The Traps of Black Swan

The Shadow team captain was quick-witted and discerned why she took his pen. He reacted fast and blocked her before she could take more than five steps.

"Ms. Evans, I don't think President Harmon could capture President Rivas. President Rivas must be late or on the way here. Don't get too agitated."

Aarvi clenched her teeth and glared at the man who was in front of her. Is she an idiot to assume Leon captured Aaron just like that? But he had a point. 

Aaron wasn't a common man, even if he stands off guard in public, hurting him to get her is utter foolishness. The Harmon family is nothing in front of the Rivas family who could destroy them to the roots. It's just that Leon Harmon is also powerful using immoral activities.

Despite thinking rationally, her fear of something happening to Aaron was just too much for her to handle. She wanted to see him at any cost.

How could he disappear into thin air? Aaron never lets his mobile rundown of battery so that thought ruled out. 'Then why is he unreachable?' 

She shoved the pen to the captain's hand and ran towards the elevator as she pulled her mobile out. The captain quickly followed her as he called the other members to relay the current situation.

Aarvi spoke to the manager of the mall, "I don't care what you do, keep an eye on Leon Harmon. Until I tell you, he isn't allowed to leave the mall." She hung up the call and was dialing another number when she heard the captain speak.

He had called Aaron's personal bodyguard, "Al. here, where is President Rivas right now?"

[He entered the mall fifteen minutes back. What's wrong? Is Ms. Evans in trouble?]

'Fifteen minutes?' Alex glanced at Aarvi understanding she panicked because she already knew Aaron was there. [Nope, Ms. Evans is alright but we can't reach the President.]

Aarvi ignored them and spoke on her mobile, "Locate Aaron, quick and call me."

She hung up the call hearing the response. She hated the slow elevator and people entering and exiting even for a single floor change.

Each second felt like an hour while Aarvi repeatedly tried to reach Aaron. She had completely forgotten about her body, her heart was pounding rather faster, her stomach was lurching repeatedly and she sweated in fear and instability of her heart.

As soon as the elevator door opened at the ground floor, she ran towards the security room to check on the security footage. Since she knew the time when Aaron was at the box office and the food counters, she hoped she could easily find him safe and sound.

She was just a few steps away passing by the infirmary when she sensed Aaron. Strangely feeling he was behind her, she turned around and saw a group of people rushing out of the infirmary with a little girl on the stretcher.

Her eyes skimmed through them and a tall silhouette caught her eyes, "Aaron!?" Her voice was low, trying to confirm herself he is Aaron. 

Then she yelled his name as she ran towards the exit where they were rushing, "Aaron…"

As she expected, he was Aaron, who was in a simple white shirt and dark trousers. He paused seeing her run towards him with Alex next to her but he failed to discern her shrinking panic. Aaron turned behind to instruct something to the mall staff.

Like a big stone moved from her heart, Aarvi felt a relief course in her seeing him free from any kind of danger. She was glad it was just her overthinking and everything is fine, Aaron is unharmed.

Her speed lowered gradually overtaken by her body condition, she felt slightly dizzy, her heart rammed against her chest making it hard for her to breathe. She was having palpitation due to overexertion. 

She wanted to tell that to Aaron but realized his attention wasn't on her and he was leaving without even calling her once. She deduced he must have been treating the emergency case at the mall and the continuous call of her might have irritated him.

'Did he turn off mobile due to my calls?' She staggered but quickly balanced herself. 'I am again overthinking.' She chided herself.

She was about to hug him craving to tell how his few minutes of unreachability and the coincidence with Leon made her so much feared for losing him. But Aaron held her arms.

He hurriedly said, "Aarvi, the patient looks very critical, I will tell you later about it. Go home, I will be back soon."

Her eyes went to her arm where he was holding her as her hands lowered that had raised to hug him. She really wanted to hold him back and say, the on-call doctor will look into it, he doesn't have to work so hard, it wasn't safe for either patient or his health.

She also wanted to add, 'I need you.' but it stuck in her throat. She didn't want to hold him back from what he wanted to do. She didn't know much about their profession so she didn't want him to waste time explaining it to her.

She had to battle between her imbalanced emotions that were making her vulnerable, her weakening heart, and the mind that wanted to compose her and be strong. 

Her mind won against her heart and emotions. She stood as though she was totally fine without making him worry about her or her health. She was about to nod to let him go but his hand patted her arm and he left without turning back.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she let out the held breath. Her body felt limp as she pressed her right hand on her chest looking at Aaron's back.

She wouldn't have held him back but she didn't expect him to have no time to get her response. Her dizziness worsened and her heart was pounding to jump out of her throat.

'Your health comes first.' Zain's warning rang in her head. 

She has to take her medicine but had no power to stand and felt like she might faint anytime soon. 

A hand appeared next to her when she struggled to hold herself, "Aar…" Her rest of the word faded looking in her blurry vision at Alex who was trying to help her.

Just because she looked weak, she wasn't going to hold or let anybody touch her. Staggering a few steps to lean on the wall, her hands had fetched the tiny box that had medicine and a small water bottle from her sling bag.

It had been many months since she had taken those tablets, she never thought she would take it due to Aaron.

Alex who had seen her change in various emotions witnessed her turning cold and determined before everything was hidden in her serenity that was too hard to read.

He or the other Shadow team members didn't expect Aaron to prioritize an unknown patient over Aarvi who was hellbent to save him due to his sudden disappearance. He silently followed her in case she faints.

"Don't follow me," Aarvi instructed before closing the door of the car and drove away after her heart had returned to function normally.

Panicked, the shadow team raced behind her before she disappeared into the night darkness without a trace. It wasn't the first time and every time she was successful in vanishing.

---- 

In the hospital,

Aaron was in the observation hall, watching chief surgeons operating on little Lara. Alex rushed in and narrated everything that happened in the mall before adding Aarvi left without a trace.