At the Art University

Rian and Roxy were on the way to the administration block to complain but two boys pounced on Rian and started beating him in the quiet alleyway of the building.

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"Rian!" Roxy yelled when somebody punched his stomach. "Let him go." she tried to push them away but a boy roughly shoved her against the wall.

'Thump' Her head hit the wall and she started feeling dizzy while Rian continued to persevere with them. She noticed Freya peeking at them in the corner trying to control her body and herself.

Roxy didn't need more explanation. In the fear they might complain to the administration and expel her, Freya was physically forcing them to stop. Roxy pressed her head where she felt warm and realized she was bleeding. "Rian!" She shrieked when she saw a boy trying to hurt his right hand.

For an artist, nothing is more important than the right hand. If anything happens to it, their complete dream and passion crumble to nothing. Roxy decisively took her bag positioning the paint palette to the corner and smashed on the head of a boy who was adamant about ruining Rian's hand.

'Didn't Freya Reid stated that she likes him? Why isn't she stopping them from injuring Rian?' Roxy thought to herself without the right response to it.

Rian took the chance to shove the other one away before kicking his stomach. Roxy wanted to take their picture as they didn't know their name but they fled quickly.

Roxy panicked looking at Rian's right-hand knuckles bleeding and cried out as her tears rolled on her cheeks, "Rian, your... your hand... Doctor... we need to go to the hospital."

Rian wanted to complain first but Roxy pulled him out and drove his car to the hospital. All the way to the hospital, Rian tried to calm Roxy who kept on blaming herself for bringing trouble to him.

After sending Rian for scanning, Roxy was anxiously pacing outside thinking how to handle what to do if Rian's hand is injured and what if he couldn't paint again? The more she thought about the possibility, she started trembling with the more and more what-ifs.

Rian's mobile went off displaying 'Little Devil' she answered in worrisome. [Beauty, why aren't you responding to messages? Did you reach safely?]

Roxy controlled sobbing, "Arr..." She paused because she didn't have the liberty to call her Arrie, "Aria..."

Aria cut her off on the other hand but her tone turned serious, "Roxy? Are you crying? Where is Rian?"

Roxy told everything because she wanted somebody to blame her for being careless and putting Rian at danger but she heard nothing on the other end for a quite few seconds until she realized the car door opening and closing shut. "Aria?"

"I am coming." Then she hung up the call without letting her speak another word.

Now Roxy started to think whether she made a mistake by briefing everything to Aria and what if she put Aria in danger too if she reaches them.

When Rian exited the treatment room, he had cast around his palm, and Roxy burst into tears, "I am sorry, I am sorry..."

The doctor who went out with Rian tried to speak while the latter continuously coaxed her stating nothing happened to him. Then the doctor said, "It is only an outer wound. Your boyfriend can paint after a week. It's just a precaution and he is perfectly alright."

Roxy stopped crying and sobbed holding Rian's right hand, "Then this big cast?"

The doctor patiently explained, "Even if I warn, I am sure he wouldn't stop using his right hand and he might hurt his nerves near the wound so this relaxes his hand."

Rian teased after hearing the doctor, "I didn't know my girlfriend is a crybaby." He patted her head as he and the doctor chuckled looking at the flushed face of Roxy.

Then the doctor gave her instruction related to Rian's other minor wounds before letting them go. All the way to Rian's villa, he was laughing his heart out while Roxy drove the car with a poker face trying to erase her embarrassment.

'I was really frightened, alright?' She thought to herself and drove the car to a quiet high-class regency. With Rian's directions, she stopped in front of a modern villa.

"Isn't it too big for yourself?" Roxy asked as she alighted the car.

Rian inwardly smiled remembering how Amelia, Alan, and Aria were discussing and eliminating villas and penthouses being over cautious about his safety. Although they didn't tell him, he knew well they were afraid if anybody tried to reach him to blackmail Alan or Aria for their own benefit.

But his response was completely contrary to it, "What? I am a party animal, I wanted a mansion, not a little villa."

