During the meal, Leonard continued to eye Asher with displeasure. However, mindful of Vivienne and Melanie's presence, he refrained from voicing his discontent.
After lunch, the group headed back to A City. Vivienne joined Melanie and Asher in one car, while Leonard rode with the driver in another, looking rather solitary. He sighed repeatedly but could do nothing about it.
On the journey, Vivienne didn't say much, occasionally engaging Asher in conversation. It was evident that she held Asher in high regard. Being a reborn individual, Asher spared no effort in ensuring Vivienne's approval of him. By the time they reached A City, Vivienne had invited Asher to visit Snow family's residence, an invitation he politely declined, citing his numerous pending matters.
Initially, he had planned to start his venture in B City, but now, he decided to relocate it to A City, where Melanie was. He didn't want to be far from her, but he kept this thought to himself.
Upon returning to Snow family's home, they encountered Aria descending from upstairs. Melanie narrowed her eyes but said nothing, pretending everything was normal.
Aria greeted them warmly, her inquiries showing concern, though her demeanor remained distant, except towards Leonard.
Melanie retired to her room, scanning her surroundings before heading to the third floor. The Snow family's house was equipped with surveillance cameras, typically unused unless necessary. Curious about Aria's actions, she checked the footage, given Aria's room was on the first floor, not upstairs.
Observing the monitors, Melanie saw Aria entering Vivienne and Leonard's bedroom, lingering for a while before moving to the study. Aria even attempted to enter Melanie's room but was thwarted as it was locked when she left.
Calmly, Melanie saved the video clips on her phone. Perhaps Aria had already begun plotting against the Snow family or seeking more advantages. Narrowing her eyes, she hesitated to send the video to her father, fearing he might act rashly and alert Aria. Moreover, the footage only proved Aria visited the master bedroom and the study, not implicating her directly. Confronting Aria now could result in counter-accusations.
After some thought, Melanie forwarded the videos to her mother without further comment. Vivienne, being perceptive, would naturally grow wary. But she wouldn't inform Leonard. Both she and Melanie understood the importance of solid evidence before taking action.
Vivienne adhered to the principle of utterly eliminating enemies once she acted. Unbeknownst to Aria, Vivienne's suspicion of her deepened from that day forward...
The day after Asher returned to A City, Melanie reached out to him proactively, inquiring about his condition. Given Asher was currently without care, she was concerned.
Holding his phone, Asher listened to Melanie's voice, his eyes half-closed. He deliberately knocked over the glass beside him, the sound of shattering reaching Melanie's ears, instantly alarming her.
"What happened?" she tensed up.
Asher explained casually, "It's nothing, just didn't hold the cup properly. It slipped and broke on the floor... No harm done, doesn't hurt."
Melanie was a bit annoyed, wanting to scold him, but considering his injured state, she refrained from it.
"...Send me your current address! I'm coming over!"
"Okay."
Asher's somber gaze softened into a smile.
