Chapter 77: Alicia's Boldness

Aiden, emerging from the wave of his realization, gently let go of the hug and gazed into Alicia's eyes with affection. His voice, heavy with guilt, broke the silence. "Big sis, from now on, I promise I won't do anything that would ever upset you."

As he remembered how many times he hadn't been completely honest with her and acted innocent in front of her so he decided from now on he would be more truthful toward her and show his thoughts to her, other than saying things about the system as before reviving his Mom he had no intention of revealing about its existence.

Alicia felt surprised when she heard his words. She didn't understand why he suddenly said this after just coming out of the hug. Nonetheless, hearing him assure her that he wouldn't upset her again made her heart feel warm. She smiled softly, her gaze lingering on his handsome face, which was so close to hers, and she replied in a gentle tone.

"Hmm, it's good that you understand this, little Aiden. Otherwise, you wouldn't like what I would do if you ever broke my heart. So, make sure to love me with all your heart."

Aiden responded immediately to her words with his heartfelt words. His expression became serious as he declared, "I will always love you, big sis. I promise you that."

It was fortunate that both of them were still standing close to each other after the hug. If anyone had heard their exchange, it might have confirmed the suspicions that people already had about them being more than just siblings.

Alicia was dissatisfied with the way the girls in the hallway were looking at Aiden. They had gazes filled with admiration and desire, and she didn't like it one bit.

She had already decided to make her intentions clear regarding Aiden, and a little public display of affection wouldn't hurt. It had been months of keeping things ambiguous, and it was about time to stop being vague about their connection and show some things. After enduring six long months of internal conflict, Alicia had made up her mind.

She shifted her gaze back to her younger brother, her eyes fierce with determination. Without a hint of shyness or hesitation, she spoke confidently, not holding back from what she was about to ask. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Aiden, give me a peck on my right cheek," she said with conviction.

Aiden, hearing her request, was a bit puzzled. Why would she suddenly want a peck on her cheek? It didn't seem like something out of the ordinary, though, so he wasn't too concerned about it. After all, it was just a peck, and he didn't mind showing his sister some affection.

However, what Aiden didn't realize was that, for the girls watching him—many of whom admired him—a simple peck could be more impactful than he could imagine. To those girls, that minor act of affection could shatter their dreams and break their hearts.

Alicia, being a girl herself, understood this all too well. That's exactly why she wanted it to happen. She knew how fragile their emotions were, and she wanted to assert her place in Aiden's life.

Without thinking twice, Aiden leaned in and gave Alicia a soft peck on her right cheek. However, the peck lasted longer than a typical one—about five seconds—which made the gesture more intimate for everyone to see.

The girls in the hallway, who had felt a sense of relief when Aiden initially pulled away from the hug, started to feel uneasy once again. At first, they had consoled themselves with the thought that Alicia was just his older sister and nothing more.

But now, after hearing her possessive words and witnessing how Aiden handled the situation, their jealousy began to grow. It felt like they were watching a scene out of K-drama when the male lead had to comfort the female lead by holding her close when she got out of control.

The girls who had been eyeing Aiden with romantic hopes were starting to feel crushed. Each of them had been hoping to win Aiden's affection one day. But now, seeing how Alicia was positioning herself as an obstacle between them and their dreams, their spirits were dampened. Even so, they hadn't given up completely.

Many of them still believed that Aiden, their pure-hearted angel, would never truly be in a relationship with his own sister.

Isla and the Vice President, who were standing closest to Aiden, watched with a mix of emotions. They, too, had sighed in relief when the hug had ended. The idea of Aiden being manipulated or taken advantage of by his own sister didn't sit well with them. It upset them deeply to think that Alicia might be using her position as his sister to get what she wanted.

However, when they witnessed Aiden willingly kiss Alicia in front of everyone, their initial thoughts began to falter.

Isla, who had already cast Alicia in the role of the villain in her mind, clung to the belief that something more sinister was going on. She thought to herself.

