“Anna!” Layla reprimanded with a sharp glare as Aria observed the exchange between the mother and daughter.
Layla’s face had hardened in anger with her teeth gritted while Anna didn’t pay a heed to her rage. It was the first time Aria had seen Layla this restless.
Was this a part of her real face?
“Nevermind” Anna shook her head and pointed towards a store “let’s go there!”
Aria looked towards the store and frowned “Baby store?” she asked quite sceptically.
“Oh dear, hasn’t Anna told you?” Layla said while going towards her daughter’s side and caressing her belly “She’s pregnant”
“Almost 5 months” Anna said while looking down at her belly. Only then Aria noticed the small bump on her stomach.
“Oh my god, I didn’t notice!” Aria couldn’t believe it because she met Anna just a few weeks ago at the party and still didn’t notice her bump.
“I wouldn’t expect you too” Anna scoffed as she entered the store “You are like Abigor for that matter, I don’t think he still knows that his sister is pregnant”
Aria frowned, she felt insulted being compared to Abigor by Anna, because she hated him.
“But didn’t you drink wine at the party?” Aria asked as Anna shrugged.
“A little wine does nothing to me or my champion”
Aria wanted to object to the idea but she controlled herself and looked ahead, trying to mind her own business.
“It’s a girl this time”
Aria heard Anna say from beside her while caressing her bump and looking at it sadly. Layla and Jacob stood a little away from them, picking out clothes.
“Congratulations” Aria said because she didn’t know what else she was supposed to say.
Anna snapped her head towards her “Do you think she will be treated badly?”
Aria shrugged “Why would you say that?”
“Because the Buterin family already got what they wanted; a son” Anna said and looked towards Jacob a little resentfully “a girl maybe is an unwanted guest to them”
Aria noticed her peculiar gesture towards her own son.
“Does your husband respect you?” Aria’s question caught Anna off guard.
“Of course” she replied without hesitation.
“Do you respect him?” Aria asked as Anna nodded.
“I do”
“Does your husband love you?” Anna turned to look at Aria with sceptical eyes but turned away again when she saw her playing with a kids toy.
“He does say that he loves me” Anna said quietly, trying to hide her growing blush.
“Do you love him?”
That question silenced Anna as she bit her lower lip and looked down. Pain evident in her eyes and it looked like she would cry any moment “I I don’t know”
Aria sighed and ran her hands through her hair, making a messy bun.
“Have you ever tried to give him a chance?”
Anna glared at Aria at this question with her fingers tightened up in a fist “My father married me off to him like a business deal! How can I give him a chance!”
Aria remained quiet even after her small outburst and looked at her teary hazel eyes “Anna, you cannot change the past”
Anna tried to protest but Aria silenced her with a raised finger.
“I know your marriage wasn’t fair and it wasn’t out of love, but what else can you do except accept it? Does he treat you badly? Does he abuse you?”
“What? No!” Anna quickly defended her husband as Aria smiled inside, small sparks of love were already visible on her horrified face at the mention of it.
“Then? What’s the problem? Do you want the hate for your father to control you? Do you want him to ruin your chances of having a loving family?” Aria said as Anna looked down.
“B-But I don’t know how he will treat our daughter” Anna stuttered in despair.
“Give your husband a chance, don’t judge him based on your father’s actions in the past. . .” Aria placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder which made her look up at her “. . . and if he failed as a father, then bring your daughter to me, I will protect the both of you I swear”
Anna stared at Aria with her mouth agape and her eyes sparkling in admiration.
“Oh my, you two girls are here!”
The both of them flinched at the sudden loud voice, as they saw Layla standing with Jacob in her arms and smiling widely.
Shit. . . did she hear everything?
“Me and my precious grandson chose amazing dresses for my granddaughter!” Layla said as Anna walked towards them with a neutral face as if nothing happened and looked through the clothes they had chosen.
Layla tried to transfer Jacob into Anna’s arms but Anna instinctively took a step back and glared at both Layla and Jacob.
Aria frowned, feeling a little bad for the little boy who looked down sadly but still clung to his mother’s side.
Layla walked towards Aria as Aria quickly gave her full concentration to her.
“Why don’t you buy something, my dear?” Layla asked with sweetened words which almost made Aria gag.
“I don’t think clothes here would fit me” Aria said with a smile as Layla laughed at it like it was the funniest joke. Anna turned as gave them a side-eye of curiosity.
“You humour me, Aria dear”
Aria gave a confused smile at her and nodded.
“Sooner or later you’d need them” Layla said with a knowing look as Aria looked at her in a start, knowing exactly what she meant.
“I’m sorry Mrs Hayes, I do not understand what you mean” she said as Layla smirked a bit.