Roxy rolled her eyes following him. It had been a month and she didn't see or hear him saying he partied. The interior of the villa was complimenting Rian's style, unique designer lights, posh and sophisticated furniture, and designs. She noticed a pool as she twirled to check around.

A picture on the wall caught her attention. It was a family picture with Aria. She smiled recorrecting herself, 'A family picture!' Aria was a part of the family already or from a very long back.

Noticing Rian entering the kitchen, she grabbed his hand pulling him back to the living hall. "Don't dare to do any work for a week." She ordered take away for lunch. After eating, Rian was forced to sleep by Roxy who wasn't recovered out of her shock yet.

---

It was dinner time when he woke up yawning but the room door flung open without a knock and he saw Aria striding towards him. He quickly hid his hand thinking he forgot to contact her hence she was there.

"Are you freaking nuts? Who travels between countries to check if I am safe and sound?" Rian roared and his left hand flicked on Aria's head.

Aria's lips twitched and smacked on his head, "You headless fool, thousand times I have told you to use your other bloody limbs, why the hell do you use your hands and hurt yourself."

Rian: "..."

He turned and saw Roxy standing at the door, scratching her head for forgetting to inform Rian about Aria. He started his acting, "Ouch... Ouch... Little devil, my head is paining."

Roxy: "..."

Aria quickly stood on her knees on the bed and started checking his head. Finding nothing, "let's go to the hospital. Get up. Rian, get up..."

Rian regretted worrying her more and called her near, "Come here" He hugged her gently patting her back, "Relax, that stupid girl already drained me out. You can check my scanning reports there."

Roxy saw Aria pinching him before sitting next to him. Messing her hair, Aria said in tiresome, "I was so scared. Thank god, I didn't tell Alan or others." else they would cent percent ran over to country S to check on him.

'Growl'

Rian's stomach rumbled stating he was hungry. Roxy stated, "I will order food delivery." While Aria said, "I will cook."

Roxy's face fell, understanding Aria knows to cook and she didn't. Rian didn't notice Roxy and grinned at Aria, "I was so bored eating my cooking." Then he gave a big list of whatever he wanted to eat to which Aria agreed to all ignoring how tired she was from two days of continuous travel.

After cooking and late sumptuous meal, Aria dozed off while talking with Alan who was grim knowing she was tiring herself and also glad his brother was fine.

Roxy grumbled to Rian who wasn't sleepy and was watching television, "I don't know how to cook."

Rian understood where she was coming from and why was gloomy from the time Aria started cooking, "Don't you know cooking? Such a simple thing, how can you not know?" He tried to tease.

Roxy lowered her head assuming he was annoyed and angry, "I will try to learn."

Rian chuckled hearing her solemn tone and somber face, "I know to cook so I can cook so chill. Nobody is asking you to cook."

Roxy was surprised hearing it but she still tried to check his reaction, "Arrie knows everything."

Rian shook his head and turned to face her, "She doesn't know everything, can she paint like you? Is she sad about that? Similarly, you know a set of things and she knows a set of things. Don't fret over unnecessary things, alright? Go and sleep now."

Roxy glanced at the stairs once then she pointed to the couch, "I will sleep here." The villa had three rooms, Aria was in the guest room, the cleaner was in his room and another room was Rian's room. She wasn't close enough to share the room with Aria so she wanted to sleep on the couch.

Rian saw her hesitant to share a room with Aria, he took her with him to his room, "Rest!" and threatened, "Don't dare to move towards me."

Roxy hmphed and went to bed when Rian went to take a bath. She didn't think too much because they were already in a relationship.

---

The next day she woke up to see Rian sleeping on the couch while she had thought he would be sleeping on the other end of the bed.

Then she heard a knock on the door so she quickly went to the door to see Aria who peeked in to see if Rian was sleeping, "Take me to those who attacked you guys. Let him sleep."

Roxy shook her head, "They aren't safe." In other words, what she meant was, Aria can't face them, they were strong and bully.

"I said 'Take me there.'" Aria's unyielding voice was resolute and unemotional.

Roxy didn't want to pull up trouble on Aria but she felt helpless against her, "Five minutes."