After All the Hurt, She Chose Herself novel Chapter 179

Lilith shrank further behind Flora.

She acted as if she was terrified Aria would do something to her.

In the past, Charles would have immediately stepped in front of Lilith, warning Aria to drop her malicious schemes.

But now, Charles hesitated.

Was Aria really bullying Lilith? Not at all.

“Aria, you’re scaring Lilith!”

Flora pulled Lilith protectively behind her, then gave Aria a dismissive once-over before her gaze landed on Raphael.

Of course, she knew who he was.

Raphael, Aldous Evernight’s only son.

He remained silent, but when his eyes casually glanced in her direction, she felt as if she had been frozen solid.

An icy chill ran through her veins.

There was no emotion in his eyes. It was as if, to him, Flora wasn't a person, but an object.

Flora opened her mouth to say something more, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Do you want to walk around some more?”

Raphael looked at Aria, his voice gentle.

Aria shook her head. “My mood is ruined now that I’ve seen such unpleasant people.”

Raphael nodded in agreement. As Aria turned to leave, he turned to follow.

“Aria,” Charles couldn’t help but call out to the departing woman, his throat feeling dry. “Can we talk?”

Aria paused but didn’t turn around.

There was nothing left to talk about.

The two of them had already drifted too far apart. The more they talked, the more conflicts would arise.

Aria didn’t want to argue. She just wanted to get what was rightfully hers.

***

The truth was, she was intimidated by Raphael and just saw Aria as an easy target.

Gideon pursed his lips and pulled Aria into his arms. “Were you crying?”

Her eyes were still slightly red, a detail Gideon only noticed when he leaned in closer.

His frustration with Aria dissipated in that moment.

Perhaps she felt bad about hitting him, too.

As the father of her child, he had sided with someone else against her. All Aria wanted was the love and attention of her husband.

“I know you’re just being stubborn, but Lilith doesn’t have much time.”

“Stubborn?” Aria repeated. “What makes you think I’m being stubborn?”

She wasn’t being stubborn at all.

Sylvia’s house was left to her biological daughter. As that daughter, how was it stubborn for Aria to want what was rightfully hers?

Gideon sighed in exasperation. “You had no relationship with Ms. Sterling, so where is this deep emotional attachment coming from? Isn’t it just that you want the house because Lilith values it? If not, why haven’t you ever mentioned it in all these years?”