“When you will conceive Abigor’s baby, just like Anna conceived her husband’s”
“Excuse me?” Aria said a little angrily, she wanted to tell the old woman to shut up and mind her own business.
“Hurts when someone steps in your business doesn’t it?” her voice came out colder and almost a whisper which sent shivers down Aria’s spine.
“What?” Aria managed to say as Layla turned to look at her with a serious face, all the smiles left her face.
“I hope you don’t intertwine in our family matters unless you are a part of it” Layla’s face hardened as Aria stared at her in a slight shock, Layla’s hand reached to caress the material of her shirt and then looked back up at Aria “Understand?”
Aria gritted her teeth and slapped her hand away “Disg-”
“MOTHER!” Anna jumped into the conversation, cutting Aria off as she grabbed Layla’s hand “Let’s go, it’s time to check out”
Aria watched as Layla went back to her laughing and smiling personality while Anna dragged her towards the cashier, Jacob followed them with his little legs.
Aria huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes, it had been an hour since they have been shopping and roaming around and she was ready to hit the road.
“Aria dear, I’ll see you next time” Layla said with a fake sweet smile as they stood outside the luxurious store. She pretended like nothing happened.
“Sure” was all Aria said as she watched Layla getting inside that red car.
Anna walked out of the store with Jacob “Jacob go inside the car and wait for me” she said strictly to her son with a frown as Jacob nodded.
He bowed in front of Aria as a sign of goodbye. Aria smiled and crouched down to kiss his forehead “See you later, young man”
Jacob’s face lightened up at the kindness as he looked down and nodded slowly, a small smile adorned his face.
“Go” Anna said from behind them as Jacob flinched and ran towards the car, getting inside while waving at Aria one last time.
Aria sighed and stood back up and turned to look at Anna, already staring at her.
“Thank you for today” Anna slightly bowed and thanked her genuinely.
“Why do you treat Jacob like that?” Aria snapped before she could stop herself. It got on her nerves how the poor innocent boy was treated by his own mother.
She didn’t care if she was overstepping the boundaries at the moment.
“Like what?” Anna tried to play dumb while avoiding her glare.
“You know what I’m talking about Anna, that poor boy is lacking affection”
At this, Anna’s face hardened and this time she glared at Aria “How could I love him when I all see when I look at him is a future murderer? And also a reason why my daughter won’t be loved by the family”
“He’s also your son!” Aria said in disbelief “And murders are nothing uncommon in the Mafia, get over it”
“He has his father to love him, the entire Buterin family to shower him with affection. But I’m saving up all my love for my daughter!” Anna huffed by the end of the sentence as tears brimmed her eyes.
Aria frowned. The prejudice she faced in her childhood based on gender really fucked up her thinking and traumatized her forever.
“I-I just don’t want my daughter to suffer what I did, I’m not my mother who keeps quiet and just watches from the sidelines as her husband tortures his own kids” Anna mumbled.
“You are right, you are not like your mother. . .” Aria said as Anna nodded and sniffled on her tears while looking up with determination.
“. . . Do you realize that you are becoming like your father? Only this time you are making your own son suffer what you went through”
Anna’s eyes widened as a sharp gasp escaped her mouth “I…I”
“What is his fault? Being born a male? He’s still your own child Anna, learn to treat both of your kids equally and not make such childish mistakes”
Anna remained quiet as she looked down remorsefully, her heart was heavy with guilt and the tears slipping down from her eyes were the proof.
“That’s all I had to say” Aria said and turned around to walk back to her car.
“Thank you” she heard Anna’s hushed voice as Aria nodded without looking back.
From the side of her eyes, she saw Anna getting inside her car and hugging Jacob tightly before their car drove away.
Aria sighed heavily in tiredness and relief as she spotted her black Audi “I really need to start minding my own business” she mumbled. Being with Abigor for this long had affected her and now she also found herself poking her nose everywhere.
Her bodyguard opened the car door for her and before she could get inside, her gaze landed on the same pale pink hair standing in front of the same shop in the same position.
But this time, the person slightly moved, proving that it was surely a human, as she slowly turned around. Aria’s eyes locked with the deep green eyes which radiated coldness.
The girl had a perfect straight nose and high pointed cheekbones. She stared straight at Aria as her lightly tanned hand came up to her pale hair and tucked a strand behind her ear.
“Mam?”
Aria flinched at the sudden voice and saw Taylor, her bodyguard, looking at her worriedly and sceptically “Is something wrong?” he further asked, as his eyes turned to look in the direction of the girl. But to his surprise, no one was there anymore.
That spot was empty as dry leaves danced with the warm breeze. It was as if no one ever stood there.
“N-Nothing, let’s go” Aria stuttered and hurriedly sat inside the car, slamming the car door shut.