The Manipulated Villainess

Aston Kang.

When this name escaped her stepmother's lips, Nicole fell silent.

Hearing Garcia Han saying the name was already dreary enough but... did she say she knows how much she cared about Aston?! But how?!

She glanced at Garcia Han's confident demeanor and she could felt her throat running dry! Not Aston.

"If I had known that this will shut your mouth, I will already bring it up sooner." Garcia Han coldly remarked.

Garcia Han turned around and took a seat on the single couch. "Blood-related or not, I was the one who raised you, Nicole. I can see right through you. Do you wonder how I know this fact?"

"This morning when Aston Kang walked in, I saw the way you look at him. You know, Nicole. Eyes never lie."

"You can't blame me for this," Nicole muttered. Now that she heard how Garcia Han finds out, she still had a way to distort the truth a bit.

"What are you saying?" Garcia Han asked.

"You are the one who told me to be with him while I was ignoring my own feelings," Nicole said.

Garcia Han narrowed her eyes at her thighs and slightly smiled. Then she turned back to Nicole. "The whole day, I wondered why you were so against my idea when I told you to accept him. Then I realized one thing. It turns out that you are afraid I would make use of him. He's special to you."

Nicole wondered what would be the best solution for this matter. She was persistent before but now, Aston was involved. She wasn't sure of what to say anymore.

Garcia Han suddenly rose from her seat. "I will go home for tonight but mark my words, Nicole. I won't tolerate any of this nonsense by the time I come back." She picked up her bag and walked to the door.

"One day... I will prove to you that my father is innocent." Nicole muttered.

The Minister halted but she didn't turn back anymore. After standing still for a few seconds, she opened the door and left the hospital room.

The moment Garcia Han closed the door, Nicole let out a breath which she didn't even know she was holding. 

Right now, she only had one thing in mind. What if Aston was in danger?!

*

When Nicole opened her eyes the next morning, she finds Aston sitting next to her bed. When she glanced at her watch, she realized that it was only 6 a.m.

"Do you sleep well?" Aston asked her with a little smile.

"Why did you come here? I already warned you last night that it's dangerous." Nicole promptly said as she gets up and sat on the bed.

"I'm not afraid." Aston simply said. "You should promise me one thing, Nicole. Even if she threatened you by using me, don't waver. It's not that easy to kill me."

"You are just a human too. Don't be too confident." Nicole said with a frown.

"You should answer me first," Aston demanded. He was glancing at Nicole right in the eyes.

Nicole sighed but it was immediately followed by a smile. "I already told you before that I won't change my mind. That's not my nature. I will be fine as long as you don't run away." She dryly said which made Aston laughed.

"That won't happen, so that means... you will have to stick next to me forever." The actor mused.

"I won't really mind that," Nicole remarked and slightly chuckled. "But don't you say that your schedule is full for today?"

"Yeah," Aston replied and glance at his wristwatch which Nicole gave to him on his birthday. "If I return right now, I will still be on time. I came here to hear your answer. That's all."

"You already hear it, so you should leave now. I don't want people to say that Aston Kang is very unprofessional." Nicole jokingly said and Aston nodded.

"Alright." He rose from his seat and bent down a bit to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Take care." He said with a smile and left the hospital room.

Nicole was quite amazed by Aston's influence on her. Just last night, she can't even sleep due to what Garcia Han said to her. She was more than worried but now, his short visit made her felt at ease right away!

What she finds so strange was that she actually believed him when he said that it's not easy to kill him. Was she crazy? Maybe not. It's just that she trust him enough. He will protect himself.

While she was lost in her thought, the sound of the knocking on the door aroused her. Then she darted her eyes to the door. It's still so early. Who might it be?

Then the door was opened and when she saw the person who entered the room, she wasn't that pleased but... she didn't make it obvious.

"It's you, Mr. Aris." She calmly said.

Mario Aris made his way to her and stood beside her bed. "I was informed that you are hospitalized. So, I came to check on you." He said. His demeanor was quite normal.

"You don't have to come here but thank you. It's just a minor injury. I will be discharged soon." Nicole formally said.

"That's a relief. Your secretary asked me if it would be okay to postpone the final meeting for a few days. That's why I know about your injury." He made a deliberate paused and bent down a bit. "I hope Miss Yang don't think that I'm investigating her." His lips curved into a playful smile.

Yelena instantly frowned. There he goes again! Why can't he never be serious for long?!

"If Mr. Aris doesn't stop behaving this way, it won't be strange even if I think that way." She bluntly remarked.

Mario Aris stood straight and laughed. "Then I think you will need to keep on thinking that way. It's quite fun, so I have no intention to stop for now."

"Then I hope you won't come again. I'm a patient and I have no energy to play along with your jokes." Nicole responded with a little sigh.

"It's rude to say that to a visitor, Chairwoman Yang. Besides, didn't you say that it's just a minor injury?" Mario said, faking a confused face.

Nicole was utterly annoyed by how he keeps on feigning ignorance. "Can you just leave?" She said, trying hard to hold back herself.

"It's still early. Isn't it great to have a visitor rather than being alone?" A victorious smile appeared on Mario's face.

"I prefer to be alone." She bluntly said and Mario chuckled. He always finds her amusing.

Then the door was suddenly opened and Garcia Han appeared. Her observing gaze instantly landed on the young man who was standing there with a smile on his face.

"Mother." Nicole promptly said and Mario Aris darted his eyes to the door. He identified the woman as the Minister of Justice, Nicole Yang's stepmother.

"He is the Representative of Aris Group from New Zealand. I mentioned the meeting to you yesterday." Nicole explained when she noticed her stepmother's scrutinizing gaze.

Garcia Han finally stopped observing the young man when she heard Nicole. "You are a business partner? Thank you for making time to visit Nicole." She said out of courtesy. After all, she's a politician.

Mario Aris slightly smiled and turned to Garcia Han. "It's an honor to meet the Minister of Justice. I'm Mario Aris."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Aris." Garcia Han said and glanced at Nicole. "So, what about the meeting? Do you schedule a new time?"

Nicole realized that she still didn't know about that. She just turned to Mario to know the answer.

"It's scheduled. It will be after two weeks." Mario spoke up when he understood Nicole's gaze.

"That's great to hear. Nicole really deemed the meeting important." Garcia Han remarked with a smile.

"I'll get going then. I still have another appointment." Mario Aris said as he slightly bowed to the Minister. Then he glanced at Nicole. "I hope you recover soon, Miss Yang."

Nicole nodded and he walked out of the room. He left the hospital right away and entered his car. Then he shifted his gaze back to the hospital.

"What's wrong with your expression? Is the injury that serious?" Jony promptly asked him.

Mario shook his head. He just finds it... strange. Why did the Chairwoman who never hesitated to express her mind, suddenly seemed to be wary when the stepmother appeared? Nicole Yang was always frank but... he shook his head. He might only be overthinking things.

"Mario, is everything fine?" Jony asked when he noticed the unusual demeanor of his friend who was also his boss.

Mario turned to Jony who was sitting in the front. "Can you get me information on the Minister of Justice?"

"Why so sudden?" Jony confusedly asked.

"Nothing serious. I just want to know more about her." Mario said as he shifted his gaze back to the hospital.....