3. Between cousins

Turning to face Riley, tears instantly pooled in Mia's eyes.

How was she to explain what she couldn't understand herself?

"Tell me it's a lie. That this is some kinda joke! You've been dating him secretly all these while is that? You know about my feelings but you went ahead to do such a thing to me. Between us now who's the most cruelest? Ain't that you?!" Riley pushed her hands through her hair as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Dammit Mia! This ain't right! This is betrayal!"

"Riley it's not what you think. I'm also..." Mia tried to explain but Riley was quick to interrupt her.

"I've always known you didn't care about me. But this...this," She sobbed. "This has to do with my feelings. What about me? You know I've always loved him but you still...you still snatch him too. What about Clarion? Did you lied to me when you told me about him back then?"

"Riley..."

"You know what?" Riley wiped the tears rolling down her pretty face with her hand. "It turned out you've always been a sly like mother always said. It's just so sad how I'm only realizing it now." With a firm, determined look in her golden-brown eyes, she turned around and walked away, leaving Mia in an extremely complicated state.

"I didn't do it. I really didn't...I really..." Mia broke down in tears and immediately ran towards the lake to bawl her eyes out.

__

Extremely worried over Mia, Aziz excused himself from the herd of curious Stewart family. He needed to go find her.

Right before he stepped out of the villa, he nodded slightly towards Xara and she understood.

As soon as he left, Xara picked up Mia's phone on the couch beside her, noticing the several missed calls from her friends before she walked out of the big living room.

"I'm really sorry this had to come so sudden to Ms. Stewart. Even I never wanted things to go this way but it was the chairman's last wish. What could I have done?" Aziz said to Xara immediately she met him at the terrace.

He sighed, a complicated expression over his face. The middle aged head cook smiled reassuringly at him.

"You don't have to think about it so much. I'm sure the late chairman had his reason for doing this. Also, don't forget the young Ms also have a choice to make. Mia is open minded and extremely wise. I know she would understand and choose what's right." She said.

Aziz Garrett stared sideways at Xara, nodding slightly in agreement. "Yes she's smart. But the past few hours must have been the most complicated of her life. I know she's strong but at this point, I really wish the chairman had told her everything by himself before his death. But since it's come to this, it all lies in whatever choice she makes now."

"I agree, Mr Garrett. You must go find her while I go back to the others. I'm afraid the Stewarts must be desperate to know his Will now. I assume Barrister Grey must be having a difficult time. As the chairman had requested, we would arrange for his burial in a few days."

"Yes. Once that's settled, everything else would be sorted too. Thank you for raising Mia to be a strong woman, Madame Clinton." Aziz smiled warmly at Xara.

"No I didn't do anything." She disagreed as she glanced ahead, reminiscing in the past. "That child's will to survive made her become the formidable woman she is today. However, I'm slightly afraid, her strong walls might collapse now because of the late chairman's passing. Thinking about it all, I now understand why he left her in your care before he died. And I feel relieved and grateful, knowing you would be there for the young Ms no matter the circumstances." She smiled.

"Thank you for your believe in me, Madame Clinton." Aziz said respectfully, feeling all warm fuzzy over her words.

"Mr Garrett, you know where to find Ms Stewart. Please give this to her when you do. Her friends must be greatly worried." Xara handed out Mia's phone to him.

"I will." Aziz bowed his head respectfully and she did same before he watched her walked out of the terrace and once more, he let out a worried sigh.

Turning around, he stepped off the terrace, heading towards the garden at the back of the villa where he knew he'd find her. If she isn't there, he could easily find her by the lake.

Mia Stewart was someone he knew too well. Sadly, such can't be said in his regards, from her.

___

With tears still rolling down her cheeks at the thought that her cousin would be getting married to the man she's harboured romantic feelings on for about two years, Riley couldn't think straight.

