📖 CHAPTER 12
Early the next morning 🌸
Very early.
The house was still quiet, wrapped in the soft silence that came before sunrise. Most of the staff were not even awake yet, and the sky outside was still pale with the first hint of morning light.
Aria was asleep under the warm blankets when suddenly—
Splash.
Her eyes slowly opened.
She blinked a few times, still half asleep.
Another splash echoed faintly through the quiet room.
She frowned slightly and pushed herself up on her elbows.
“What…?”
The sound was coming from outside.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up properly now, listening carefully.
Splash.
This time it was clearer.
She threw the blanket aside and walked toward the large window near her bed. The floor felt cold against her bare feet.
Pulling the curtain aside, she looked down toward the backyard.
And froze.
Ryan was in the swimming pool, his movements tense and unsteady, revealing a mind overwhelmed by unspoken worries.
Aria blinked again to make sure she wasn’t imagining it.
No.
There he was.
Swimming from one end of the pool to the other with strong, steady strokes.
The morning air looked freezing. A thin layer of mist hovered over the water, and the early breeze moved the trees slightly.
Aria wrapped her arms around herself instinctively.
“It’s freezing…” she murmured.
Even from inside the room, she could feel how cold the morning was.
And the water?
It had to be even colder.
Ryan reached the end of the pool and turned smoothly, pushing himself forward again without stopping.
His movements were sharp.
Almost aggressive.
Not the relaxed swimming someone would do for exercise.
It looked more like he was trying to exhaust himself.
He didn’t slow down.
Didn’t pause.
Just kept swimming.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Her mind drifted back to the argument from last night.
The words she had said.
Harsh.
Sharp.
Cruel.
She swallowed slightly.
He reached the edge of the pool again and stopped this time, gripping the side of it with both hands.
His head lowered slightly as water dripped down his face.
For a moment he didn’t move.
The cold morning air surrounded him, but he didn’t seem to care.
Aria watched quietly from the window.
Something about the scene felt strange.
Ryan Carter was a man who controlled everything in his life.
His company.
His image.
His emotions.
Yet right now…
He looked like someone trying to drown his thoughts.
Ryan pushed himself away from the edge again and began swimming once more.
Aria exhaled slowly.
“He’s going to get sick,” she whispered under her breath.
The water splashed again as he moved across the pool.
She stayed by the window longer than she meant to.
Just watching.
Trying to understand the man who lived under the same roof as her, she felt a strange pull-part curiosity, part worry-about what lay beneath his stoic exterior.
The man who always seemed so untouchable.
Yet this morning—
Swimming alone in freezing water before sunrise—
He didn’t look untouchable at all.
Her chest felt tight, a mixture of guilt and concern swirling as she watched him, feeling helpless yet drawn to his silent struggle.
The memory of last night replayed in her head.
Every word she had said.
Every harsh sentence.
She swallowed hard.
“Why did I say that…” she whispered to herself.
She closed her eyes for a second.
She had been angry.
Frustrated.
But that didn’t justify the way she spoke to him.
She remembered the look in his eyes when he stopped arguing.
That quiet silence before he walked away.
Guilt slowly settled inside her chest.
Her eyes drifted back to the pool again.
Ryan was still swimming.
The morning air looked freezing. A thin fog hovered above the water, and the breeze moved the surface of the pool slightly.
He had been out there for a long time.
Too long.
Her fingers curled against the curtain.
“He’s going to freeze…”
Without thinking much more, she turned quickly and grabbed a large towel from the bathroom.
Still wearing her night dress, she rushed out of the room and down the stairs.
The house was still quiet.
The marble floor felt cold under her bare feet as she moved quickly toward the back door.
She pushed it open and stepped outside.
The cold morning air immediately brushed against her skin, making her shiver.
Ryan was still in the pool.
But just as she stepped closer, he reached the edge and pulled himself out of the water.
Aria stopped walking.
For a second she completely forgot why she had come outside.
Water dripped down from his hair and shoulders as he stood up.
His wet hair fell slightly over his forehead, drops sliding down the side of his face and along his neck.
The cold air made faint steam rise from his skin.
The muscles in his shoulders and arms tensed as he pushed the water away from his eyes.
Aria froze.
She hadn’t expected him to look—
Like that.
Her heart skipped awkwardly.
She quickly forced herself to move again and stepped closer, holding out the towel.
“Ryan… here is the towel—”
Before she could finish the sentence, he reached out and took it from her hand.
No hesitation.
No eye contact.
No acknowledgment.
