The Traps of Black Swan

Aaron had closed his eyes, immersed his body in the hot water of the bathtub, resting his head on the rim of the tub when Aarvi entered the bedroom with a tray of light food as they didn't have time to wait for digestion.

She kept the tray on the coffee table in front of the armchair that was facing the glass wall overlooking the city. While going inside to fetch him nightwear, she gently pecked on his forehead causing the corner of his lips to threaten him to curl up.

She repeated, his cheeks, his lips, the tip of his nose, until he groaned painfully, "Aarvi Evans, stop exciting me."

Aarvi giggled silently before kneeling next to him, "I didn't even do anything." She sounded all innocent and then again pressed his soft lips against his smooth cheek.

Opening his eyes, he looked at her calm face but playful eyes. Taking his hand out of the water, his wet fingers brushed her small hair lock away, "Aren't you alright?" He asked. He had got the message from Shawn when he had instructed their team to dig deep about Tia.

The mischievous eyes morphed to serenity, her voice had a hint of bleakness, "When our own people can betray us, Tia is actually nobody to me." 

Aaron knew even though he was able to pass the hurdles, melted her icy heart, found a place for himself, she was still cold with very high walls built around her fragile heart. Even if she hears he betrayed her, she will be hurt but won't break down. She had molded herself too strong. In front of it, Tia was just a nobody.

If she was the same Ava Kelly, she would have probably been heartbroken. Now, she has learned who she should trust. "I am offended because of how she studied Dax and became his girlfriend." One suspicion is enough to question the existence of a person. Likewise, the question of Tia's identity was making them doubt every behavior of Tia. 

Aarvi shrugged her shoulders, "She probably doesn't know, I am worse than her." She meant she could change the whole situation around and push Tia to the cliff of no return. She wasn't a righteous lady once somebody offends her.

Aaron immediately twisted her ear despite knowing what she meant, "Excuse me. My girlfriend is a skilled, top-notch strategist. How dare you call her worse? I won't tolerate it next time." He really didn't like how she described herself.

Aarvi hissed in pain, but she didn't know whether to cry or laugh hearing him say a top-notch strategist when it should be a schemer.

Rubbing her ear, she made a sad face hoping to persuade his little irritation, "But I heard  your girlfriend is an adorable, innocent, pretty little doll." She used Shea's words that she had summarized from Aaron's words.

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Against her expectation, Aaron denied it, "Nope. Absolutely not." He said with a straight face leaving her speechless. As far as Aarvi knows Aaron, he still thinks of her as a fragile unharmful doll.

'Is he still angry?' She pursed her lips.

"My girlfriend is a seductress who I am itching to pull her into the bathtub." From the first kiss on his forehead, he was keeping his hands in check before they could grab her and pull her to his embrace. She was a living temptation for him.

To be accurate, he was tempting, with the steam around him and wet wispy hair. Aarvi took the warning seriously, looking at his intense gaze that was trying to bore a hole to her soul. She ran out of the bathroom and heard his throaty chuckle. 

She wasn't afraid of him, she just wanted him to eat and rest. "Eat and rest, Aaron." She didn't add, 'Don't play around.'

She heard Aaron hum in acceptance after a few seconds, "I will eat and we will rest." His tone was husky and suggestive, running her thoughts wild. 

To Aarvi it sounded more like, 'I will eat you, then we will rest.' The previous night played in her head without her uncontrol. She felt her face turn hot and she blurted out, "Eat FOOD and rest." She stressed the word 'Food' which flustered her more, "I mean eat the supper I prepared for you and rest."

Aaron, who was at the other side of the wall, wished he could see her face while teasing her. Suppressing his curled lips, "Aarvi, why are you repeating the same?" He sounded confused.

Aarvi: "..."

She was wordless at her shameless thoughts for feeling herself like the delicacy of Aaron while she assumed he was a gentleman without such thoughts.

'My corrupted shameless brain.' She buried her pink glowing face on the pillow and cried to herself.

Aaron had supper watching her bury herself in a pillow without sharing even a spoon of food. After a few minutes, she sat up remembering he had operated on a young girl named Ava.

"Did you choose to be an assistant surgeon because of the name Ava?"

Aaron was caught by surprise at her words. He chided Milo Wen in mind for reporting that too. He didn't lie to Aarvi, he nodded promptly accepting her words. 

"Aaron Rivas, you are such an emotional dummy. Come here. Let me protect your big heart." She stretched her hands, calling him closer.

Anyway, Laze took his place. It jumped on the bed and curled on her lap, bringing a bright smile to her face. 

Aaron: "...."

Could he be jealous of Laze for bringing that smile on her face? Anyway, he cuddled his love rival and girlfriend to sleep.

----

In the morning,

Zain appeared at Skyarc after being busy for two days straight. Aarvi brought him to the penthouse, showed him around while Aaron was preparing breakfast for four.

Shawn joined them for breakfast. Zain revealed about the investigation he had carried out on Tia, "Every document of Tia Spencer has the new Tia Spencer pictures, fingerprints. When I say every document means the government documents too."

Aarvi and Shawn glanced at each other. Aaron silently had breakfast but nobody could guess what he was thinking. Forging the government documents wasn't impossible but needed a very high-level connection with the department or highly qualified to hack into the secured system.

Zain took a bite of his toast, chewed it while in deep thought before asking, "How did your team confirm the real Tia Spencer is dead?"

Aarvi placed her juice glass down, "Firstly…" Aarvi explained her team activities before she told him another piece of information, "And very importantly, Tia made a critical mistake..."

Zain and Aaron heard how the three friends dug out a small mistake of Tia that easily peeled off her mask.

Zain continued after a bite of his toast, "Ignore this Tia. I have some interesting news about the real Tia Spencer."

"Huh?" Aarvi tilted her head curiously. They had nothing to do with the real Tia Spencer. So how could that be required for them?

"Leon destroyed the Spencer family." The three he meant, Mr. Spencer, his son, and his daughter.

"What the…" Shawn broke down the reason behind real Tia Spencer's death.

Tia Spencer went into the beast den to gather the proof against Leon Harmon but got caught. That's how the real Tia Spencer lost her life which was fabricated as an accident.

Aaron leaned back on the chair and uttered clearly, being very accurate about his deduction, "Master Spencer was Elder Harmon's personal lawyer."

"He is right." Zain nodded in acceptance.

Aarvi and Shawn felt like their mind was about to blow up.