might get addicted."

Curiosity rose, Aarvi tempted to kiss him to check if she would behave like Aaron. The latter gave her lenience for the first try and turned his cheek to her. Looking at his fair cheek, 'Unless I try and see the actual results, I will not know, right?' She persuaded herself and moved closer to his cheek.

Aaron was amazed because he was expecting her to push him away. He learned two things, 'My Love' to melt her and 'Try' to encourage her for what she has never done.

Aarvi caught Naomi's bleak gaze and paused. She could guess that Naomi loves Aaron for a pretty long time and it would undoubtedly hurt her to see Aaron's unseen tenderness with another woman.

Aarvi returned her petty tricks with simple lines but what they were doing would deepen her wounds whereas all Naomi did is to love the man who is in love with her.

Instead of a kiss, Aaron heard a soft feathery voice in a whisper, "Go and work. I will not come again if you waste time."

Aaron resignedly moved back without forcing her. He took out a cotton knitted throw over from the side table near the couch to cover her slender legs and placed her laptop on the desk. "Two hours, then we will go out." He placed the snacks near her and returned to sit opposite to her.

Aarvi hummed by hiding her smile. Nobody could take care of her better than him and he is detailed in everything he does for her each time...

"Eyes on the laptop." Aaron's voice sounded after two minutes while his eyes were on Noami's laptop screen checking the survey details of heart patients.

Aarvi then realized she was staring at him and Naomi was glaring at her. 'Do you have eyes on your head?' She lowered her head to hide her face behind the laptop screen and worked...

Naomi desperately wanted to turn her laptop to see what was she doing on the laptop or whether Aaron gave her laptop to play games and timepass when Aarvi's fingers jumped on the buttons fluidly creating the rhythmic tone in the office other than Aaron flipping the pages.

Her plans to make Aarvi jealous miserably failed and witnessed Aaron stealing quick glances of Aarvi every now and then when the latter was drowned in the laptop without changing her expression from the aloofness.

She slowly realized Aarvi wasn't the one who is in love but Aaron. Even though his indifference with her was the same, the way he looked at Aarvi or the way he took care of her was more than enough to scream at her the man she loved the whole time is fallen for nobody who is just a stunning face.

Assuming she is just a pretty face, 'No, I will not give up.' Naomi thought with determination to try harder to get Aaron or perhaps trouble Aarvi until she leaves Aaron or meeting Grandfather Rivas and try to rile him up furthermore.

…

Before leaving the hospital, Aarvi asked Aaron to instruct Sean Harmon's attending doctor to discharge him. Even Sean wanted to leave as his plan backfired him and Beauty in Black wasn't going to reach him again.

He was also disappointed by his elder brother who couldn't catch hold of a simple girl. He thought to ask Aeon Harmon's help but dropped it knowing Aeon is dead busy with his movie shooting, company affairs, and his headache girlfriend's pester and grumbling.

…

On the other end, the media took the wonderful chance, dug more dirt, and smeared Billy Craft ruining his reputation completely that affected the Craft International shares plummeting lower and lower every minute.

If Billy Craft's incident was on any other day, probably Leon Harmon would have helped Billy by suppressing all the news and retaining the image of the President with morals by victimizing Billy as he was bullied by the public at the Mall of Mocon. However, he was preoccupied with Sean Harmon's tantrums and finding Beauty in Black to have the hopes and admiration of Sean on him.

...

Mia Craft who was at the movie shoot was flooded with calls and messages. Her manager rushed her aside and delivered the huge ruckus happening in social media.

Mia's entertainment rivals, their fans, and her love rivals took the chance to drag her name in by mentioning Mia would be like her father by faking her goddess image to the industries. Mia's fans failed to defend her against multiple idols' fans.

Her manager stated the current status, "Mia, your father, and company haven't released any statement yet. The netizens are going crazy due to the involvement of Women's safety and welfare organizations. I have checked multiple videos and each one indicates your father remarking on girls."

She hesitated to continue looking at Mia enraging, "The worst part of it is President Craft was pointing at girls' legs, bum, stomach, arms, and even chest. Even though his voice isn't there, the reaction from the crowd and their statement clearly mentioning it's your father's fault." Even the manager felt disgusted when she saw Billy pointing at the girl's body in the videos that were viral garnering hatred and rage from both male and female of all the age.

The manager turned around to glance at Aeon busy in shooting Esme's scene, "President Harmon's mobile is off so the PR department is failing to reach him, Vice president and President's assistant are suggesting to stay neutral and isolate from your father's situation but your endorsers are calling me to cancel the deals. I managed to get time till tomorrow but the situation is awful."

The manager suggested after taking another quick look at Aeon, "How bout you talk to President Harmon once?" She couldn't speak to him afraid of being scolded in front of all, Mia is his girlfriend so she felt it was suitable for her.

The manager was expecting an agreement to her words but Mia shook her head. Aeon and Mia studied together, she knew well how respectful Aeon is towards elders, of course excluding his elder brother. Hence she was sure Aeon would keep hold of things without increasing her father's trouble. If that happens, the chance of losing all her new endorsement is high and she can't afford that.

"Wait, let me make a call." Her quick solution was Leon Harmon. While the manager waited, she dialed his number and heard the ringtone.

She waited patiently till the last ring thinking Leon was busy but the call redirected to the voicemail and it wasn't answered. She tried again and again but none answered her. She forced herself to stay calm and think Leon is EXTREMELY busy and dialed Dylan Harmon's number.

As Leon's assistant, Dylan would be always available irrespective of day or night but to her despair, the call wasn't answered by him either.

'Leon Harmon abandoned us..' She didn't want to believe what she realized, then her eyes involuntarily went on Aeon accurately guessing she will lose Aeon Harmon soon, really very soon.