Beyond The Gaze: A Love Unseen

Chapter 37

Past - 19

Elysia's POV:

Ares wasn't just an excellent guide; he was also extremely strict. So, here we were, studying extra because I wouldn't be able to practice over the weekend due to a camp trip. The tension in the room was palpable as I sat in his home.

I felt incredibly uncomfortable. This was, without a doubt, the most extravagant mansion from the inside that I had ever seen in my life. The fear of breaking something due to my anxiousness loomed over me. I had always seen it from outside but this was the first time I went in.

The opulence of this place must have cost millions. I decided to sit on the plush rug beside the couch and work quietly on the table. However, my nervousness made it difficult to focus.

Ares had left the room after assigning me to the living room, saying he would be back later.

As I grappled with the math problems, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted my concentration. I looked up to find a newcomer, and her surprise at seeing me mirrored mine. It was the same woman I had seen with Ares when I first met him – his mother.

I immediately stood up, accidentally dropping my books. "G-good evening, ma'am!" I stammered, intertwining my hands behind my back. "I'm Elysia Lawson, and I s-study at the same school as—"

I couldn't complete my sentence because Ares entered the room, dressed casually, his hair still damp from a recent shower.

"Mom," he acknowledged her, and I couldn't help but steal a quick glance at him.

"You had a guest, and you left her here alone; that's not gentlemanly," his mother chided him. She approached me and warmly embraced me, a wide smile on her face.

"I'm Joelle, Elysia. Ares' mother. It's really nice to meet you. Ares had never brought anyone home before. Are you his—?" she began, her excitement palpable. However, Ares interjected.

"Mom, she is the girl I'm guiding for the competition. She is here for extra practice," he explained to her.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Mrs. Knight excused herself, leaving to check the door.

"Let's start," Ares said to me and I quickly nodded but just then Mrs. Knight returned along with someone else, trailing behind her.

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw Sven walking toward us, still wearing his school uniform.

What the heck was he doing here?

"You have another friend here, Ares! You guys study; I'll be back," Mrs. Knight said cheerfully as she exited the living room, leaving us all in a state of shock.

An odd tension filled the room as Sven stood in front of me, his gaze directed at Ares. His expression was unusually serious, a marked departure from his usual demeanor.

I shifted my attention from Sven to Ares, who was giving Sven a cold, searching, and expressionless gaze. In contrast, Sven's face displayed "dislike," and he made no effort to conceal it.

"Why are you here?" I questioned Sven, raising an eyebrow in surprise. Ares and Sven both turned their gazes on me, their expressions unreadable.

"To see you," Sven replied bluntly.

"Why would you come to see me?" I wanted to smack Sven, but Ares was watching me intently.

"Do I need a reason to look for you, beautiful?" Sven asked, innocently shrugging his shoulders.

My expressions froze at his words, and my eyes automatically moved towards Ares, who was giving Sven a deadly serious look.

"Do we know each other?" Ares addressed Sven for the first time, his voice colder than I had ever heard.