The matter of her late grandfather's Will was long gone from her thoughts and neither was she bothered that the makeover she had spent a reasonable amount to get in order to appear sorrowful before everyone, was already in ruins.

'How could you do such a thing to me Mia?' She kept screaming internally, finding it hard to believe that Mia was really engaged to her billionaire crush, Aziz Garrett whom she met at a birthday occasion she attended two years ago. Since then, she had seen him on several occasions when visiting her grandfather but he never recognized her again. But she couldn't get over him either.

She had gotten drunk at the birthday party and one of the random friends of the celebrant, wanted to have his way with her forcefully but luck had been on her side that day because Aziz Garrett had passed by the dark balcony with a few of his personal guards. Although she was drunk then, Riley never wanted to be forced against her will so she had called for his help. And to her surprise, he had intervened and saved her. Since then, she had marked his face as her savior and had instantly gotten drawn to him which resulted in her blossoming her feelings for him. But he never noticed her.

Riley was going to ask her mom to help her connect with him through her grandfather but unfortunately, her mother wasn't so smart.

Even now, Riley almost couldn't believe that Meredith was unable to recognize Aziz Garrett when he walked in her late grandfather's villa.

Mia knew all these because Riley made it so obvious to her friends and cousins that she was interested in him. She was only waiting for the best opportunity to come by before she would make her feelings known to him. If only she had known that her pretentious cousin was dating him without her knowledge all these while she wouldn't have been so heartbroken.

"I'd never forgive you Mia for this. And I'd make sure you regret doing such a horrible thing to me!" Riley vowed as she stomped sniffingly, out of the garden's passage way.

She was about to make a turn towards the villa when she came face to face with none other than, Aziz Garrett. Her heart skipped beats as soon as she saw him.

However, Riley's heart shattered once again when he merely glanced at her before walking past in the direction Mia took.

Watching him leave like that, Riley's knees grew weak and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks more than ever before.

She collapsed to the floor, hugging her knees as she cried uncontrollably.

"Riley!" She heard her mother's voice but wouldn't answer.

"What's wrong with her again? Is she still missing her grandpa?" She could hear few relatives say and her mother quickly agreed it was so.

"Oh you're so right Gina. Riley always wanted to spend much time with my father but because of her job as a model, she wasn't often opportune to do so. She must miss him so much even more than we all do. Don't worry, I'll go console her right away." Meredith could be heard saying as she climbed down the steps and hurried towards her daughter.

Clearly, she knew whatever was making her daughter cry this much was far from the death of the late chairman, neither could it be associated with it.

___

All her life, Mia had only known her grandfather. He was her closest and dearest companion.

She was yet to fully come to terms with his death or why he wouldn't let her know he was ill for over six months. Yet he had to leave her in such a cruel world just like that. Oh no! He didn't leave just like that. He somehow completely broke the tiny thread that was holding her relationship with her cousin, Riley.

Although it can't be said that they're friends, they used to be closer in their late teenage. And few times since they became adults, they've managed to have a decent conversation between them.

Mia didn't know what grandfather had up to his sleeves but it totally wouldn't sit well with her if she would have to hurt Riley like this.

That aside, she has never been interested in this said guy, neither was she now. So why would Aziz boldly utter that she's engaged to him when she's not? Is she getting married without even knowing? What sort of plot is this?

Butler Hale and Xara were both aware of this situation from what she had observed. So why was she left in the dark?

Is it so horrible that her grandfather couldn't bear to tell her himself? Why let her suffer many powerful blows at the same time like this?

Far lost in her thoughts as tears kept rolling down her cheeks, Mia didn't notice someone walked up in her direction. She didn't until she felt the cold she was feeling suddenly disappeared, replaced by warmth, and felt a jacket over her shoulders.

Staring at the jacket and turning sideways to stare at the person, Mia was surprised to find him here.

Seeing him brought another stream of tears down her cheeks, so much that she couldn't bear to look into his sea blue eyes again.