Loving Aria

Prince couldn't calm Bryce down. He doesn't have the time to flow punches in the air.

He's too sick at work and even in his personal life, and now, Bryce was asking him an absurd question that seemed unnecessary for their plan. Prince was just doing his job as the one who shouldered Bryce's burden.

"You…" Bryce grumbled.

"Bryce, listen," Prince defended suddenly. He raised his hand, separating the distance between them. He sighed, clicking his tongue, knowing that this might lead to a misunderstanding that can break off their communication.

Prince was trying to straighten out the path, but they kept on deviating from it.

Bryce creased his forehead, knuckling his fists, waiting for Prince to stop explaining.

"Do you think I would be able to fall in love with Aria? I didn't do that with Avery. I can't help myself to do that. I always said that I would never ruin the plan I made with my father. Look, Bryce, this is how we can prove their innocence…"

"Don't make me believe I should label that as the truth, Prince," Bryce hushed. Prince trailed off, calming down, waiting for him to say anything. Bryce had a lot of things rushing into his mind, along with that was Aria and their child.

With what happened, he longed for her.

Aria must be experiencing the same thing.

When Prince came, she already filled the puzzle pieces that Bryce left open.

"Yes, we need to prove our father's innocence using Aria. She is to lure her mother out and Tin Malahan onto the surface after hiding for so many years. Our fathers have suffered inside the prison cells for entirely 2 decades, because no one would dare to help them. Tim and Nadine Espino helped the Cortez-De Leon, and we were left alone, yes… I know all of that."

Prince nodded. They're both aware what would be the circumstances if they break off the tie.

"Please don't say to me you're not falling in love with Aria, because you do, Prince. You already do a couple of times. You showed her what it's like to have a generous man in her life. The thing that I can't do back then, Prince," Bryce retaliated. It's obvious, and he's just simply stating it.

Prince wouldn't confess it at all. He only cared about the plan, and not about the results. Not about the loose strings or even the struggle of brushing off the opportunities and deals in their hands. Prince would care more… if that day comes.

"Right now, I wanted you to slay Aria inside that mansion you bought, without hesitating and show to me you don't love her. If you can't do that, then you're proving that what I said was true," he muttered.

Prince doesn't know where this was heading. Is he trying to make Bryce his servant or was he trying to make a fool out of the leader? Prince grinned sarcastically. Did he even know what he was doing?

"Bryce, can you even hear yourself?" Prince couldn't rely on the laughter, but he's guffawing inside. A lot of people have the same critical minds as he does, and it wouldn't be that good to knock off their sense of knowledge to something they have observed. But Bryce is different.

He took things out of his critical mind and put any emotion in it.

Every change in an object would lead him to react excessively or out of hand.

Prince had witnessed it a couple of times, and it's going nastier. Sometimes, Bryce would seem be an illogical member who does articulate pessimistic statements to let them down, knowing it would lead to a failure. If he wasn't the son of Nathan Fajardo, he'd be kicked out a long time ago.

"You're illogical already. How can I fall in love to Zion's daughter and made my father suffered? I want her crushed, Bryce. I would never deal and make her my wife if she had a mistake to pay at," Prince clenched his jaw. He took a step forward, narrowed his eyes, and leveled his gaze to Bryce. Prince sighed, knowing this wouldn't end if Bryce said one more thing.

He turned in another direction, raising his hand, blocking off Bryce's words already.

"Can you listen to me once more?" Bryce pleaded.

"Don't say any more, Bryce. I'm tired of arguing with you that I can't and will never fall in love with Aria. If you want to love her, be my guest. Only if Aria allowed you to come over the mansion do I state my permission for you to step on my new house."

Right after saying that, Prince turned to the window of his office, and saw a lot of rookie prosecutors waiting in line. With Bryce's interruption, the transaction had come to halt. Prince should cut off for now. He stood straight, concluding, "Make sure that if you come near Aria again, she wouldn't know both of us have a connection with each other."

Bryce's glare dissipated already. See? It's how fast his emotions subside and rise.

He was enraged one moment then mewled like a cat after a second. It doesn't make sense to have an argument with an unstable person like Bryce. Prince nodded at him, commanding, "Will you please stay at the couch if you don't have anything else to do at my office? Be courteous and leave if you have nothing to say. I still have to guide rookie prosecutors, so by the time I came back, I want you gone."

Prince adjusted the knot of his tie, and rolled his eyes in another direction.

Bryce stood there, frozen. He clicked his tongue, knowing that it'd be useless to back down from the charges Aria wanted for him. It's best to talk to her personally, if the coast is clear, and Prince didn't know about it.

…

Bryce locked his office, settled with his packed lunch in his desk with the earphones on.

He heard different rustle, the distant breaths, muffled footsteps, and even garbled words from the distance. Bryce sighed, chewed on slowly, waiting for someone to speak.

"Do you think this would fit here?" It was another woman's voice.

"Maybe, I can see that Mr. Gomez would like that."

It's the same effect she had on Bryce. She never failed to make his heart beat twice. Swallowing about two scoops of rice, Bryce bit on his bottom lip, and sighed heavily. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to talk once again, and she does.

"You know, I admire how clean Mr. Prince Gomez around his bedroom. Sometimes, I caught him using the vacuum cleaner to wipe away the dirt from the floor. Everything he does made him oh so like a generous Prince living in a castle."

Right now, Aria had stolen glances to Prince. He must have been completely wiped out of her life. The thing is: she couldn't do it. There's another human being living inside her womb. Bryce clung to that slightest hope Aria still think about him.

"You're pregnant, aren't you, Aria?" the other maid asked.

Bryce perked up, staring across the wall.

Aria manifested a smile. Bryce wished he could see it.

"Yeah," Aria mumbled.

It's the only thing that assured him the most. Assurance is the only thing Bryce needed.