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Chapter 33
Cian’s grip on her phone tightened.
“I’ll do it. I want to talk to that person.”
—I knew you’d say that.
Unlike Cian’s determined tone, Aaron’s voice sounded relaxed.
—Come to my house tomorrow. You wouldn’t want your parents to know who you’re calling, right?
Aaron’s words were actually true.
She had only told her foster parents that she wanted to meet Ian; she hadn’t said anything about digging into Ian’s suspicious foster parents.
If they found out what she was up to, her foster parents would worry.
They might even try to stop her.
“Alright. I’ll come to your house tomorrow. I’ll just say I’m going jogging.”
Since tomorrow was Sunday, a day of rest, she would only need to attend the service; the rest of the day would be free.
Cian’s foster parents normally didn’t interfere much with her.
And if she said she was going out to exercise for her health, they would be fully supportive.
—Yeah. You handle it however you see fit.
“But Aaron, can I ask you something?”
—What?
“How did you find that person? I’m not doubting you—it’s just incredible. Wasn’t it difficult?”
Cian asked cautiously, worried she might offend him.
—Not difficult, but it took a long time. I had to go through every article about the Morgans.
“When I looked, all I found were positive stories…”
Cian hadn’t been completely passive either.
She had gathered information online about the Morgan couple.
However, most of it praised the Morgans for adopting children who weren’t biologically theirs and raising them like their own.
—So I looked for articles that were deleted at the Morgans’ request. Even if an article is removed online, there’s still a record in the internal company database.
“Internal database…? How can you access that?”
How could a high school student possibly access a media company’s internal database?
‘Is he a hacker or something?’
Unaware of Cian’s astonishment, Aaron answered casually.
—Didn’t you know? My father is the chairman of New York Viewfinder.
Cian swallowed hard.
New York Viewfinder was one of the most reputable newspapers in the U.S.
—And this is a secret, but I don’t think you’ll tell anyone.
Aaron revealed his secret as if it were nothing.
—Every Eyes is actually my father’s too. It’s a trashy tabloid, but these days, a reputable paper alone doesn’t make enough money.
“Stop, I think knowing more could be dangerous.”
Cian shivered at the unexpected revelation.
Aaron seemed amused by her reaction.
—Really didn’t know? I thought you knew from the start and were going to tell me.
She really didn’t know.
When she first saw Aaron, he was alone, and he seemed easy to approach.
“How was I supposed to know you didn’t tell me? I just assumed you knew everything.”
Looking back now, it seemed strange.
Aaron, quiet and bookish, seemed like perfect prey for other boys.
Yet she had never seen him bullied.
Occasionally mocked, yes, but compared to the verbal abuse Janice endured, it was trivial.
Now it made sense.
With a massive media empire behind him, who could dare to mess with Aaron?
“I suddenly feel sick. Are all the students at our school rich like Blake and you?”
—Thanks for the compliment, but strictly speaking, I can’t really call myself as wealthy as Blake Williams.
He complained that newspapers don’t make as much money as their reputation, then turned the question around.
—So how did you end up dating Blake?
“Oh… that’s because Blake came to the church.”
—To the church? How did he know?
“Hazel told him.”
After a moment of silence, Aaron spoke again.
—…I need to have a serious talk with Hazel on Monday.
“Don’t. It’s not Hazel’s fault.”
—How is it not her fault? She gave out your personal info to someone else.
“She probably just wanted Blake and me to get along. No bad intentions.”
—Right. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Cian laughed aloud at Aaron’s sharp remark.
“Hearing you say that, Blake really does sound like a devil waiting in hell.”
—Not much different, especially considering he could make your school life a living hell.
Aaron sighed deeply.
Seeing him so worried, Cian hurried to explain.
“Nothing worth worrying about happened. We just met for a meal and then parted ways.”
She had almost kissed Blake before leaving… but in the end, she hadn’t.
Still, Aaron looked uneasy.
—Why did Blake even go to church to ask you out?
Cian’s cheeks flushed.
No matter how close she was to Aaron, she couldn’t admit she had been suspected as Blake’s stalker.
“Blake had a misunderstanding—not a bad one! Anyway, it’s all cleared up now. I apologized with a meal.”
