The Traps of Black Swan

Dylan and Aarvi sat facing each other at the two ends of the room. The latter kept the magazine away and looked at him.

Dylan had lots of questions to ask her before he got to know her identity as Aarvi Evans, President of Skylar and wife of Aaron Rivas. Now he didn't know what exactly to ask.

To break the silence, "Wine?" He asked, glancing at the rack of alcoholic drinks.

Aarvi smirked seeing him so calm. The biggest puzzle, she knew she would solve today but she wasn't sure if that solution would be the right one or the misled one. "Are you sure you need nothing to protect yourself?" Taking her record, Dylan should be cautious.

"You have grown strong." He admired that about her.

She had grown? Now, she was forced to be strong.

"And you are a double-headed snake." She didn't bother if her words were going to provoke him.

Dylan chuckled hearing her. He didn't deny it. "How did you survive the bullet?" Dylan was sure she was shot to her chest, right in her heart. His eyes moved on her chest, he didn't get to see the mark of the wound under the straps of her dress. He looked back at her eyes in pure curiosity.

"Heart transplant." She played her first card. She knew if she reveals one thing about herself, he would let his guard down and answer her.

She saw his eyes widen hearing her. Then slowly everything synced, understanding why she vanished. Dylan nodded in response.

"You are the one who damaged Leon's handgun," Aarvi revealed Dylan's attempts to save her.

Dylan was amused. Even Leon didn't know the handgun he gave that day to Leon was defective. Hence the bullet which should have pierced right on her heart was at the side. If Aarvi had moved away from a little, she could have lived with a heart transplant. To his dismay, she bravely took the bullet.

"You remind me of my sister." There was a hint of desolation in his voice.

That answered why he repeatedly helped her escape but she was caught at the end.

Aarvi put her hand behind the cushion and pulled a file out. She took a few photos and threw them on the floor, "Were they also reminding you of your sister?"

Dylan frowned hearing her sarcastic tone. He looked at the pictures and the frowns dissolved. Those were the pictures of the women who were barbarously molested by Leon. When the latter asked to clean up, he saved them by lying as he killed them.

Dylan's expression finally changed. There was a worry for those women, "How did you reach them?" If she could reach them, will Leon reach them too?

Aarvi kept the file aside and watched him. "Do you know why I never took any actions against you when you are the one who is cleaning Leon Harmon's mess?"

If Dylan Harmon could go to the lengths and save so many girls, send them to rehabilitation, help them with jobs and stand on their feet, why couldn't he just reveal the animal-like Leon Harmon to the world? What was he waiting for? What is his motive?

Dylan realized Aarvi got to know about his activities a very long time back. She came prepared after her well-thought-out plans.

He looked away from her, drawing a deep long breath. He knew he could trust Aarvi but would she trust him even if he speaks the truth?

He does both. Evil and good. In front of hundreds of good deeds, one wrong action would be enough to leave behind every good one. So he won't expect her to believe him.

"I think... My sister is still alive." He revealed it for the first time.

Aarvi really wanted to believe him when he was so serious but it was too hard. She didn't want to get played by Dylan and Leon.

What if Dylan was looking after those women to avoid them leaking anything about Leon?

Dylan chuckled, turning back to her. He knew she couldn't believe him. Not just her, he was in a state where none could believe him. He still asked, hoping she might probably be of some help to confirm his suspicions. "Do you want to know?"

Aarvi didn't want to emotionally invest herself in Harmon family matters. She made sure she wouldn't be moved by the story he might tell her and nodded.

He stood up going towards the mini parlor, "Are you sure no wine?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice. Before she could respond anything, "You have a heart condition. No alcohol for you, I guess."

Aarvi: "..."

Aarvi didn't want to trust him, however, he appeared like a good man, she made sure to be cautious. She saw him go to the mini-refrigerator, he picked a water bottle and a juice tetra pack for her as he spoke of the past.

"If that day, I wasn't stubborn enough to go with my friend to play video games, I would have definitely lost my life with my parents…" After dinner at the restaurant, Dylan had met his friend and family. When his friend invited him, he went with his friend's family while his parents and his younger sister went in their car.

"My parents' car was rear-ended and flipped off the bridge into the River." Dylan poured himself wine.

"Everyone thought it was a hit and run case of a drunk driver. The case was closed but we didn't get my sister's body." He sat down and saw her patiently waiting for him to continue without interjecting or giving any random opinions.

"Everyone thought her body was washed away and gave up on searching. I was a teenager and Leon Harmon was in college. He took care of me while other elders were busy." A snicker left his lips recalling how much he trusted Leon.

"One day I heard him say, sell her. She isn't my sister. I was appalled to hear about the 'sell' and 'sister.' I didn't think too much of it." He chugged the wine. He was about to pour himself more but stopped glancing at Aarvi. Obviously, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

"After three years, I saw a weak, thin girl dragged away by Leon to the gates when I was on the terrace of the Harmon mansion. I truly didn't see her face but I heard her crying, 'Brother Leon' again and again. I ran out to see, Leon had handed that girl to some man. They were gone before I could reach the gates."

Dylan sniggered at himself for being too naive and weak, "Leon said she was a thief. Which thief calls him Brother Leon?"

Dylan kneeled and started collecting the pictures from the floor, "I had told my grandfather but he didn't believe me. Leon's connection was wide. He used to help kidnap and sell the girls outside the country to make quick money. He wouldn't have killed her."

Aarvi noticed he smiled whenever he looked at the pictures of the girls he saved and heard him continue, "If she is alive, she has the right over Harmon. So Leon will have his eyes on her."

His only reason to stay with Leon was to know his sister's location and get his sister out of there. He needed no money, no shares, no company. He would leave everything just to keep her safe.