Transmigrated: Stealing the CEO husband-Chapter 30: Unwanted attention

A blush crept over Elias's face. "No." His voice was sharp, defensive. "She's my sister. What made you think that?"

"Your sister?" The young man stepped closer, eyes glinting with amusement. "She's so pretty that one might think something else is going on. Forgive me if I misjudged."

Ariana tilted her head. "Are you a classmate of Elias?"

Before Elias could respond, the boy took the initiative. "I'm Leo, his senior. We hit it off quite a bit." He flashed a grin before his gaze settled on Ariana, curiosity dancing in his eyes. He casually circled the table, assessing her like a puzzle he was eager to solve.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, his voice smooth.

"Why not?" Ariana replied, ever the polite one.

Elias, however, went rigid. His jaw tightened as his grip on his fork turned white-knuckled.

Leo pulled out a chair and sat down, still fixated on Ariana. "Elias, why didn't you ever tell us you had such a gorgeous sister?" His smirk widened. "We could've done something about it."

"Something?" Ariana raised an eyebrow.

Leo leaned in slightly. "Depends... are you single?"

Ariana let out a short chuckle, unfazed by his brazenness. But before she could respond—

"I'm done. Let's go." Elias abruptly stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. Without waiting for Ariana, he stormed off.

Ariana sighed, shooting an apologetic glance at Leo before settling the bill and following after him.

She found Elias standing by her car, a cigarette between his fingers.

The moment she got close, she reached out and snatched his ear.

The cigarette slipped from his grasp. "Ow—what the hell, Ariana?!"

"No bad habits when you're with me," she scolded, voice firm but not unkind.

Elias looked at her, startled, before averting his gaze. "We should go. I have lectures tomorrow."

It was late. The streetlights bathed them in a soft, golden glow as they got into the car.

The ride home was filled with silence—tense, unspoken words hanging between them.

When they arrived, Elias reached for the door handle, clearly intending to shut himself in his room for the rest of the night.

But the door wouldn't budge.

Ariana had locked it.

She rested her hands on the steering wheel. "Elias, we need to talk."

Elias stiffened but kept his eyes forward. "Unlock the door."

"I will. But first, answer me."

Silence.

She took a deep breath. "Are you being bullied?"

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

More silence.

"...Does Leo have something to do with it?"

Elias's lips pressed into a thin line. His fingers curled into fists, but still, he said nothing.

Ariana sighed. Without another word, she unlocked the door.

Elias stepped out immediately. Just as she expected, he headed straight for the elevator, not sparing her a glance.

Ariana remained in the car, staring at the dashboard.

Then, a notification appeared in the corner of her vision.

[Main Task: Have a meal outside with Elias]Status: Completed Reward: In Inventory

Ariana clicked on the inventory.

Reward for Main Task: Take Elias Out – Martial Arts Pack

Before she could process that, a new notification appeared.

[New Main Task: Help Elias fight back against his bullies – Leo, Ethan, and Kai]Time Limit: 1 Week Penalty: Elimination of previous rewards

Ariana drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, deep in thought.

"No wonder he gives off such serious vibes," she muttered.

The next day, Ariana sent Elias a text.

"I'm picking you up. We're heading to Sugar Panda for ice cream."

His reply came after a long pause.

"NO. I'll come on my own. You don't need to."

Ariana smirked.

"Too bad, I'm already halfway there."

Of course, that was a lie.

She grabbed her keys and drove straight to his college.

Upon arriving, she called him—no answer.

Annoyed, she asked around. It wasn't long before she got her answer.

"He usually takes the back route through the alleyways," a student informed her.

A bad feeling settled in her stomach.

Ariana rushed toward the secluded path.

And that's when she saw them.

Elias was cornered by three figures.

Leo, Ethan, and Kai.

Leo stood at the front, casually twirling Elias's phone in his hand like a toy. Elias's expression was tight, his fists clenched at his sides. His face was slightly flushed—anger, humiliation, or both.

"You've got a pretty hot sister," Leo mused with a smirk.

Ethan chuckled, shoving Elias lightly. "What's the deal, man? Keeping her all to yourself?"

"Yeah," Kai added, cracking his knuckles. "You should introduce her to us sometime. We could use some company at the club."

Ariana's voice cut through the air like a blade.

"Is someone missing me?"

All three boys stiffened.

Elias's head snapped up, his eyes widening.

Ariana stepped forward, hands in her pockets, a cool, unreadable expression on her face.

Leo recovered first, turning to her with a slow, amused smile. "Oh? Speak of the devil."

Ethan let out a low whistle. "Damn. She actually came."

Ariana tilted her head, her voice calm yet laced with an edge.

"I didn't like the way you said 'club.'"

Kai smirked. "Relax, sweetheart. We were just inviting you for some fun."

Ariana's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You really think I'm someone who'd 'have fun' with guys like you?"

Leo chuckled. "Feisty. I like that."

Elias finally snapped. "Shut the hell up, Leo!" He lunged forward, only for Kai to shove him back against the wall with ease.

Ariana's eyes darkened.

Ding!

A new message flashed before her.

[Martial Arts Pack – Activated]

A sudden rush of knowledge filled her mind—footwork, pressure points, counters, everything.

Her lips curled into a dangerous smirk.

"Alright, boys," she said, rolling her shoulders. "Let's see if you can back up all that talk."

Leo's brows raised. "Oh? And what are you gonna do?"

Ariana cracked her knuckles.

"Give you a lesson you won't forget."