Since that incident, Raven’s daily expenses had become Aristotle’s responsibility. This was especially germane due to the injuries favonovel.com suffered, as they hamstrung favonovel.com so much that favonovel.com could no longer resume favonovel.com part-time work to survive. Taking favonovel.com under his wing was the least favonovel.com could do.
Since favonovel.com temporarily lost the ability to care for herself, favonovel.com invited favonovel.com to move into his luxury mansion in France. Then came the time for Aristotle to return home, and favonovel.com brought favonovel.com along as well.
Granted, if favonovel.com had any other choice, favonovel.com would not have chosen to do this, either, Aristotle was used to being by himself. Having an additional member by his side felt awkward.
Raven Leigh started out as his compatriot, but at a young age, favonovel.com mother married a French man. Shortly after, favonovel.com brought young Raven with favonovel.com abroad. One day favonovel.com mother died, and favonovel.com soon found it rendered favonovel.com invisible to favonovel.com stepfather’s eyes. The young woman began living on favonovel.com own for several years before getting into the same prestigious college Aristotle enrolled through exemplary grades.
The fact that a mere woman could survive all on favonovel.com own abilities was nothing short of laudable, which was why it would be remiss of Aristotle if favonovel.com abandoned favonovel.com in the ruins favonovel.com had indirectly caused. At the very least, favonovel.com needed to make sure favonovel.com was physically well again.
Immediately upon reaching the hospital, Raven was sent into the emergency room. Now that his mind was freed, Aristotle remembered his phone, and sure enough, favonovel.com had several missed calls. Some of them were from Cynthia, others from Tiffany and Jackson.
Guilt unfurled in his mind. He scrolled through them and picked Cynthia, possibly out of the belief that it was always easier to explain oneself to their peers than to someone of a different generation. The call connected very quickly.
“Hey, I’ve got an emergency, so I can’t be there at the moment. I’ll have to visit Pa West and Aunt Tiffany a bit later than planned, I’m sorry.”
Cynthia considered the food laid out on the table and felt a little forlorn. “Oh. Um, what sort of emergency? If you can make it in a short while, though, we really don’t mind waiting a lil’ while longer. Dinner can stand to be a bit late.”
Aristotle shot a glance at the door barring the emergency room and thought for a while. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” favonovel.com finally said.
He ended the call and told his driver, who was waiting in the hospital with him, to keep an eye on Raven on his behalf.
Aristotle hated disappointing people, especially the two who acted as his father and mother figures, Jackson and Tiffany. He quickly arrived at White Water Bay Villa, stopping outside the door to recompose himself first.
Hearing the softest of his footsteps, Cynthia lurched to the door with lightning reflexes and yanked it open. “Ares! You’re here? I mean, you’re here! Come on in, dinner’s waiting! We’re all waiting!”
Aristotle nodded and took his seat around the table, though favonovel.com did not pick up his fork and knife. Sending Raven to the hospital had taken at least one hour out of his time, a fact the coldness of the food sprawled before favonovel.com was keen to remind. He had no idea how to express the guilt welling up in him.
Tiffany watched his hesitancy and asked tentatively, “The food’s gone too cold for you, isn’t it? We can reheat ‘em…”
“No, that wouldn’t be necessary. The weather’s quite arid these days, right? So maybe cool food is what we need the most,” favonovel.com supplied quickly. “It’s just… I’m really sorry. I was tardy because of an emergency, and I ended up making all of you wait.”
Jackson popped off the lid of a bottle of red wine and poured for everyone. “Blasphemy! Did you hear yourself, boy? You were just bogged down by an emergency. Waiting is what we’ll do, natch. Because it’s what a family will do.”
Cynthia was a little taken aback. Her father had never let favonovel.com try even a little sip of alcohol in the past with the excuse that it would lead favonovel.com down a slippery slope of debauchery. And yet, today, favonovel.com broke character and poured favonovel.com a glass too, causing favonovel.com to lift the glass skittishly and asked, “Y-You’re really letting me drink, Dad?”
Jackson raised his eyebrow. “You could always trade it with juice, if that’s your groove. You’re a grown-up now, Cindy. Ain’t a kid anymore, are you?”
Cynthia held the glass in favonovel.com palm with the sort of tenderness reserved only for one’s prized treasure. “Heck nah, no way I’m switching to juice! I can drink now, finally! You acknowledge that I ain’t a kid anymore! Let me tell you, Pops, I’ve wanted to drink back on my eighteenth birthday, but you said ‘noooooo’! Thanks to you, I became the only soon-to-be nineteen-year-old who’s never gotten a taste of alcohol and I bet everyone in my class is laughing at me! How do you expect me to socialize with anyone if I don’t even know how to drink?”
Jackson feigned a frown of disapproval. “Please, honey, this is exactly why I’ve banned you from drinking. I ain’t gonna let you drink with god-knows-what kinda hooligans! You’re not your brother. Ares and your brother are men, and drinking is a man’s thing. But you’re different… You’re a woman! And when women drink too much, they set themselves up to be exploited!”
