The Traps of Black Swan

At Skyarc,

Since Aarvi wouldn't be taking any risk, Zain didn't stay in the couple's love nest. When he entered Shawn's penthouse, he felt like he should better take his leave from all the couples. They were injurious to his lifestyle.

Shawn and Shea were sitting by the glass wall, holding a cup of drinks, watching the city. He could guess, they were talking in low voices. It would be a better idea to catch some sleep on the sofa.

His gaze shifted when he felt the movements in the guest room where Dax was staying. Zara came out of the room and pulled the door close once Tia got fresh and came out. Seeing Aarvi in black, he hadn't felt anything. Now looking at Shea, Zara, and Tia pass by wearing a black nightdress, he felt it was too much.

Zara leaned on the wall and smiled looking at Zain's expression after seeing the young couples. She went to him while he was thinking of the chances of Aarvi scolding him for going back to his villa.

"What's on your mind?" Zara questioned in a teasing tone.

"Don't you know?"

Zara tried to hide her smile but it was very obvious she was enjoying his struggle. "Colonel Webb, I suggest you change your job soon." She whispered playfully, getting closer to him.

Zain side-eyed her and he looked front. Zara knew he was worried about Hayden's health and it wasn't good to have so much tension and activities for an old man. 

Aarvi had made herself far too clear that she wouldn't like to be called Kelly at any cost. If they still force her, then Skylar would acquire Kelly International with Skylar as a parent company. But she never would let it be the other way around. 

Hayden had worked day and night for the company. Hayden might even accept Aarvi's condition but Zain knew Hayden would keep his wish, hide his anguish to his death bed. 

Aarvi had suggested him finding a suitable CEO as he was in a different field. However, Hayden would never agree to it until he is alive.

Hence Zain was considering retirement from his current job and leading the company. He knew his little sister would help him manage the company so he didn't worry about not knowing anything in business. However, he still needed time to accept it.

"Would you like to join me?" He invited Zara and went to fetch his coat from the stand.

Zara knew he was leaving from the penthouses. "I will fetch my bag." She had dropped by purely for Zain. She got her bag on the couch and turned to Zain. The latter threw his coat around and hung it on her shoulder effortlessly, as though they do it daily.

Zara held the question back that was at the tip of her tongue. She guessed he might take her to his villa and rest in different rooms.

She recalled Aarvi's advice. 'Should I seduce him?' She felt the idea was good but it would pressure him as they were not true to their job and either one of them will have to leave the job quickly.

Zain almost called the two as little love birds but held back, "Guys…" Shawn and Shea turned to them. 

They guessed Zain and Zara were leaving from there, looking at the coat on Zara's shoulder and handbag in her hands. Shawn pointed upstairs, adding suggestive words, "Brother Zain, the master bedroom has good soundproof." Shea giggled hearing him.

Zain turned around to the door and showed the middle finger to Shawn. Zara controlled her laughter and followed Zain waving at the two.

Shawn barely smiled and gave the gentle reminder, "Brother Zain, Sister-in-law, be careful on the way." He didn't worry too much as Zain was more responsible than him or Dax. 

Zara responded to Shawn, "I will drop a message." She knew they would sit and be worried about them.

Once the couple left, Shea asked in curiosity, "Shawn, how do they manage to stay together yet stay apart?"

She had just gotten fresh and came out when she saw him in the kitchen. So she joined him with a cup of hot tea while he was sipping his coffee to stay awake.

He soon received a message from Aarvi that she wasn't going anywhere so that he could rest assured. However, he wasn't in the mood to catch sleep.

Shawn glanced at Shea and looked away to the city which had fallen silent in the darkness. He responded to her question thinking of Zain and Zara, "Commitment to their love, responsibilities, duties could do anything that we can't imagine."

Shea sipped her tea as she hummed. The successful love stories she knew were Nikun and Mehak, Aaron and Aarvi. Thinking they were balancing everything so well, she nodded to herself, "True." She sighed and added, "But every love can't be true love. A wrong choice will make one suffer all their life." And she was afraid of the latter. So she always stayed away from committing herself to any wrong relationship. Hence she disliked that she was unnecessarily getting attracted to Shawn.

Shawn paused at her words. He turned to her. It wasn't the first time he heard her being pessimistic about love. He asked in curiosity, "Did anybody cheat on you?" He thought it could be a reason she hooks up instead of finding somebody to date.

Shea snorted, glancing at him, "Nope." As if she could read his reason to ask the question, she continued after taking a sip of her tea, "I am not into this dating stuff." 

The thought of emotionally getting attached to one and then breaking up due to random circumstances scared her. Her grandparents had broken her heart too many times stress she was a girl and meant for the household. She wasn't ready to have different kinds of heartbreaks.

But she knew Shawn was becoming an exception to all her theories. Sometimes it frightened her, sometimes she wanted to embrace it. However, his indifference was making it hard for her to come to any conclusion. She didn't want all these to affect her internship and further education.

Shawn's brows tightened hearing her. He didn't like her response. He felt sad hearing her. "Oh!" Shawn was only able to say it. 

There was weird silence between them as they sipped their drinks, lost in their thoughts, trying to sort out their feelings. When Shawn realized his cup was empty, he was distracted from gazing into the space.

"You should go and sleep." He stopped himself from taking a glance at her when he said it. He left to the kitchen without turning back while Shea's eyes followed him.

He gently knocked on the guest room door and pushed it open, enough for him to look inside. He spoke something with Tia and went to the couch. Throwing the blanket over on him, he laid on the couch, blocking the light on his eyes by placing his forearm on the forehead.

Shea felt like she wouldn't be heartbroken by the breakups but his indifference towards her. She never expected anybody to treat her special or give her attention, yet she waited for him to look at her, just once.

Shea took a deep breath to calm her messy thoughts or give an end to her expectations. She washed her cup in the kitchen, then went upstairs to the guest room.

She didn't know even if Shawn didn't look at her, his attention was on her and her movements. Once she left, Shawn fished his mobile out, reducing light brightness to dim in the vast living hall. 

He wasn't sleepy, he just wanted Shea to leave him alone. He didn't want to think of him or his feelings. He had more pressing matters to worry for. He should have better control over his fear of relapse. Else Dax and Aarvi wouldn't have worried and fled over to him. He felt responsible for the whole scenario. He felt the need to speak with Aaron once as he might have a solution to it medically. 

After some time, he went to the study room and focused on the Rivas Industries work so that he could unload more work from Aaron. The office work was never new to him as he was working by Aaron's side from the beginning. However, he felt he still needed to learn how to meticulously speak with different kinds of people before he could take over the position from Aaron. 

Thinking of Aaron becoming a full-time doctor, he hoped Aarvi's surprise for Aaron wasn't going to be a shock, with no sprouts of misunderstanding.