Bound by Deception

4.1 A Sense of Normalcy

"The forecast said that it's going to rain next week," Sterling said. He walked with his hands in his pockets, studying the calm riverside scene. "Do you think Madame will give us something?"

"Probably." Aria was focused on her feet. "She doesn't give a damn about the weather. She just needs us to get the job done."

"That's fair, but I don't want to mess up any of my good clothes," Sterling replied. He checked his watch, and one of the sunbeams hit the center, creating a burst of rays that shot into the sky and spread around the ground. Like a compass, the light yellow numbers directed Sterling north toward the Pennhill Bridge, where his favorite ice cream stand was.

"Then wear something ratty."

"I can't if it's a fancy party...Lady Sundance." Sterling smirked.

"Shut up!" Aria hissed, slapping his arm. "Don't say that out loud! Somebody will hear you, and Lord and Lady Sundance are supposed to be dead."

"Nobody's paying attention to us," Sterling said, lazily gesturing to the scattered people that sat at the banks of the river or casually walked around the path. Evening in Bishops was one of the most beautiful times, and it was also the town's main attraction. Known for its nightly beauty, couples regularly took to the park path to spend a few romantic moments with each other. Sterling even found it amusing when people would conduct their affairs in the park. Aria found it revolting.

"Stop eavesdropping!" She slapped him again when she noticed the tilt of his body. "Whatever they're doing is not any of our concern."

"You can't tell me that you're not the least bit interested in the drama." Sterling rubbed his arm. "Look, that lady just found her husband cheating on her. Damn, does she know martial arts or something?"

"I should just leave you in the park one of these days," Aria muttered. "Instead of spending your day watching TV, you can watch the soap operas here."

"That would be fun." Sterling glanced at her phone. "What's up? Family shit?"

"Something like that," Aria sighed. "My aunt's being nosy, as usual. She's telling me about this dumb gathering that's happening next week. Supposedly, all singles are going to be joining with their families to create alliances and whatnot." She scoffed. "And in true Pinky Kumar fashion, she's trying to rope me into going with her."

"Isn't your aunt married?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Yes, she's married. But she's talking about me." She handed Sterling her phone, the latter who put it in his pocket since her dress was void of any holdings. "I'm past my prime, Sterling. My aunt's eager to marry me off so that I can live a lavish life."

"Is that the only reason?" His melted gaze prodded her gently.

She sighed again. "Not completely. I'll tell you once we get our ice cream."

"Sure." Cautiously, Sterling studied Aria's side profile. His partner always had a slumped, gloomy figure to herself. She could be cutthroat when she wanted to be, but most of the time Aria was like a ghost. She wandered aimlessly around the office and didn't speak much. If she did, it was often with a reason behind it. Sterling had never seen her with anyone outside the office. Once in a while, he'd see her leaving Bishop's Men's School with her cousin, Noah, but that was it. He often wondered if she had anything close to social life outside of syndicate work. Of course, he knew that as Lady Kumar, it was mandatory for her to go to rich gatherings, which is how they got most of their intel, but Aria never enjoyed them. She hated the people there and would spend the day after ranting nonstop about them to Sterling. He didn't mind it, but he wished that she had other friends as well. He would never bring it up to her, though. As tough as she looked, Aria had an unstable heart. She could take his suggestion as a hint that they should stop hanging out as often as they did, and that wasn't something that Sterling wanted.

"Ah, Lady Kumar, Duke Sterling," Yohan, the ice cream man, greeted them warmly. A large, cuddly man who always had a joyful sparkle in his eye, Yohan was Sterling's oldest friend and (in his opinion) the best at selling ice cream. "Out on another date, I see?"

"In your dreams, Yohan," Aria laughed, pulling herself out of her despondent mood. It was difficult to be grumpy around Yohan. "What's the special today?"

"I call it Bloody Mary," Yohan said, gesturing with his scoop to the bowl of vanilla and raspberry cream. "It's cliche, but my son has been stuck on his homework for a while, so I haven't gotten much of a chance to be creative."

"That's fine. We'll take two," Sterling said. "And Yohan, don't call me Duke. I've told you that so many times already."

"And since when have I listened?" Yohan laughed jollily. He dumped two scoops of ice cream onto the thin wafer cones and handed them to Aria. "You guys look beat. Long day at the office?"

"Long life," Aria grumbled, biting her side of the cone.

Sterling chuckled. "It's been a minute," he added, winking at Yohan. "Josie's got us running loops with all the work she has."

"I can imagine," Yohan said. "Margot's not one for slacking. Speaking of..." he reached under his cart, procuring a thin manila folder. "She requested some intel on Lord and Lady Garmond. This is all I could get." He scratched the back of his head. "The press is having a field day with their deaths. Especially thanks to Sterling's wonderful display." He grinned at his friend. "Did Margie give you hell for that?"

"Kind of." Sterling licked his cone and wrapped his arm around Aria's shoulders. "So did this one."

"He's like a child sometimes, Yohan." Aria smiled. "How could I not scold him?"

"Eh, he deserves it," Yohan laughed, punching Sterling lightly on the shoulder. "Now, go on. Enjoy your snack, kiddos. I'll see you guys later for Margie's inevitable job request."

"See you."

Aria and Sterling waved goodbye to Yohan, savoring their ice creams while they walked down the curved path, searching for an empty bench to sit on. They found one by the river, overlooking the parking lot and the city behind it. Bishop's All Girls Private School loomed above the trees, and hiding behind it was the disconcerting city hall, which the Prime Minister often visited. 

------------------------------

unedited

Another update is out now! We meet Yohan, their outside source, and learn a bit more about Aria. Also, Madame has a first name?? Who'd have thought 😂😂

VOTE/COMMENT/ENJOY :D