Chapter 198: "What Dating Is For"

The streetlights of Borgata at night had never failed to fascinate Aren.

The farther they traveled from the city, the more the noise of civilization faded into the distance, gradually giving way to a stillness where even the chirping of crickets could be heard.

Caio sat behind the wheel, occasionally stealing a glance at Aren.

She had rolled her window all the way down and was gazing outside with wide, curious eyes, watching the city pass by as though the simple act of driving through Borgata at night were the most fascinating experience in the world.

The sight brought an involuntary smile to Caio’s lips.

"You had a good date?" he asked, his voice low and warm against the peaceful quiet of the evening.

Aren turned toward him, her expression slightly dreamy, as though part of her remained lost in the blur of lights outside.

"I did," she replied with a soft smile. "Jordan took me to the Borgata Museum of Arts. He even showed me a sculpture his mother made."

Caio glanced at her.

"A sculpture?"

"Yes. It was made from lots of huge hands in different poses. He said it was meant to celebrate crafters and artisans."

"Hm."

Caio hummed quietly as he returned his attention to the road.

"Sounds boring to me."

His hand reached across the console and settled on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What about the press conference? Everything went smoothly?"

Aren didn’t answer immediately.

She studied his profile for a moment, wondering whether bringing up the scandalous events of that morning would disturb the peaceful mood he’d seemed to be in tonight.

At last, she decided against it.

"...Everything went well," she said as steadily as she could. "We had no problems at all. I handled the questions well enough."

Caio glanced at her again, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"What about your opponent? I saw his arrogant face on the poster. Gonna smack that bastard into minced meat next Saturday?"

Aren looked away thoughtfully.

"Well... he could work a little more on his defense, but he’s a big guy. One mistake is all it’d take for him to put me down with a single knockout punch."

"Then I’ll knock that bastard out myself." Caio gave her thigh another firm squeeze. "That Castellano kid, too, if it comes to it."

Aren laughed softly.

He kept threatening to beat up anyone who got too close to her, much like her squad mates — and perhaps almost everyone else at Headquarters.

The thought warmed her chest, but another concern soon tugged at her.

"Earlier, I kind of overheard something about your shipments being attacked."

She gently ran her fingers over the hand resting on her thigh, silently asking permission to pry.

"Is everything all right?"

Caio had to suppress the wince that nearly escaped him.

He’d been afraid she’d overheard some of that conversation.

Apparently, she had.

"It’s all right," he said, in the most natural tone he could manage. "I’m not the only one selling drugs in this city. Smaller factions like to challenge House Sartori every now and then, but they’re little more than mosquitoes."

He gently threaded his fingers through hers.

"I’ll have Leo clean this mess up soon. There’s nothing for you to worry about."

Aren didn’t respond.

She watched his face in silence as his attention returned to the road ahead.

He looked as natural as ever.

His blue eyes remained calm, his shoulders relaxed, and his hand held hers with quiet tenderness. There wasn’t even the slightest twitch in his expression after she’d brought up the matter.

And yet, something about his answer felt incomplete.

Not necessarily false.

Just incomplete.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be more serious than he was making it sound.

’I should look into it myself and see if there’s anything I can do.’

’He’s been looking very tired lately.’

’But I’ll also need to investigate the matter without letting him find out.’

The more calculations ran through her mind, the more serious her expression became.

When Caio glanced toward her again, he caught that serious face, and a teasing smile tugged at his lips.

"Don’t you want to get a little rest? Once we arrive..."

His voice lowered deliberately, taking on an intimate edge.

"...you’re not going to get any rest at all."

Aren stiffened.

By now, she’d understood that tone far too well.

She’d also learned exactly what tended to follow whenever Caio spoke to her like that.

"...I’ll close my eyes for a moment," she murmured timidly, turning toward the window to hide the blush creeping across her face.

Unfortunately, Caio had already caught it.

The satisfaction spreading across his face made it abundantly clear that he was far too pleased with himself.

─ •✧• ─ ✿ ─ •✧• ─

The car finally came to a stop with the moon already high overhead.

The country house stood alone beside a dark, tranquil lake, surrounded on all sides by dense forest.

Caio took Aren’s hand and led her toward the entrance.

The moment the door opened, she was greeted by the clean, faintly fragrant air of a well-maintained home — not the stale scent of dust she’d expected from a house that had been left untouched for so long.

Even the floorboards, the coffee table, and every visible surface were completely free of dust.

Aren turned toward Caio, curiosity plain across her face.

"The place looks very clean."

"I had some maids come over and clean the whole place beforehand," Caio explained as he wandered farther into the room. "I couldn’t just leave the place untouched and bring you here. That would’ve made for a sloppy nightmare of a date."

One by one, he switched on the lights, filling the living room with a warm golden glow that softened the otherwise quiet interior.

Aren smiled happily as she looked around.

Unlike the Sartori estate, which seemed designed to overwhelm anyone who entered it with extravagant luxury, this house was modest and understated.

It felt like somewhere a family might actually live.

"When was the last time you visited?"

Caio’s brow furrowed as he searched his memory.

"Long ago. I didn’t have much reason to come here after my mother passed away. She was the only one who liked this place. My father, not so much."

