Alan saw Aria clutching her fists tight looking at it sitting in the car backseat. He had already spoken to her and she had said she was fine to go to school.

Thinking she was still scared, he spoke, "Aria!" She turned to Alan to hear, "Fear will stop your growth. The world can only support you, you have to walk."

​​

Aria understood what he meant but Rian peeked back, "Oh ho Little devil! That's why you didn't grow as tall as me."

Aria and Alan gave him a 'You Muddled-headed fool' look which made him continue his chatter with Nathan.

Aria looked at two brothers who were completely opposite excluding their urge to protect what they want and what they should. She smiled to herself and remained silent.

Alan who glanced at her in between his work couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Why are you so serious?"

"Huh?" Aria thought to tell what was going on in her head and opened both palms which had a small circular bottle. "I'm thinking whether it works effectively or not."

For Alan, it looked like a pocket perfume. He couldn't understand why Aria thought about it. "Is it a new perfume formula you prepared?" He could only come up with that.

Aria shook her head, "Pepper spray! Grandfather Morgan gave it to me before we left."

Alan: "..."

How to test the Pepper spray now? Smell? Taste? Eyes? No way.

Aria saw him looking at her for quite a few seconds in his poker face, hence she spoke, "Don't worry, I will not try on you." She pursed her lips to control laughing but her lips were high up.

He cleared his throat and went back to work...

After alighting the car, Alan took Aria to the Principal's office to have a good talk.

After greetings, both sat opposite to him and Alan came to the main point, "Without my permission, keep all the new people away, don't call Aria and let her meet them."

Aria: "..."

The Principal agreed.

"Aria is the President Cooper matter shouldn't leak."

Aria: "..."

The Principal agreed.

"Friday's things should be under wrap."

The Principal agreed...

Aria felt like the Principal was Alan's extremely obedient student as they continued. After five minutes, Aria poked Alan's arm and said in a very low voice.

"Fear will stop your growth and why are you talking so much? I am really fine."

Alan paused his instructions and turned to Aria whose face was next to his ear to whisper. The latter quickly created distance once he turned which had made their face at a rather close distance.

Alan had asked his people to investigate Lucas Cooper and didn't find anything about him in the past six years. There was no record about him anywhere, he wanted to make sure about her safety in the school excluding the fact that there were a few non-teaching staff in school for her safety.

He nodded and was bidding, the Principal spoke taking out a cheque, "Mr.Cooper had given us this on Friday, President Morgan, what to do with this?"

Aria spoke before Alan, "Weren't you too impressed by him for this cheque? Use it. If this cheque is the payment for YOU from him, be ready to face a police investigation if anything happens to me in the school by outsiders."

Alan controlled his facial expression. He was ordering him but Aria directly threatened to make him do whatever he said without wasting too many words.

The principal had to drink water to compose himself. "Aria, he gave this for school. I will add on security measures so don't worry, you will be safe."

Aria nodded, "If it's for school, I think you should use the cheque faster. If the amount transferred then well and good. If not, let that man visit the Police station."

The principal agreed to her eating the threats before bidding them wiping his sweat.

Alan spoke after coming out. "Are you sure about threatening the Principal? He is Principal and could easily manipulate your scores." He knew the principal won't do any such things given their identities.

Aria walked towards her class with Alan as she responded to his question, "The Principal will not dare to do that, and I never really cared about scoring high or being first. It may be anything, I will make sure to do my best, and unfortunately, I do better and attract unnecessary attention towards me."

Alan rubbed her head lightly in adoration. Excluding Lucas Cooper, Aria was confident in the rest.

Isla Turner who entered the administration block was welcomed by that scene. Alan's smile was captivating and beautiful as soft and pleasant early morning sun rays but it was only directed to Aria.

Aria who paused for few seconds advised him, "You are a man of few words and you are good that way. You don't have to change worrying about my safety."

Alan wasn't expecting anything like that from her. He nodded and asked curiously, "So are you asking me to talk less with you?"

Aria shook her head, "I told it for strangers... You are okay with others judging you. You stand by yourself. You stand tall." Aria always liked how he controls everything in his presence.

Alan smiled hearing her. It wasn't the first time he heard her praise him but he was always amused by how fluently she says it similar to how she remarks about what was bad in him.

"Are you always so straight when complimenting?"

Aria hummed looking ahead as she walked and didn't see any of his reactions and expression which were very affectionate and gentle as a blooming tree.

Alan spoke after a long minute. "Okay! Enough of mature talk." He liked her all forms but he liked her childlike heart and mind more.

Jade who was walking ahead of Aria and Alan turned to see Alan pinching her cheek fondly and Aria giggling.

It had been a month but he couldn't make a normal hearty conversation and Aria would always leave finishing their work. It was also over from the time Alan dropped and picked her from school daily.

The duo reached near the class and Aria was entering, Alan held her hand and said when she turned, "I'm just..."

Aria knew he was worried so she cut in, "A call away."

He hummed, "Don't..."

"I will not worry unnecessarily, I'll not overthink, I'll live as a teenage spoiled girl to let you clean up after me." Aria laughed at her own sentence.

Alan had tried to make her understand she doesn't have to be mature and strong just because of her past experience. She should enjoy her life even though she had to be under security personnel.

Alan wanted to say the same but in a different way. He pinched her pink cheeks, "So you don't even let me talk and finish my sentence too."

Aria didn't get time to react and heard a teasing tone, "So did Prince really steal my wife?"

Who else could it be other than Eva?

Alan had thought Eva was an innocent girl, which changed to flirting and teasing queen but it changed again when he saw how she looked after Aria from Friday to Sunday which was no less than mother.

He numerous times saw her feeding Aria with lots of food on dining tables and other snack times. He had seen Aria resting her head on her lap while talking, falling asleep hearing her, and many more such things. So his opinion about her greatly improved knowing she was a very kind-hearted girl.

Alan saw Aria's cheeks which were flushed red hearing Eva. He bid them and left.

Eva was a hundred percent sure Alan likes Aria as a little young lady and he wasn't doing all that for the 'guardian' relation. But Rian pushed it off and Aria had knocked her on the head saying, 'He is just being responsible and taking care of me for his parents and to keep them worry-free.'

She couldn't understand the change in behavior of Alan with Aria was so obvious, why couldn't the Morgan family see it and Aria had a greater tendency to think 'He changed after I scolded him and said I wanted to leave the Morgan mansion'. She even assumed he was nice so that she shouldn't leave or talk about leaving due to his behavior.

Eva felt like she was living between dumb people. She took her glaring sweet wife inside the class. "My goddess! How can you give me that look? Let's get in."