Flora was left frozen in place, unable to believe Charles had just walked out on her. She had been so forward, and yet he remained completely unmoved. A wave of humiliation washed over her, and tears began to stream down her face. The door clicked shut, accompanied by the sound of her own choked sobs. All she could do was console herself. Charles had always been like this. He hadn't changed; he was just a responsible man.
***
It was past midnight by the time Gideon finished with company matters. He found himself involuntarily thinking of Aria’s pale face, and with a turn of the steering wheel, he headed for the hospital.
After a battery of tests, doctors couldn't definitively say whether he was showing early signs of a genetic disease relapse, but Gideon couldn't afford to waste any more time in the hospital. Major and minor decisions at Evercrest Prosperity Holdings were all waiting for his approval.
If only Aria were by his side. She had been his right hand, his most trusted strategist, and Henry wasn't even a fraction as competent as she was. They were getting divorced now. If he gave her half the shares in the company, did that mean she would soon be working with him again?
Gideon tapped his fingers on the steering wheel at a red light. His phone chimed with a notification. He glanced at it distractedly, but his eyes widened when he saw a picture of Aria. He immediately picked up the phone and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
#GeniusAriaFightsBack
#AriaIsTheMoment
Overnight, Aria’s name was dominating multiple trending topics. Gideon clicked on each one, reading through them. Finally, his finger stopped on the list of awards in her profile bio. Her comment section was lively, and she was replying to nearly every message.
[SilverEcho: Girl, are you really Professor Alden’s last student?]
[Alden: @SilverEcho Of course.]

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