Aren’s shoulders instantly drooped.

"Oh."

She regretted asking.

"...I’m sorry about your mother."

A faint smirk touched Caio’s lips as he approached her and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"You keep apologizing for things that aren’t your fault. It was a long time ago. I’m over it now."

Aren leaned into his large palm, her gaze falling toward the floor.

She knew better than to trust his words.

He wasn’t over it.

Not completely.

The memory of finding him in the middle of a nightmare had never truly left her.

Even after he’d awakened, shaken and disoriented, he’d called for his mother before anything else.

Without quite knowing what else to say, Aren wrapped both arms around him and pulled him into a tender embrace.

"...How long ago?"

Caio was surprised by the sudden affection, but his arms soon came around her.

"About four years."

He stroked her hair slowly as he pulled her closer.

"There wasn’t anything we could do about it. But at least she didn’t have to suffer for very long before she went."

His voice softened, losing some of its usual certainty.

"At least... I was with her during her last moments."

Aren’s arms tightened around him.

She didn’t know what to say.

There were some kinds of grief for which words were almost insulting in their inadequacy.

So instead, she simply remained there, her small hands moving slowly over his back in quiet reassurance, as though she could somehow ease the remnants of that old pain merely by holding him.

Caio, however, refused to let the melancholy linger.

After another moment, he eased her back just far enough to look at her, making sure she could see that he was fine.

"You want some apple cider?"

Aren knew what he was doing.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Yes, please."

─ •✧• ─ ✿ ─ •✧• ─

The kitchen was just as cozy as the rest of the house.

Several bottles of apple cider sat waiting in the refrigerator, chilled and ready for them.

Caio took out a bottle, twisted the cap loose, and pushed it across the counter toward Aren before opening one for himself.

There was a subtle anticipation in his expression as he watched her.

After all, he’d chosen this particular brand himself.

He wanted to know whether she’d like it.

Yet, even with the bottle sitting right in front of her, Aren didn’t touch it.

Her attention had been caught by a framed family photograph hanging on the wall.

More specifically, by the young man standing beside Caio.

They shared similar features — black hair and blue eyes like their mother, who was also in the photograph — but the resemblance ended there.

While Caio had looked sharp and strikingly confident even in the old photograph, the younger man appeared far more timid and reserved. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he wasn’t even looking at the camera.

Aren studied the young man’s face for another moment, before turning toward Caio.

"I heard you have a younger brother. Is that him?"

Caio finally followed her gaze to the photograph.

"Cesare."

Something complicated flickered across his face.

It lasted barely a second before he buried it beneath his usual composure.

"He’s in Malakor now. Studying medicine."

Aren caught the change anyway.

"You don’t talk about him at all."

Caio shrugged as though the matter were perfectly ordinary.

"There isn’t much to talk about. He doesn’t talk much himself, and I’m not exactly easy to open up to. The only things we ever really clicked over were formulas and side effects."

His tone was casual, but Aren couldn’t help noticing how quickly he’d reduced his relationship with his brother to academic subjects.

Perhaps there was more beneath that brief answer than he was willing to discuss.

Before she could ask, Caio’s gaze dropped to the cider she’d been ignoring.

He nudged the bottle toward her again.

"Drink," he urged. "It doesn’t taste as good once it gets warm."

Aren’s gaze finally dropped to the bottle in front of her.

Condensation had already gathered across the chilled glass, tiny droplets sliding slowly down its surface.

She decided to set the subject aside — for now — and reached for it with both hands.

"Thank you, Caio."

She lifted the bottle and took a careful sip.

The crisp sweetness spread across her tongue, followed by the fresh, fragrant taste of apple.

The more she drank, the more color rose into her cheeks, and the curious expression she’d worn moments earlier gave way to unmistakable delight.

Caio watched the transformation in silence, taking small sips from his own bottle.

"Good?"

Aren nodded eagerly, finally pausing between sips.

"The apple is so fragrant, and the taste is really crisp. I love it."

"Mm."

Amusement danced in Caio’s eyes, accompanied by a quiet satisfaction he made no attempt to conceal.

He’d picked correctly.

Apparently, that pleased him far more than it should have.

Once he’d gotten the reaction he wanted, he placed his bottle on the counter and leaned against it, studying her with a teasing smile.

"You seem rather eager to get to know my family tonight."

Aren looked at him, confused by the teasing remark.

"Well, we’re on a date, aren’t we? Isn’t that what dating is for?"

Caio raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"You told me people date each other to get to know each other better, so they can get married one day." She shrugged as though the answer were obvious. "So I want to know you better."

The complete seriousness with which she said it caught Caio off guard.

He stared at her for a moment before a laugh escaped him.

"I did say that."

Without warning, he reached over and smoothly stole the bottle from her hands before she could react.

Aren immediately reached for it.

"My cider—"

It was too late.

He’d placed her bottle beside his own on the counter.

When Caio turned back toward her, however, the teasing expression had vanished from his face.

Something heavier had settled over his features, making his blue eyes look unusually intent.

"Aren."

His palm rose to cradle the side of her face.

"If one day I ask you to marry me, would you want something like that?"