'This evil sister-in-law must be blackmailing my Aiden with something. Poor Aiden is just going along with her demands because he has no choice.'

Seeing Aiden kiss another woman—especially in front of her—made Isla's heartache. But she knew there was nothing she could do at the moment.

She had already given her word to Alicia and her own sister that she would follow the rules, and Isla wasn't one to go back on her promises. Pride was deeply ingrained in her after living with a General for so long, just like it was in every other member of the elite squad.

But despite everything, Isla was determined. She made a vow to herself.

'I will find a way to free Aiden from this evil sister-in-law's grasp and make him mine, once and for all.'

Isla was so wrapped up in her emotions that she didn't even realize her face had twisted into a frown, and her heartbroken expression was plain for everyone to see. However, one person in the room was thoroughly enjoying the situation—Ava.

To Ava, the entire scene unfolding before her felt like a live drama. The cast was beautiful, the stakes were high, and the storyline—a forbidden love between siblings—was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

For someone like Ava, who often found life monotonous and only worked to the best of her abilities to prove herself in front of the general, this was highly entertaining.

Her excitement only grew as she watched the expressions on everyone's faces, particularly Isla's. Ava hadn't forgotten what her sister had done earlier, and she certainly hadn't forgiven her for almost ruining the mission. Seeing her sister's delusional hopes slipping through her fingers was more satisfying than Ava could have ever imagined.

'This is all for Isla's own good,' Ava thought to herself. 'She shouldn't be daydreaming about something she can never have. Better to shatter her illusions now before she embarrasses herself even more.'

As Ava watched the scene unfold, she felt a sense of relief. Seeing Isla heartbroken was, in her mind, the perfect justice for how foolishly her sister could be, especially with all her endless talk about fighting.

Ava had always found it irritating when Isla would go on about her fighting, but now, watching her sister suffer through this emotional turmoil, Ava couldn't help but feel deeply satisfied.

However she is also ready to comfort when she hurts her feelings still she doesn't think her sister Isla and Aiden are a match as they are from completely different worlds, experiencing different lives.

Meanwhile, Alicia looked around the hallway, observing the expressions on everyone's faces. The hurt, the jealousy, the disappointment—it was all visible, and it gave her a sense of satisfaction. However, Alicia wasn't finished yet. She had been vague about her relationship with Aiden for too long, and now that she had decided to be bold, she wasn't going to hold back.

After suffering in silence for six months, she was finally ready to declare her claim on Aiden even if it's only this much. Taking a deep breath, she struck a confident pose and shouted so loudly that everyone in the hallway could hear her.

"Listen up, all of you bitches!" Alicia's voice rang out.

Aiden, standing beside his big sister, was completely taken aback. He had never expected her to shout like that in front of so many people. This was so unlike the sister he knew. In his mind, his sister had always been calm and composed, rarely ever raising her voice. But now, she was acting completely differently—bold and unafraid of what anyone might think.

Something in her had changed, and while Aiden wasn't sure whether it was for the better or worse, he knew one thing: he would love her no matter what. So, without interfering, Aiden stood silently next to her, watching how things would unfold.

Alicia's face was flushed with a mix of embarrassment and determination, but she didn't let that stop her. Seeing that Aiden wasn't stopping her from speaking gave her more confidence. Blushing, yet standing tall, she pointed directly at Aiden as she continued her bold proclamation.

"Do you see this handsome young man here? He's my little brother! And he loves me more than anything else in this world!" she declared loudly, her voice full of emotion.

Her throat was starting to hurt from all the shouting, but she wasn't done. Alicia had been holding these feelings in for far too long, and now that she had started, she couldn't stop. Taking another deep breath, she gathered her strength to continue.

"And for all of you dumb bitches who think you have a chance with him—stop daydreaming! He doesn't care about any of you. He belongs to me, and only me!"

Aiden, standing next to her, was shocked by how bold his big sister had become in front of everyone. But he found himself liking this new side of her. She had become fearless, and he admired her for it. Smiling to himself, Aiden thought, 'My big sis is so fearless.'