A light-colored long dress, flat princess shoes, shoulder-length hair, with strands on each side tucked behind the ears, secured by a black bow. In her hand is a small luxury handbag, hanging in front of her. Her gentle face may not be stunning, but she is delicate and pristine, resembling a pure, flawless white flower. At this moment, Aria stands in the airport, watching as that tall figure walks through the crowd. Her eyes suddenly light up, just like the smile on her face, blooming with happiness upon seeing Poe Vaughn. She quickly steps forward, coming to stand in front of Poe Vaughn, her voice somewhat cheerful as she calls, "Brother." Poe Vaughn looks at the person standing in front of him, his eyes devoid of any fluctuation, not even the slightest change. He listens to Vincent Donovan’s words on the phone, and a detached "Mm" escapes from his throat. Whether it’s a response to Vincent Donovan or to Aria Rhodes is unclear. Vincent Donovan hears the airport sounds on Poe Vaughn’s end, as well as Aria’s voice, and says, "You’ve arrived in Las Vegas?" "Ethan Ainsworth and I are on our way to the airport now, but it’ll be tomorrow when we get to Las Vegas. We’ll meet tomorrow." The call ends, and Vincent checks the time; he estimates they’ll get to Las Vegas by tomorrow afternoon. Ethan drives, glancing over at him, "Poe has arrived?" "Mm, he probably has some business." Otherwise, he wouldn’t have arrived early. Ethan Ainsworth suddenly laughs, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, "I remember his half-sister is also in Las Vegas, right?" Vincent Donovan sees Ethan’s expression and knows what he’s thinking, saying, "To be precise, neither the same mother nor the same father." Poe Vaughn’s father cheated while his mother was pregnant. Upon learning this, Poe’s mother divorced and returned to the Vaughn Family, pregnant. Shortly after, Poe’s father married the woman with whom he had cheated, Ronia Ackerly. A year after their marriage, they had a son. As for Aria Rhodes, she was not born to them but to Ronia’s sister, Lily Ackerly. Lily Ackerly was deceived, unmarried and pregnant, the child born prematurely, and she passed away soon after childbirth. Ronia took her sister’s child to raise as her own daughter, which is the current Aria Rhodes. Thus, Aria Rhodes is nominally the daughter of Poe Vaughn’s father’s second wife, but in reality, she isn’t. Ethan Ainsworth, Vincent Donovan, and Poe Vaughn have a good relationship, so naturally, they’re aware of these matters, and they know Aria likes Poe Vaughn. None of them are fools. People like Aria, with her glances towards Poe Vaughn, are obvious to them. But Poe Vaughn has no affection whatsoever for Aria; one could say Poe is extremely indifferent to anyone from his father’s side. Even though Aria tirelessly attaches herself to Poe Vaughn, always calling him "brother" and acting like a dutiful sister, Poe remains unmoved. Completely cold-blooded. Ethan Ainsworth happens to enjoy teasing Aria. Every time he sees Aria clinging to Poe Vaughn, he goes to tease her, as a way to help his friend out with this nuisance. "Different mother, different father, but nominally she is Poe’s sister." "That girl shouldn’t hope for anything in this lifetime." Ethan’s words purely speak to the relationship between the two, not including Ava Sterling, which Vincent knows. In general, big families are very conscious of reputation, so Aria’s feelings for Poe Vaughn can only remain a secret within her heart. As long as she carries the identity of Poe’s father’s daughter, she cannot be with Poe Vaughn. Of course, even if it weren’t for this identity, it still wouldn’t be possible. Poe Vaughn doesn’t like her; he likes Ava Sterling. Vincent thinks of Aria’s voice he just heard and says, "That girl has already arrived at the airport to pick up Poe." Ethan raises an eyebrow, "So quickly? Where did she get the news?" Vincent’s lips curl into an ambiguous smile, "You know as well, every time she gets Poe’s news accurately." Ethan smirks, "Indeed, that girl seems pure and harmless, but her mind is quite unique." Speaking of this, Ethan imagines Ava Sterling’s cool and arrogant brows and eyes, clicking his tongue, "Still, Ava Sterling’s personality is better." "Girls should be like Ava Sterling, not troublesome, not exhausting." It’s rare for him to actually praise Ava Sterling, Vincent laughs, "So, you’re not angry anymore?" "Am I such a petty person?" Vincent laughs, watching the flow of traffic ahead, shaking his head, "You truly aren’t." Poe Vaughn hangs up the phone, looking at the person in front of him, "How did you know I was here." A direct declarative sentence, devoid of any question; yet, the words carry an unspoken pressure, not a hint of familial warmth. Aria’s smile freezes, then she tightens her grip on her bag strap, her eyes dodging, "I... I heard from the teacher that you were coming to Las Vegas, so I specifically asked the teacher when you would arrive, and then came here to pick you up." The teacher Aria mentioned is a respected figure in academia, previously Poe Vaughn’s teacher, now hers. Poe Vaughn looks at the person with a slightly pale face, timid and frightened, yet still persistent. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelꜰire.net He says, "Focus on your own affairs, don’t interfere with things you shouldn’t." His words are extremely cold, his voice extraordinarily heartless, without leaving any semblance of consideration. Aria’s face instantly turns pale. He has always been cold, barely speaking to her, but never as ruthless as now. Like a sword directly severing the path she wants to take towards him. Aria raises her head abruptly, looking at Poe Vaughn. But after speaking those words, Poe Vaughn withdraws his gaze, strides forward, no longer sparing her even a glance. Aria’s nails dig into that genuine leather strap. Why did he suddenly become ?