He grabbed the towel.
Then walked past her.
His shoulder brushed lightly against her arm as he passed, the coldness of his gesture deepening the unspoken rift between them.
The gesture wasn’t aggressive.
But it wasn’t gentle either.
It was distant.
Cold.
He wrapped the towel around his neck as he walked toward the house without looking back.
Aria remained standing beside the pool.
Still holding the empty air where the towel had been.
Her lips parted slightly.
But no words came out.
He hadn’t even looked at her.
Not once.
The morning breeze moved through the yard again, making her shiver.
But the cold she felt now wasn’t from the weather.
It was from the silence he left behind.
Main Carter Mansion
The grand doors of the Carter mansion opened slowly as Kim stepped inside, her confident smile hiding a calculating plan.
Behind her, two maids followed closely, their arms full of large luxury shopping bags. The soft rustling of paper and designer boxes echoed lightly across the polished marble floor.
Kim removed her sunglasses and handed them to one of the maids before brushing a strand of her silky hair behind her ear.
Her heels clicked elegantly against the floor as she walked further inside the mansion.
Everything about her presence was polished.
Perfect.
Controlled.
The maids struggled slightly under the weight of the bags, but Kim didn’t seem to notice. She continued walking toward the large living room where sunlight poured through the tall glass windows.
Mrs Carter was already seated on one of the elegant cream sofas, sipping her morning tea while flipping through a fashion magazine.
When she looked up and saw Kim, her face immediately brightened.
“Kim, dear!” she said warmly.
Kim’s lips curved into a sweet smile as she approached.
“Auntie Carter,” she greeted politely.
Mrs Carter placed her teacup down and stood up to greet her, clearly pleased to see her.
But then her eyes drifted toward the maids carrying the mountain of shopping bags.
Her brows lifted slightly in surprise.
“Oh my… what is all this?”
Kim laughed softly, a gentle, elegant sound.
“It’s nothing, really,” she said casually.
She turned slightly toward the maids and gestured for them to place the bags down on the table.
The maids carefully set them down one by one.
Designer logos peeked out from the bags—luxury brands, expensive boutiques, exclusive labels.
Mrs Carter walked closer, curiosity shining in her eyes.
Kim reached into one of the bags and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box.
“I saw this yesterday while shopping,” she said softly. “And I immediately thought of you.”
Mrs Carter looked touched already.
“For me?”
Kim nodded sweetly.
“Of course. I know you love elegant things.”
Mrs Carter opened the box slowly.
Inside was a stunning silk scarf from a luxury designer, the fabric shimmering softly under the light.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh Kim, this is beautiful!”
Kim tilted her head slightly, watching her reaction with quiet satisfaction.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Mrs Carter reached out and gently squeezed Kim’s hand.
“You always know exactly what I like.”
Kim smiled again, humble and graceful on the outside.
But behind that perfect smile, her thoughts were elsewhere.
Her mind drifted back to the party.
To the moment Ryan walked in.
Not alone.
With that girl.
Her fingers curled slightly against her purse.
She still remembered the way Ryan looked at Aria.
That calm, protective way.
It irritated her more than she wanted to admit.
Kim had known Ryan almost her entire life.
And suddenly…
Some unknown girl appeared beside him.
Living in his house.
Standing at his side as if she belonged there.
Kim’s smile stayed perfectly in place as she spoke again.
“So… how is Ryan these days?”
Mrs Carter sighed lightly.
“That boy is impossible.”
Kim raised her brows slightly.
“Still working too much?”
Mrs Carter shook her head.
“That’s not the problem.”
She paused for a moment.
Then her expression hardened slightly.
“It’s that girl he brought to the party.”
Kim’s eyes flickered, though she kept her expression calm.
“Oh… her.”
Mrs Carter crossed her arms.
“I still don’t know who she is.”
Kim lowered her gaze slightly, pretending to think.
“I didn’t recognise her either.”
Mrs Carter scoffed lightly.
“And Ryan refuses to explain anything.”
Kim slowly sat down beside her.
“Well…” she said gently.
“Maybe it’s just temporary.”
Mrs Carter turned to look at her.
“What do you mean?”
Kim smiled sweetly again.
The kind of smile that looked innocent.
But wasn’t.
“Ryan has always been stubborn,” she said softly.
“But sometimes people just need a little… reminder.”
Mrs Carter narrowed her eyes slightly.
“A reminder of what?”
Kim’s gaze drifted toward the large mansion staircase.
Her smile slowly deepened.
“Of where they truly belong.”