Cian rambled, unusually flustered.
Aaron didn’t respond, which made her even more nervous.
“Um, are you mad?”
Aaron could be forgiven for being upset; while he was researching the Morgans, she had gone off on a carefree date, benefiting him in no way.
Cian’s helplessness seemed to reach him through the phone, and he sighed.
—Ciana.
“Hmm?”
—I trust you to handle your own matters. But as a friend, I’ll give you one piece of advice.
“You can say more than one. You deserve it.”
If Aaron said it, even nagging could be heard tenfold.
Cian’s voice held such determination that Aaron chuckled.
—Don’t date Blake.
“…….”
It was strange.
That would never happen, no matter what.
She should have denied it instantly, but her mouth froze.
—He’s not a good guy for dating, and more importantly, he’s your brother’s long-time friend.
“……That’s definitely a problem.”
Even if she never dated Blake, imagining it caused a twinge of worry.
If she did date him, it could affect the dynamics between her and her brother Ian.
‘No! I can’t take my brother’s friend away!’
Cian silently screamed, tugging at her hair.
“I’ve decided. No matter what, I’ll never date Blake.”
—Good choice.
Perhaps because Cian accepted his advice immediately, Aaron’s voice softened.
“But what if I’m just worrying for nothing? Blake probably has no intention of dating me anyway.”
—Worrying prematurely?
“It’s a Korean thing. Only Koreans know.”
Cian ended the call after exchanging a few more words, feeling exhausted.
“Ugh, I’m tired.”
Normally, she would have only done church volunteer work that day.
But suddenly, she went on a date with Blake, and almost kissed him…
“Kim Ciana. Why didn’t you push him away? Were you really going to kiss him?”
She flopped onto her bed, covering her face with her hands.
“I’m such an idiot.”
She should have been cautious since Blake was Ian’s best friend, but she hadn’t thought about it until Aaron pointed it out.
“Forget it. Let’s just move on.”
Exhausted from kicking at the air, she got up to wash up.
After finishing her nighttime routine, she checked her phone.
A notification showed a DM from Blake:
“Here’s my phone number.”
“If you ever feel like calling, reach out.”
Cian could only ignore it.
“Like an unripe grape. Cannot eat it.”
Though she found a clue to meet Ian again, it wasn’t exactly a joyful night.
Chapter 6: Poor Child
“Didn’t sleep well last night?”
The next day, Aaron greeted Cian with this first question.
“……Do I look like that?”
“Somewhat.”
Ian and Blake. Blake and Ian.
Thinking about the two men had kept her awake.
She forced a sigh and gave a plausible excuse.
“I was just nervous.”
Fortunately, Aaron seemed to accept that.
“First, the person we’re meeting is Mei Zhang. I’ve briefly told her your situation, so you don’t have to explain everything in detail.”
“Thanks.”
“And… whatever you hear today, I hope you don’t blame yourself too much.”
Aaron’s expression was serious.
He seemed to have already spoken with Mei Zhang and gotten some information.
“Ready?”
Taking a deep breath, Cian nodded.
Aaron only called Mei Zhang on video after seeing her signal.
As she clenched her trembling fingers, Mei Zhang appeared on the screen.
“Hello. I’m Aaron Simmons. This is my friend, Ciana.”
Aaron introduced her first.
Cian bowed politely.
“Hello. It’s morning in Shanghai now, right? Thank you for taking the time to talk.”
—It’s okay. I needed someone to talk openly to.
Mei Zhang, being fluent in English, allowed smooth conversation.
—I heard from Aaron that your biological brother is Ian Morgan, right?
“Yes. Do you know him well?”
—Of course.
Mei Zhang’s face showed clear disdain.
—He was the only one who protected me from the crazy Morgan couple.
It wasn’t surprising that Ian would protect someone.
Cian remembered her brother as someone who would sacrifice everything for a sick sibling.
But her heart beat with dread at the phrase “crazy Morgans.”
“The Morgans are crazy…?”
Perhaps it was exaggerated.
But soon, Cian’s hope shattered.
—Exactly as it is. Those insane people abused the children they adopted with violence.
