The Traps of Black Swan

At Dax's villa,

Aaron helplessly smiled looking at Aarvi snuggling on her seat in the car. "We reached." He thought it would wake her up.

Aarvi lifted her eyelids lightly and closed it shut as she mumbled, "You can take me in."

The regency they were in was highly secured, Dax had made sure Leon or any of his accomplices doesn't have a villa around there. Shawn had doubled the security, Leon and his men still think Shawn is in the Rivas mansion, none would dare to tail Aaron so she can let down her guard.

Resignedly shaking his head, Aaron alighted first and went around the car. He easily scooped her to his arms while the driver held the door for him. He indulgently remarked carrying her towards the door, "Slothful." 

"I know right." Aarvi yawned wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, "I finally got someone to mollycoddle." She added.

Given a chance to grow up again, she will only agree if she could have him beside her from childhood. She smiled snuggling her dainty face at his neck.

Aaron was about to ask her to press the calling bell, Shawn opened the door and teasingly smiled at his brother, "Are you guys sure you don't need privacy tonight?" 

Aarvi mumbled without opening her eyes, "Don't step in our room."

Aaron: "..."

Shawn leaned on the door frame and started his education grinning widely at his brother, "But brother, will you guys really enjoy knowing me, Dax, and Tia are in the room next to yours? I suggest you go back to your villa or find an amazing suite in a top tier hotel." His brows danced playfully at his brother.

Aarvi: "..."

She was thinking he said privacy because he saw them kissing and she was sure Dax and he already spoke with each other. Hearing hotel suite and privacy, she realized it is about making love.

She didn't find it repulsive but felt her cheeks turn hot for letting her mind wander off.

Getting off from Aaron's arms, Aarvi smacked Shawn before going in search of Tia. She didn't know Tia would be coming and it had been a long time she met Tia.

Chuckling, Shawn guided Aaron to a guest room to change his suit to a more casual look.

The villa wasn't big but suitable for a couple to occupy. Since Dax stays alone, it rather looked vast. The villa was in two stories, inspired and designed by aiming to address the quality of tenderness, through geometry, materials, and composition.

It had a modern Kitchen and Dining Area from the Living Area, giving a glimpse of the Bar Room that is next to the bay window giving an amazing view of the lawn.

The bedroom downstairs had artistically converted to a home office leaving the three Bedrooms upstairs with a second living hall creating an intimate gathering space for family members at night.

Aarvi met Dax who was busy with the preparation of cocktails, and Tia who was curiously learning about alcohol and cocktails from Dax.

When Shawn had gone to pick some flowers, he had dragged Tia along to enjoy the small fun party of three which is now a party of five. The bosses of the party are still the golden trio.

Aarvi was about to taste the aged wine that Dax bought for her and Aaron when a gentle force pulled her ear taking the wine flute away from her hand. 

Dax and Tia chuckled seeing her pout as they heard Aaron warning her, "If you are planning to drink, forget about the party."

Making a pretty innocent face, she said pitifully, "I just wanted to taste, Nothing more than a sip." Hoping he would let her take a sip.

When she didn't have her hard-earned money, she was drinking in her budget, now she has so much and she could get many things but can't enjoy it. 

Aaron sipped the wine and hummed in favor. "It's smooth, rich flavor without the bitterness."

Aarvi licked her lips looking at the delicious dark red wine swirling in the flute and his liking towards wine: "..."

Aaron sipped the wine again and continued, "It has pleasant aroma and essence." With a straight face, he successfully teased Aarvi making her crave for the wine.

Shawn, Dax, and Tia: "..."

They were wordless seeing him tease Aarvi without changing his expression. It is already hard enough to believe he is playful with Aarvi, much less seeing him still holding his straight face.

Aarvi pointed her forefinger at Aaron and challenged, "Aaron Rivas, stop me if you can." 

She grabbed the wine flute but Aaron chugged it down before letting go of the glass. Her hand reached for the wine bottle, Aaron was quicker and thanks to his longhand. 

