Chapter 107 Request

KIA

The unexpected sound of someone knocking on the door startled both Vera and me. When I heard Ares' voice, I had already decided not to open it, but as soon as I heard it, I ran to the door and unlocked it.

"Hon!" I said as I threw myself at him and hugged him so tightly. I couldn't help myself.

You didn't tell me that you were seeing someone, did you? Ares mumbled something under his breath while looking at Vera.

“Oh! I was just about to tell you, but I see that you've already arrived. Vera, this is my husband, Ares. Excuse me, but I just wanted to introduce myself. Vera is my brand new best friend, and I wanted to introduce her to you." When I put them both in the same room together, I couldn't help but crack a grin.

Vera's expression suggested that she had just witnessed the resurrection of a deceased individual, in contrast to Ares's blank visage. Even after I had introduced her to my husband, she did not give any indication that she was interested in him. She was so still that it seemed like a statue was standing behind me. Ares extended his hand, but Vera appeared to be distracted by thoughts of the past.

I went ahead and touched her hand, and it was extremely chilly. "Vera, are you okay? Ares, you must have known this, right?" I mumbled, showing my concern for the situation.

She gave an exasperated shake of the head and quickly extended her hand to shake hands with Ares. "Uh — Uhm… Yeah… Vera, sir…"

"Don't make it sound like an official occasion. I am Kianna's husband. You can call me Ares," Ares said.

"Ahh… O-okay, Ares…”

“Wait… Vera, you just acknowledged that you are familiar with my husband. Have you met before?” While I was looking at both of them, I asked the question with a sense of curiosity.

“Yes…” Vera answered. I had the impression that there was something amiss with these two people. Ares treated her with such indifference, and I'm not sure why their relationship is fraught with tension. "Well, I mean, I've known him ever since I was your stalker back in the day whenever I hung out with Asteria," she said. "I mean, I've known him for a long time." You should know that we have always attempted to discover some information regarding your new life...

“Oh, I see. I had the impression that you were already familiar with one another. I was just about to ask you about Ares because he seemed to be acting so mysterious all the time, is that right, hon? I said, jokingly.

As a side note, Kianna, I have to get back to my house. It's getting late, and I know that if I left for home any later than 8, my father would be concerned about me." After that, she quickly gathered her belongings and put them in the bag she was carrying.

"Are you sure? However, I was under the impression that you were going to join us for dinner."

She responded, "I guess we'll see each other the next time." "I gotta go. Have a good day and see you at school!" Vera was on her way out the door when I intervened unexpectedly and stopped her.

"Wait! It's getting late, and it's not safe for you to walk to the bus stop by yourself, let alone make the commute all the way back to your house by yourself. Aside from that, we can't say for certain that the men who we haven't seen before didn't follow us here. To the best of your ability, could you please drive her home? It was not a good idea to go outside, especially not at night. Simply put, I am concerned about her well-being..." I made an effort to win his approval by holding his hand and showing him I cared. Because my husband is unable to refuse anything I ask of him, he gave in and agreed.

“Oh! It's getting late, and I still need to get dinner ready for our family. Vera, my husband will pick you up from work and bring you home so that you won't have to take public transportation. Hon, drive safe, okay?” After he had indicated his understanding of the question with a nod, he departed from the room to go into the kitchen and start preparing some food.

- “Let’s go…” Ares said to Vera. Vera had just reached the point where she could open the passenger seat when Ares abruptly stopped her. "What makes you think you're going to get away with it? I am not your f***ing driver, so please move to the front of the vehicle."

Vera acted immediately in accordance with what Ares instructed, and she located herself in the front row. Ares turned the key in the ignition and began to drive away.

Vera looked at Ares. "The address of my house is —"

"I am aware of the location of your residence; therefore, keep your mouth shut," Ares spoke up when nobody was listening.

After a period of complete silence that lasted for the next five minutes, Are abruptly began asking Vera a series of questions.

"Why are you with my wife?" Ares asked.

Vera took a deep breath in, and she noticed that her palms were beginning to perspire. "When you found us, we were working on a project that the dean had assigned to all of us to complete together. Kianna, I promise I don't mean any harm by what I'm about to say."

"Then why are you being such a pain in the neck to her again if you don't have any ill will toward her?"

"I have already informed you that it is for the project," the speaker continues.

"Vera, please stop making such ridiculous statements. You are the person she referred to as her new friend. When exactly did she begin to think of you as a friend of hers?"

"I changed, okay?! I am no longer friends with Asteria, and I want very much to make a change in my life that will be permanent. Following the events that transpired, I was able to gain some valuable insight. I am fully aware of the fact that I have been responsible for a great deal of wrongdoing in the past, but I can guarantee you that I will not repeat those actions with Kianna. It's incredibly thoughtful of her to treat me in such a manner—"

A smirk glimpsed on Ares's lips. "Stop manipulating people. That is not something I can support financially. I am aware that you were making preparations for something. Kianna is much too charitable to comprehend the situation. Because of this, you were able to manipulate her in such an effortless manner. Vera, I beg you not to engage in such childish antics because if I find out what you have in store for my wife, I will not stand for it. I solemnly swear that you will not approve of the methods that I will use to remove you from the picture. Put an end to being such a pest in her daily life. I want you to avoid her whenever you are at school, or even better, if you can, I want you to transfer to a different school in a different city so that she will never see you again."

"But... but I need to complete this task in order to get a good grade! Why is it that none of what I just said can convince you?! I am not lying and I am not planning anything! That undertaking was initially suggested by the dean, not by your humble narrator. She put the two of us together, and as a result, Kianna and I have a strong connection to one another. I am not interested in doing anything ridiculous, so if you could just... I humbly ask that you grant me the opportunity to demonstrate my worth..."

As he clenched his fists around the steering wheel, Ares' knuckles turned white. When he arrived at the bus stop, he pulled over and stopped the car. "It's fine, but make sure this is the final opportunity you give yourself to establish your credibility. Should you make even a single mistake, you will come to deeply regret it. Get out. Take this money, and ride the bus to your destination." He then handed her the cash and insisted that Vera exit the vehicle before continuing. She doesn't have a choice but to wait for a bus to arrive so she can go home.

After dropping Vera at the bus stop, Ares immediately drove back home, and when he arrived, Kianna had already served meals in the dining area.

"Mhmm! Smells good!" Ares said as he was walking in Kianna's direction.

"You're here already? Did you take Vera home?" she asked.

"Ahh, no. She said she will just take the bus so I let her."

"Is that so… Okay then, I will just get the plates and we will now eat. Have a seat. I prepared your favorite, Shrimp Sinigang!"

When Kianna arrived they ate dinner together while talking about what happened earlier. Ares made sure to assure her that everything was alright and that she doesn't need to get worried…

KIA

It was already midnight and Ares was already sleeping in the bedroom. I stayed here in the living room since I still need to think about the five members that I will choose to be part of my organization. The two slots were already for my two best friends, of course, so I only have three slots left… Who would it be?