Is this destiny?

Chloe was panting heavily as she entered her apartment and locked the door behind her.

She didn't want to cause a scene and run from Noah, but she needed time to process things.

Chloe couldn't stay in the apartment which caused obscene images of Noah and random women (like Daphne) to appear in her mind, and the knowledge that Noah was right there was making her unable to think rationally.

'Was this fair to Noah?', Chloe wondered. Probably not, but she had no capacity to worry about anyone else. Her mind and heart were in turmoil and she decided to put her needs first and find some peace.

Chloe's apartment was dark and quiet, and it didn't provide any relief to the stiffness she felt in her chest.

Her face was hot, her heart was thumping violently, her legs throbbed from running, and it felt like there was a lack of oxygen as she had difficulty breathing.

Chloe tossed her purse randomly and went to the bathroom.

The bright lights made her squint and the mirror in front of her revealed wet streaks on her face. Chloe didn't realize she was crying.

She splashed cold water on her face once, twice…

Why was she crying? It's not like Noah cheated on her. Since they met, Noah was sweet and caring and he proposed to her… Chloe paused her thoughts and looked at the diamond ring on her left ring finger.

Chloe removed the ring and kept it on the shelf above the sink.

She looked at her now ringless hand. There was no change. She felt the same.

Somehow, it didn't feel real.

Noah telling her that she is important, that he loves her, him asking her to marry him, the freedom, the kisses, the cuddles, the two of them preparing breakfast together, the happiness, even playing the piano in the Youth Center... none of that felt real.

The last few days were like a dream that didn't belong to her.

So, why was the pain real? Was it because she realized how that was a dream and none of that happened?

If it was real, Noah would come after her. Or maybe she was right about Noah being too good for her, and now that she ran away, he realized that she is too damaged and not worth his time, and… he should find someone less complicated.

Chloe's vision blurred again, and she gave up on washing her face because she knew that it would take some time for her to stop crying.

She changed into her pajamas, went to the bedroom, and curled up on the bed while hugging a pillow that was getting soaked with her tears within seconds.

…

~ Los Angeles, the Cliffside Villa ~

Sarah and Aiden were in the garden, with their kids and fur-babies.

September's weather was perfect for lazing outside after dinner, as the temperature was pleasant and the small breeze from the ocean prevented mosquitoes from bothering anyone.

Sarah was in the middle of a fluffy blanket with three big cats stretched lazily around her. She gave them head scratches in turns while chatting with Nala and Oni, and Aiden laid sideways on the blanket while enjoying the view of his wife. Her stomach showed a little and he was imagining how it will look as it swells further.

Nearby, Zack and Masika were throwing balls into the distance for Hero, Luna, and Bella to retrieve.

Aiden was happy to see Sarah laughing, it was an improvement considering that she had a dark cloud above her head because of Vasily's condition.

There were several other blankets stretched through the garden with kids chatting in groups, and some blankets were away from the crowd and light, providing semi-privacy for couples who spoke in whispers.

"Who is calling at this time?", Sarah asked when Aiden's phone rang.

It was after dinner and she was concerned that something bad happened.

"It's Noah…", Aiden said when he checked the caller's ID and he walked away to take the call.

Aiden guessed that it's something troublesome and he didn't want to risk upsetting Sarah. Well, it was too late as Sarah's face was arranged into a frown while she thought of possibilities why Noah would call at this hour.

It's Monday evening, and Noah should be enjoying his time with Chloe.

Sarah knew that Noah got engaged to Chloe the previous day. Aiden gave Noah one of his prized EY suits since Noah needed something super-fancy and Aiden and Noah have similar frames.

'Did something happen at the Army of Chaos?', Sarah wondered. A second later, she dismissed that thought. If it's Army of Chaos, Noah would not call Aiden, and Eve would notify them of any emergency before Noah could call. So that left Sarah with only one option…

"How did he mess up with Chloe?", Sarah asked grumpily when Aiden returned.