Shawn, Dax, and Tia: "..."

The trio watched the two play around while the lady humphed repeatedly showing her negligible anger and the man continued to provoke her with his devilish smirk.

Dax and Shawn weren't surprised by Aarvi, they know this is just a small jolly side of her so they are spellbound due to Aaron. 

Whereas Tia's jaws had dropped for a few seconds before she poked Shawn, "Brother Shawn, do you know? I always thought Doctor Handsome… I mean Doctor Rivas and Sister Aarvi are poles apart. If this was a month before, Sister Aarvi would have broken a bottle by now... Are they dating now?"

Shawn grinned remembering Aaron and Aarvi before his birthday, it was a little hard to believe but it wasn't unbelievable for him. He hoped he could get his fun-loving, happy, smiling Little Heart back with a small change.

That change was the real happiness of his Little Heart without hiding her sadness and pain behind her smiles.

"They are getting married soon." Shawn responded to Tia which made her exclaim and look at the couple in awe, "Woah…"

Dax questioned hearing him so assured, "How do you know?"

The trio saw Aaron forcefully carry away Aarvi from there to the kitchen seeing her stubbornly try to drink. 

Shawn waited till they disappeared before he pulled the barstool and opened his gallery on his mobile, "Now guess them."

Tia jumped next to Dax and stood on her toes to check the picture. It was a picture of teenagers. The cute little girl was angry and was trying to argue with someone. The tall handsome teenager who had slight bruises was holding her.

From the whole picture, one could guess what was happening at that moment. The broken circle next to the handsome teenager belongs to him and he was hurt by a rider. The little girl was angry at the rider for his negligence. The handsome teenager was ecstatic and was trying to calm her down and stop her.

One could also easily say, the handsome teenager and the pretty little girl are very close. Even though it's hard to guess if they are siblings or friends or couple, Dax and Tia's were mind-blown due to different reasons.

Dax tried to sort the things out in his mind before asking. He knew Aaron liked Aarvi for a very long time but he never heard Aarvi liking Aaron until a few days earlier. If Aarvi knew Aaron so close enough, why was she treating Aaron so coldly?

Sort things out? Dax felt things weren't falling in place and was even more confused.

While Dax struggled to clear his thoughts, Tia blurted out, "I had thought Senior Ava and Sister Aarvi almost looked alike but they…" She gulped the rest of the words when the two men's intense gaze fell on her.

Their gaze spoke many emotions, it was fierce with a hint of anger, doubtful in judgment, and severe as though she wronged something. She wasn't used to such a situation and her eyes filled up and she stammered, "Did I say something wrong? I felt..."

Shawn and Dax realized they overreacted due to their over-protectiveness towards Aarvi. Dax's hand raised to pat her but he looked away from her lowering his hand.

Shawn pulled a tissue and handed her as he softly spoke, "You didn't say anything wrong. Have you told anybody that Little Heart looks like Ava Kelly?"

Pursing her lips, Tia dabbed the tissue on her cheeks as she thought about it, "I don't think so. Sister Aarvi strictly told me to keep her information confidential. So I never told her name in the home either."

Dax and Shawn silently breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her. 

Tia drank water when Dax pushed the glass in front of her. She wanted to ask if Ava Kelly and Aarvi are the same girls but she was weirdly afraid to meet the brooding gazes of two men.

Till a minute before, she had felt them like handsome boys next door, it hit her hard to realize she is just a shopkeeper and they are multi-millionaires and billionaires.

Shawn asked seeing her behave reserved. He first pulled her to sit on a barstool as he questioned, "How do you know Ava Kelly?"

Tia tried to remember as much as she knew before speaking. She didn't dare to face either of them while she briefed.

"I was an exchange student to Elite school. Senior Ava always used to play chess against either our teacher or computer. 

That's not the reason I remember her. Once I had gone with my friends to leave the paper boats to the lake and I had seen a girl trying to jump into the lake and a man was stopping her repeatedly from running into the water…"