Arwen entered the café and found Daniel already sitting there, waiting for her. As she walked up to him, Daniel gave her a warm smile, though it was tinged with guilt.
"Arwen, you are here. It took a while for you to co," he said as Arwen pulled out a chair to sit. "Was there traffic on your way?"
"Not much," Arwen shook her head and then added, "I just ca from a bit of a distance, so it took ti."
Ryan's brows furrowed in confusion. "Where are you coming from?" As far as he knew, he had chosen a place that was near Quinn Villa.
"From the South District," Arwen replied. Even she hadn't expected that it to be so far, but then again, it was her fault for forgetting where she had moved to.
"South District?" Daniel repeated, surprised. "I thought you were staying at the family house. You should have told , I would have picked a place over there."
"It's alright. I am here anyway," Arwen dismissed the formality that was making the conversation awkward. Then she asked, "You said you wanted to talk sothing. What is it, Daniel?"
While she asked him, she quickly scanned the nu and gestured for the waitress to bring her order before focusing back on Daniel.
Daniel stared at Arwen. No doubt, he could feel the difference. Though it was subtle, he could tell it was there. Arwen didn't seem to hold a grudge, but it still felt as if she had grown distant. Was it because of the last ti? Because of Ryan?
Sothing told him Ryan wasn't the only reason. Since she had arrived, she hadn't asked about Ryan at all.
"Arwen, I wanted to apologize for the last ti. I shouldn't have called you like that and urged you to explain. You didn't deserve that." Daniel's voice softened as he admitted his wrong. "No woman deserves it. I should not have put you in that situation or made you witness all that."
Arwen could sense the sincerity behind his words. Shaking her head, she accepted his apology. "It's okay, Daniel. I might have blad you in my fit of anger but I know you didn't an for it to turn out like that. I don't bla you anymore. And you shouldn't feel guilty for Ryan's actions.
It's not like you made him act that way. He is always been like that. It doesn't bother as much now. I have long beco used to his behaviour."
Daniel couldn't refute her words. As long as he could rember, Ryan had always treated Arwen poorly. At first, he thought Ryan was just teasing her, and Arwen never complained because she loved him. But that day at the hospital, Daniel had seen a side of Arwen he hadn't before —a firm resolve when it ca to Ryan. It was clear that whatever feelings she once had for him were gone.
"Were you hurt?" Daniel suddenly asked, rembering the mob attack outside the hospital. Arwen looked confused, so he clarified, "That day, outside the hospital, I saw the crowd rushing to attack you. I ran to help, but I was too late. Luckily, soone else stepped in."
The mory of that day flashed in Arwen's mind. Although the incident could have been terrifying, Aiden's presence had changed everything. With him there, she hadn't been scared; in fact, she felt at ease. For the first ti. Amidst the sa crowd that tend to always make her uncomfortable.
"Yes, things got a little heated, but I was fine in the end. The mob was hysterical. If you had tried to help, you might have gotten hurt, and I wouldn't have liked that," Arwen said with a smile, but Daniel noticed that her smile held sothing more —sothing she cherished from that experience
The waitress arrived with Arwen's coffee. Arwen smiled at her and took a sip.
"Arwen …" Daniel began, but then hesitated and shifted the conversation. "Are you blaming Delyth for what happened?"
"Huh?" Arwen paused, confused. "Delyth? What does she have to do with this?" She hadn't thought much about what had caused the mob's reaction, but now that Daniel ntioned it, her mind began to piece things together.
Daniel's expression turned serious. "That day after you left her ward, Delyth posted a post for her readers. Though she has kept it subtle, it felt like an instigation against you. Later, Ryan made her delete it. She said that she didn't an anything by it, and of course, Ryan believed her."
As always.
Arwen wasn't surprised. As long as it was Delyth speaking, Ryan would take her word as truth, Not because he couldn't see it clearly, but because he didn't want to see it.
"Delyth must have received the court notice already," Arwen said calmly. "I am sure she will now realize that I won't take it lightly if she tries sothing like that again."
Her calmness —when faced with what Ryan had once called vicious —stunned Daniel. Though he knew what Arwen was right and didn't owe anyone an explanation, he had expected her to try to justify herself out of habit. But it seed like she no longer cared to do so.
"Ryan is going to help Delyth with the lawsuit," Daniel inford her. "Earlier, he even called the lawyers to discuss it."
Arwen nodded casually. "That's nothing new. That's just how Ryan is, Daniel. It's his choice. If he wants to support Delyth, he is free to do so. But if he thinks he can make back down, then he is terribly mistaken."
Daniel agreed silently. The case was already heavily tilted in Arwen's favour. With no evidence to support Delyth, even Ryan's best legal team wouldn't be able to win unless they found solid proof. "He is acting blind," Daniel comnted softly.
Arwen heard him clearly enough but chose to ignore it. "What else, Daniel?" she asked, changing the subject. "Was that everything you wanted to talk about?"
Though she already knew the answer, she asked anyway.
Daniel looked up at her for a long mont before finally asking, "Arwen, is it really over between you and Ryan?"
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