Chapter 5 Dating Anyone?
1021 Words
From across the living room, Lydia saw Aries return and quickly moved towards him.
Without hesitation, she took the cane from his hand, handing it off to the servant, and gently guided him to the sofa.
"Aries, let me help you over here."
Once he was seated, Lydia turned and shot Tanya a cold, assessing look as she entered.
She didn't say anything, but her expression was clear, her eyes scanning Tanya from head to toe with a judgment that made Tanya uncomfortable.
Lydia was from a distinguished family, raised in luxury, and she had that undeniable air of superiority that came with it.
Tanya instinctively lowered her head, feeling the weight of Lydia's gaze.
"Mrs. Hawke."
Tanya greeted her politely, but Lydia only responded with a dismissive grunt, barely acknowledging her presence.
"Come in."
With that curt permission, a servant threw a pair of disposable slippers towards Tanya.
Having lived under the roof of others for years, she was used to this kind of treatment and didn't take it to heart.
She slipped into the slippers and walked in, but just as she thought things might settle down, Lydia's sharp voice called her over.
"Now that you're back in the country, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Lydia's question was blunt, and it was clear she wasn't welcoming Tanya's presence. Tanya quickly grasped the underlying message and made her stance clear.
"I'll only be staying a few days. Just need to find a place to rent, and then I'll move out."
Originally, Tanya had planned to stay at a hotel, but Gawaine had insisted she stay at Hawke Manor. He had canceled her reservation as soon as she landed and had Reginald bring her luggage back here.
Now she had no choice but to stay for a few days while she looked for a place of her own. Once she found one, she'd figure out a way to convince Gawaine she didn't need to stay.
Lydia wasn't happy with this, but there was little she could do against Gawaine's stubbornness, so she resorted to warning Tanya herself.
"Find a place soon and move out as quickly as possible."
The more time Tanya spent under this roof, the more time she'd spend around Aries, and Lydia wasn't about to let that happen. She didn't want Tanya getting too close to him, even if it was just for a short time.
Though it had been confirmed that Tanya wasn't Gawaine's illegitimate daughter, Lydia still couldn't stand the idea of Tanya coveting Aries.
"Make sure you come up with a good excuse when you leave, or I'll end up being the one blamed for being unreasonable," Lydia snapped.
When Gawaine had sent Tanya overseas, he had scolded Lydia for being unreasonable, saying she couldn't even accept an innocent child. Lydia didn't want to deal with that kind of criticism again.
Tanya, understanding the situation, didn't argue and simply nodded in agreement.
"Got it."
In reality, Tanya didn't want to stay at Hawke Manor in the first place. If it wasn't for Gawaine's constant pushing for her to come back and develop her career here, she would have stayed abroad.
She knew better now. She didn't want to repeat her past mistakes. She had learned her lesson and was determined to avoid causing more trouble, especially with Aries and Lydia.
Compared to the past, Tanya had grown up a lot. Lydia still didn't exactly like her, but at least her tone wasn't as sharp as before. The disdain, however, was still there.
"Find somewhere far away. I don't want to run into you on the same street."
Silverwood Heights was an upscale neighborhood, and Tanya knew she could never afford a place there.
But Lydia wasn't concerned with that—she just didn't want Tanya anywhere near Aries.
But what if Lydia knew the truth? What if she found out that Aries had slept with the very person she hated most?
Would she still threaten Tanya? Would she go as far as to harm her?
Tanya didn't dare to think about it. She had to keep her head down and stay out of trouble.
"Sure, I won't be living anywhere near here," Tanya said, her tone respectful.
Lydia, sensing that pushing further would be poor form, raised her chin in dismissal and motioned towards the dining room.
"Go wash up. Dinner's ready."
Once Lydia gave the command, the servants started bringing out the dishes. Tanya washed her hands and made her way to the table.
Gawaine, who had just returned from a call in the study, noticed her entering and immediately waved her over with enthusiasm.
"Come, Tanya, sit next to Aries."
Gawaine was always trying to create moments for them to be together.
Unfortunately for him, Lydia wasn't having any of it, and Tanya didn't want to make things worse.
She politely declined with a smile, choosing instead to sit across from them, away from Aries.
Gawaine, never missing an opportunity to be doting, piled a few pieces of food onto her plate, urging her to eat more and asking how she was settling in.
Tanya kept her responses light, offering brief updates about her time abroad. She didn't want to dwell on anything that might stir trouble.
Lydia and Aries didn't speak throughout the meal. Only when Gawaine suggested making Tanya Aries' assistant at the company did Lydia finally break her silence.
"Tanya."
Lydia never used her name like that. It was always something like "hey" or "you", but now she was calling her "Tanya" with a tone that left no room for misunderstanding. She wasn't pleased.
Tanya slowly set her spoon down, meeting Lydia's piercing gaze with her own clear, steady eyes.
She gave a subtle nod, as if bracing herself for what was coming next.
"After being abroad for so long, you must have met a lot of people. Did you end up dating anyone?"
The mention of boyfriends caught Gawaine's attention, and he glanced at Tanya, clearly curious.
Only Aries seemed unfazed, reclining in his chair with his long fingers absentmindedly twirling his food with the fork.
- Writer