Aiden's steps halted. "How do you know?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Just answer me."

Aiden knew that there was no point in lying because Sarah can find out. "They were talking about Chloe moving in with Noah to one of the apartments he has in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. She was familiarizing herself with the place and she bumped into… uhm… leftovers."

Sarah's face darkened. "Leftovers?"

Aiden scratched the back of his head. "Love, Noah is a grown man. He can handle it."

Sarah shook her head in disapproval. "What leftovers?"

Aiden closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. He knew that Sarah will not give up. Somehow, she was vested in this Noah-Chloe relationship like it's her personal pet-project. "Condoms. Used."

Oni and Nala gasped (they were right there, so it didn't count as eavesdropping), but Aiden was focused on Sarah who stared at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean… used?"

"Not the condom itself, but a torn wrapper.", Aiden quickly clarified.

"And what did he do?"

"She was upset, and she left and…", Aiden's voice trailed when he saw Sarah reaching for her phone. He didn't need to look to know who will be getting a call. Why didn't she ask him how his talk with Noah ended?

"All of you playboys are the same!", Sarah squeezed through her teeth as soon as Noah picked up her call. "How could you be so reckless? Why did you take her to the apartment where you slept with other women? … I don't care! How do you expect her to feel special if you are treating her like any other woman that spread her legs for you?! What else did you do to make her feel like trash? … You don't know? Well, I guess you should figure it out before you go after her!" Sarah paused and took a deep breath to calm down. "I told you not to treat Chloe as a hookup. If you are not serious about Chloe, and if you don't know how to cherish her, stay away from her, Noah. I don't want to hear any excuses."

Sarah ended the call without giving Noah a chance to speak.

Aiden watched Sarah nervously. Is he in trouble? He feared that this incident reminded Sarah of his past and that she will make him sleep on the sofa.

Gingerly, he sat on the blanket next to Sarah, and his lips curved into a smile when Sarah reached with her hand for his. Ah, she is not angry at him! He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Sarah.

"Chloe is in her apartment. Noah is in his, on the fourth street.", Oni said.

While Sarah was on the phone with Noah, Oni checked Chloe's and Noah's locations with Eve-lens.

"Should we go and make sure she is OK?", Nala asked.

Sarah thought for a moment before responding. "Let's give Noah some time. If he doesn't fix his mess, we will offer Chloe a chance for a clean start without him."

Sarah would usually not meddle in these situations, but with Noah and Cloe, Sarah felt that it's her responsibility. In case that things with Noah don't work out, Chloe will be stuck in limbo between her family and a new life that is tied to Noah.

"What if things escalate?", Aiden asked.

"I'm sure that Noah will figure this out by morning.", Sarah said.

Aiden was not convinced. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not. But I know that if he doesn't fight for her, his feelings are not deep enough. I don't want Chloe to feel stuck between two bad choices, and I would like to help her right away, however, her emotions right now are all over the place and there will be no point in talking as her instinct will be to flee.", Sarah responded to Aiden and turned to speak to Oni and Nala, "None of us is close enough to Chloe, and if we go there now, she will either run away or shut down. Keep an eye on Chloe if she leaves her apartment during the night. In the morning, we will talk to her."

Sarah snuggled in Aiden's embrace and sighed. "I feel responsible for this mess...", she shared her thoughts in a small voice.

Aiden knew this. Sarah couldn't be happy if people around her are not happy.

"Don't worry, love. I will help you fix things.", Aiden comforted Sarah while silently cursing Noah a thousand times. Why can't Noah leave Sarah alone? Noah got engaged to Chloe, and he is still upsetting Sarah's peace!

"Oh, why did Noah call you?", Sarah asked after some time.

Aiden smiled helplessly. Finally, she thought of asking. "He wanted my advice on how to handle this."

"What did you say?"

"I told him to convince her that she is the only one for him. Getting engaged is not a game. I also mentioned that if he fails, he will need to pay for the suit I gave him."

Sarah approved. Getting engaged is not a game.

---

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