Chapter 50
The following morning was filled with silence. Not the uneasy kind—just the rare quiet that arrived before obligations. Arianne woke up at the usual time, while the twins overslept—too excited, too energized after visiting their old home. Sleep, when it came, had taken them all at once.
It was already eight in the morning, and even Franz hadn’t descended from his room yet.
Arianne decided to appreciate the rare slow morning before facing yet another busy day at the Rochefort Group. She enjoyed her cup of coffee in the garden, which was still undergoing renovation.
The garden looked unfinished, but not neglected. The stone pathways were already laid out on the ground; newly planted roses, daisies, and bougainvilleas added color to the scene.
For once, there was no call waiting, no schedule demanding her attention.
She heard footsteps coming her way and turned toward the sound.
Arianne found Aunt Estella dressed for the event, ready to leave.
“Aria, dear, are you sure you don’t want to tag along?” the elderly woman asked. “Franz handed me five tickets for a special screening of his friend’s movie p>
Arianne smiled and shook her head. She appreciated Aunt Estella’s gesture, but she would rather not leave home today. Leaving the house today felt unnecessary, almost indulgent.
“It’s alright, Aunt Estella. Enjoy the film with your friends. Gio and I want to rest today. It’s been a while since we had a day off from work p>
“Okay. I’ll just drop by Michael’s bakery to bring some goods. It would surely lift the twins’ mood if they ate them p>
Arianne nodded and watched as Aunt Estella left.
After finishing her coffee, Arianne washed her cup and set it aside before going to the sitting room to read a book while waiting for Franz and the twins to wake up. She had already read half the book when Gio came down looking for her. Time slipped past unnoticed, measured only by turning pages.
Arianne raised her gaze and looked at her brother.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” she asked, noticing him holding his work tablet.
Gio adjusted his glasses and checked the tablet.
“A formal request for your cooperation has been received. They want to hear your opinion about the unresolved case p>
Arianne frowned but said nothing. She gave Gio a pointed look, as if scolding him for interrupting her peaceful hours.
“Don’t look at me like that, Aria. I’m merely doing my job as your executive assistant,” Gio said in defense.
Arianne sighed and closed the book she was reading.
“Fine. Let me see what this is about.” She extended her arm to take the tablet from her brother.
Gio handed the tablet over at once. Arianne checked the sender and the message. Just as her brother said, the sender explicitly requested her immediate attention. She had ignored their previous requests until they were forced to seek her attention directly.
Arianne shut her eyes and leaned back. This was supposed to be her day off, but work had found a way to pull her back. Schedules had a way of collapsing under expectation.
Gio waited. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“You should give them a response. Something like this can’t interfere with your work at the Rochefort Group,” he reminded her.
“I know,” Arianne conceded, but she remained unmoving in her seat.
When she opened her eyes, she handed the tablet back to Gio before standing, taking her book with her.
“Don’t allow anyone to disturb me. I’ll deal with it,” she said before going upstairs and disappearing into her study in the eastern wing.
Gio was left speechless. How could he dare tell the homeowner not to disturb her? He rubbed his temple and sat in the armchair his sister had occupied earlier.
At least she was doing something to stop the nagging he’d endured for two weeks now. That should be enough to buy him some peace for a few days. At least temporarily.
A few moments later, Franz was the first to notice her absence and asked Gio, who remained seated in the sitting room, watching a show on his tablet.
“She’s in the study. She said she needed to check on something,” Gio answered his new brother-in-law.
Thankfully, Franz didn’t press him with further questions. He accepted the answer and went to start his day without a fuss.
It was already eleven in the morning when the twins decided to come down. Leo looked for Aria as soon as he woke up. Habit had already formed.
When he didn’t see her in the kitchen or the sitting room, where she occasionally sat, the young boy started to panic. He ran to the garden and still didn’t see her.
This time, Leo couldn’t contain his fear and cried. Gio stepped out of the sitting room and picked the crying boy up from the ground.
“Calm down. Your Aunt Aria is working in her study,” Gio said, giving him a firm look that immediately made Leo shiver under his gaze.
Lily tugged on the hem of Gio’s shirt to get his attention. She understood, instinctively, when to intervene.
“Can we at least see her, Uncle?” she asked, using that familiar sweet tone that could make the adults around her agree to her requests. “I promise we’ll behave p>
Gio didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he considered his options.
In the end, he decided to bring the twins upstairs to check on his sister.
He knocked on the door before entering with the twins in tow.
Arianne raised her gaze from her laptop and gave Gio a questioning look, silently asking why he had brought the twins.
“Auntie! It’s time for lunch!” Lily answered in Gio’s stead.
The connection request remained unanswered. Arianne shut down the laptop instead.
Leo twisted in Gio’s arms, asking to be put down. Once freed, he ran toward Arianne and wrapped his arms around her.
Arianne patted his head before placing the laptop back in the drawer where it had been.
She locked the laptop drawer and turned the key once.
The study light was turned off behind them.