Chapter 5

Aria's POV

After hanging up, I collapsed onto the bed.

Having spent hours wandering in the freezing snow, my body began to shake uncontrollably, and my forehead burned with a raging fever.

I didn't even have the energy to reach for a blanket. I drifted into a dark, heavy sleep.

I don't know how much time passed before I heard the click of the front door.

Heavy footsteps approached, and my bedroom door was thrown open.

"Aria, why are you still in bed at this hour?"

Julian didn't even notice my flushed, feverish face. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed.

"Chloe is back. Get up and come greet her."

I stumbled, nearly falling over as he dragged me into the living room. The sight before me instantly cleared my hazy mind.

Standing in our living room were Chloe Albright and Hunter Vance.

"Chloe heard we got married and flew back from London just to congratulate us," Julian said, his voice softening unconsciously as he looked at Chloe.

"And this is Chloe's fiancé... Julian Carter."

I looked at the man introduced as "Julian Carter," who was actually the real Hunter Vance, and quickly looked away.

Hunter's icy gaze swept over me with utter disdain, but when he turned to Chloe, his expression melted into pure tenderness.

I clenched my fists.

After all these years, Chloe was standing in my house, while I was shivering with a high fever, looking pathetic and weak.

"Aria, long time no see."

Chloe stepped forward, wrapping her arm around mine with fake intimacy. She leaned in, whispering in my ear, "Still as pathetic as ever, I see. You look like a stray dog no one wants."

I yanked my arm back and took a step away, my eyes filled with defensive anger.

Julian's brow furrowed, clearly displeased by my reaction.

Chloe let out a soft, delicate cough, looking incredibly frail. "The flight was so cold, and my stomach is acting up. Julian, could you ask your maid to make me some hot oatmeal?"

"Aria, go make it," Julian ordered immediately. "Aria's cooking is great, Chloe. You're in for a treat."

I stared at Julian. "I have a fever. I'm sick."

Julian's face darkened instantly, his eyebrows knitting into a tight scowl. "Stop throwimg a tantrum. Chloe flew all this way for us. You didn't even go to the airport, and now you won't even make her a simple bowl of oatmeal?"

Of course. In Julian's eyes, because Chloe was here, my sickness was just a dramatic act.

I let out a bitter, silent laugh.

My body was entirely drained of strength. I didn't want to waste my breath arguing with them, so I turned and walked into the kitchen.

When the first bowl of oatmeal was served, Chloe took a bite and frowned. "It's too salty."

I took a deep breath, took it back to the kitchen, and remade it.

The second time, she said it was too bland.

The third time, she complained about the texture.

By the fifth time, Chloe walked into the kitchen alone, shutting the door behind her.

"So, you know now, don't you? About Hunter and Julian swapping places to play you like a fool?"

Chloe smirked, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"Then you must also know that Hunter is your precious 'Seven' from the orphanage, right?" She leaned closer, her voice dripping with venom. "He promised to protect you forever, yet he doesn't even recognize your face now."

I kept my head down, ignoring her, but my hands began to tremble violently.

"Want to know a secret? He thinks I am Candy. He's been treating me like a queen all these years because of it."

Chloe's laughter grew wilder. "I wonder... if Christian finds out his beloved little sister has been shared by two men for two years, will he lose his mind? Will he break his precious military codes and rush back to save you?"

Before the words fully left her mouth, Chloe suddenly threw herself backward.

She grabbed the pot of boiling oatmeal and poured it over her own hand. The skin of her wrist turned instantly raw and red.

"Ahhh!" she screamed.

The two men burst into the kitchen.

Hunter rushed forward, catching Chloe in his arms, inspecting her hand with intense panic. "What happened? Chloe, are you okay?"

He whipped his head around, glaring at me with murderous eyes. "I didn't know Julian's wife could be so vicious."

Julian's face was even darker. Whether it was anger or jealousy over Hunter holding Chloe, his eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at me.

"Aria, you and your brother bullied Chloe back in school, and she never held a grudge."

"I can't believe that after all these years, you're still this cruel!"

Julian's voice was freezing. "Go out to the terrace. Stand in the snow until you learn how to apologize."

I stared at him, my last shred of hope dying. "I didn't push her."

"I have a fever. My knees can't take the cold. You know this, Julian."

Julian knew about the chronic joint damage in my knees. He used to protect them carefully, never letting me get cold.

For a second, Julian's eyes flickered with hesitation.

Even Hunter's brow furrowed slightly when he heard about my knees.

But Chloe chose that moment to whimper softly, "Julian, please, it's fine. Aria clearly doesn't want me here. I should just leave."

"Julian!" Hunter barked, warning his friend.

Julian's expression turned completely cold. "Take her coat. Put her out on the terrace."

Two burly bodyguards stepped forward. Without a word, they stripped off my heavy coat and dragged me toward the glass doors, shoving me out onto the freezing, snow-covered terrace.