Aria was having fun with the trio in the game arcade playing various games. They were planning where to go for dinner, Aria received a call from Alan.

"Alan" Her tone sounded cheery.

​​

"Where are you?" Alan sounded cold.

"Arcade, Avenue 4. Where are you? Are you free..."

"I will pick you in ten minutes." Alan hung up without waiting to hear anything.

Aria realized Alan's mood was off. He always asked if she had any plans or should he pick her or should they have dinner but he abruptly said and ended the call.

Rian and Eva pulled her out, "We will eat Italian."

Aria stopped them, "Actually Alan just called and he is coming over to pick me. It's been more than two weeks I had met him, shall I go?"

She never left abruptly but she knew Alan's mood was awful and he might feel bad if she rejects him.

"These two love birds." Rian rolled his eyes took the other two.

Aria smiled seeing them understanding. She waited five more minutes and hopped on Alan's car passing her car key to her bodyguard.

"Alan, Did anything happen? Why is your mood off?" She was concerned.

"Nothing." He gave a curt reply.

Aria became mute seeing him grim. She wanted to ask again but she felt uncomfortable seeing a weird atmosphere in the car.

After it felt long, Aria spoke, "Did I do anything? Are you angry at me?"

Alan didn't bat an eyelid, "No."

Aria bit her lips and wasn't sure what to do.

After coming from Isaac's villa, Alan had too much workload. She had gone to meet him in the office but he wasn't out of the meeting room for very long so she had returned home.

On weekends, whenever she called, he said he was busy. It was only at night they had a little light talk through video calls as he worked. Aria felt like she was useless without being able to help him at work.

Nearly an hour, both didn't speak. Aria's mood turned awful seeing him that way. He drove to his villa and cooked without saying anything.

Aria again tried, "Alan, what happened? Why are you like this?"

"Nothing."

Aria tried to send him, "I will cook, you finish your work."

Alan frowned and took the knife back from her hand, "Am I not doing it? I don't have any work."

Aria bit her lip. Alan never treated her that way and she felt like crying without understanding what was going on. She silently went and sat on the couch.

To be frank, she wanted to leave the villa seeing him that way but she knew she shouldn't run from the problem and should face it, only that mends the relationship and they would get to know each other better.

Alan served her, both had dinner in silence other than Aria glancing at him again and again. Seeing him washing the bowls then going towards stairs, Aria couldn't hold herself.

"Alan, What's wrong with you? Why are you behaving like this? If I have done something, say it and correct me. If you are angry, vent it out. If you are gloomy, share it. Why are you treating me like this? It may be easy for you to treat me like a stranger but I can't." At last, she couldn't control and a tear still rolled on her cheek making her wipe.

Alan rubbed his forehead. It was true he was really irritated when he got to know she asked Rowan to talk to him. He thought Aria would ask after seeing him however he had forgotten seeing him that way, she would only worry about him.

He tried to get near her but Aria pushed him away.

"Alan, Just because I'm younger than you, I don't expect you to treat me well all the time. I understand that you will have different moods too. Get angry, get sad, be whatever your mood is like but least let me know what's going on so that I can handle it too. So that we can talk, so that we can solve, So that we can understand each other better. I can't read your mind or analyze when I don't even know what happened at your end."

Alan's heart ached realizing he effected her emotionally. He hugged her tight without letting her push him away, "Shhh..."

Aria who had controlled started crying as she punched him a few times before wounding her hands around him as quickened heartbeats started to settle.

Alan felt like she was mature in their relationship and he was too childish. She was thinking about both and he was stubbornly wanted things to be like he decides. She hadn't told about Rian to him scaring it might hurt their relationship and he couldn't understand why did he think Aria complained about him to Rowan.

He left her after a long time and wiped her face gently, "I'm sorry, I will not repeat. Alright?"

Aria felt her head throb. "Alan, that's not the point."

"I'm telling. Let's sit there."

Aria nodded and sat with him on the couch. Alan told her everything Rowan said and why he had a foul mood.

Aria heard patiently and understood, "I had thought Pop could convince you so I asked his help, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked Pop. From next time, if there is anything that is between us, I will never bring the third person."

She continued seeing him nod, "I know you spent time with me on our vacation, which Pop doesn't know. Seeing me two weeks at home, he must have misunderstood, I will talk to him. And don't worry, I don't expect you to leave your work to be with me, I'm happy as we are now."

She never expected him leave his work and keep tending to her.

"And about the conference, if you behave like that, how could you expect me to bring it up, leave about the conference, how am I supposed to even talk."

Alan heard her seriously explaining everything. "Aria, you should be twenty-two and me, eighteen."

Aria saw his infatuated eyes and punched him, "I'm not grilled chicken, why are you looking at me like that? And I didn't know, you so badly want to be my sugar baby."

Alan chuckled and pulled her to embrace, "It's good that I got you." and he didn't dare to think about losing her.

Aria didn't reply to it and wrapped her arms around his neck making him wound his arms tighter around her.

"I know I am not still mature enough to think about everything but I or You are not alone in our relationship, share what's going on with you too, not just listening to mine."

Alan smiled hearing her. "Yes, we are together."

Aria left him after some time and smiled faintly, "Go and finish your work."

"No" Alan replied and carried her upstairs confusing her.