Aiden let his eyes stay on Arwen as he reached out to take his phone. "I will take this call, then."
She nodded to him, extending her hand to gesture him out. He pushed the chair and got up to leave.
Arwen watched his silhouette disappear, and a soft, adoring smile curled up her lips. She always thought being upset over something was heavy and distressing. But with him, even that felt fun.
She felt good teasing him. Was that why he always teased her? Because he also felt it was equally satisfying?
She shook her head at that thought. But just then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw someone move behind her.
She immediately looked and paused. "Ms. Martin," she called softly. "What’s wrong? Was the dinner once again not up to your taste?" Her eyes darted to look at Selene’s plate, which was on the other side of the table.
She couldn’t see it properly, but she could tell, Selene had barely touched the food.
"You barely had anything," she commented with a frown. "Are you not feeling well? Should we call a doctor?" Turning to the butler, she was about to give the order, "Mr. Jones, —"
However, Selene’s words made her pause.
"Stop it, Arwen."
Arwen halted, turning to look at her, a slight confusion flickering in her gaze.
"Why do you have to humiliate me like this?" Selene asked back, and Arwen blinked for a moment, trying to wrap her head around her accusation.
She pointed a finger at herself as she asked in quiet amusement. "I humiliated you? How? And when?"
Selene’s jaw clenched as she took a threatening step forward. However, Arwen’s stance never faltered. She remained standing, rooted and firm.
"Arwen, I underestimated you," she said, shaking her head. "I thought you were kind, but I never knew you were so vicious before. You never plan on giving up that chair. You made it seem like you did, but you just wanted me to feel insulted, didn’t you?"
Arwen was slightly taken aback. Not because Selene said something that wasn’t true, but because she did expect to give herself away so easily. Hadn’t it been just too easy?
Shaking her head internally, she crossed her arms and looked at her. "Vicious?" she repeated the words before pulling her lips into a smile to ask. "Then can you tell me how I could have been kind to you?"
"You —"
"You asked for the chair, I gave it to you, didn’t I?" Arwen cut her off quite smoothly... effortlessly. "How was that not kind of me, Ms. Martin?"
Selene felt tongue-tied. She wanted to get rash with Arwen, but it seemed like Arwen was in control. She simply wouldn’t let her outspeak her.
"If you change your perspective, you will see that it was very kind of me, Ms. Martin," Arwen spoke again, her tone soft and gentle. "To give you what’s mine, even if it’s just a chair, is kind of me, because I don’t owe you any kindness. So, the next time you make a statement like that, choose your words wisely —words that truly mean to represent me."
"I am not vicious," she smiled before taking a step close to her and then leaning closer to whisper. "I am just not a saint."
Selene’s brows furrowed as she stared at her, for a second taken aback.
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