After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's Aunt-in-Law-Chapter 127: The Audacity of Youth

Aria had just managed to drag Zoe to the relative safety of a high-top table near the bar when the front door burst open again.

It was a sunbeam in human form.

Leo bounced into the pub. He was wearing a mesh t-shirt, baggy cargo pants, and a bucket hat. He was glowing with the kind of unblemished, hydrate-filled youth that made everyone over twenty-five want to buy an eye cream.

"Sister Aria!" Leo yelled, spotting her instantly.

He rushed over, dodging drinks like he was in a video game.

"Leo!" Aria smiled, relieved to see a friendly, non-threatening face. She turned to Zoe, gripping her shoulders.

"Zoe, look. A palate cleanser. He’s cute. He’s talented. He’s legal."

Zoe looked at Leo. She looked at his bucket hat. She looked at the way he was currently doing a subtle dance move while waiting for a high-five.

"He was born after the first iPhone, Aria," Zoe whispered, horrified. "I can’t date him. I’d have to explain what a VHS tape is. He probably thinks a floppy disk is a 3D print of the Save icon."

"You are twenty-one, Zoe," Aria hissed. "Stop being dramatic. You are two years older than him. You are literally the same generation."

"There is a chasm," Zoe insisted, taking a sip of her drink. "A generational divide. He has ’Tik-Tok Rizz’. I have ’Student Loan Trauma’. We are not the same."

Leo bounded up to the table. "Happy wrap day! You guys look fire. No cap."

Zoe closed her eyes. "See? ’No cap’. I’m going to throw myself into the sea."

"You look great too, Leo," Aria said, ignoring Zoe. "This is my best friend, Zoe. She’s single."

Leo turned his puppy-dog eyes on Zoe. He smiled, and it was blinding. "Hi, Zoe. I like your vibe. Very... ethereal baddie."

Zoe choked on her tequila. "Did he just call me an ’ethereal baddie’?"

"It’s a compliment," Leo grinned. He pulled out his phone. "We should do a TikTok. The lighting here is mid, but the vibes are immaculate. Do you know the ’Renegade’?"

"I don’t dance," Zoe lied.

"Everyone dances!" Leo grabbed her hand, spinning her around. "Come on. It’s my birthday!"

"It’s your birthday?" Aria asked.

"Midnight!" Leo checked his Apple Watch. "I’m officially nineteen! The big one-nine!"

"Oh god," Zoe moaned. "He’s a literal child. Put him back in the incubator."

Before Zoe could protest further, the DJ cut the music.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" the Director shouted from the bar, holding up a bottle of champagne. "GIVE IT UP FOR OUR CROWN PRINCE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEO!"

The room erupted. A cake with sparklers appeared from the kitchen. The cast swarmed Leo, lifting him onto their shoulders. He was crowd-surfed toward the center of the room, laughing and high-fiving people.

It was chaos. It was loud.

Aria laughed, clapping along. It was a genuinely sweet moment. She turned to check on the booth.

Kai Vane was sliding out. He stood up, adjusted his leather jacket, and smoothed his hair. He didn’t look at Bella, who was still slumped face-down on the table, oblivious to the world.

He walked toward the bar, where the prettiest makeup artist on the crew was waiting.

"Look at him," Aria said, nudging Zoe and pointing. "He’s heading over to Sarah from Makeup. I told you he was an asshole."

Zoe’s eyes snapped to Kai instantly, Leo forgotten. She watched as Kai leaned against the bar, flashing Sarah a smile that was all teeth and charm. Sarah giggled, reaching out to touch the lapel of his leather jacket.

"That slut!" Zoe hissed, clutching her drink. "She’s touching his leather! You don’t touch the leather unless you’ve earned it!"

"See?" Aria said. "He’s a player. You deserve better."

"No," Zoe narrowed her eyes, watching Sarah laugh at something Kai said. "I just need to eliminate the competition. She thinks she has a chance? Please. Her contour isn’t even blended. Which is disappointing for a make-up artist."

Aria rolled her eyes. "You’re hopeless."

A drunk extra stumbled past them, waving a beer. He tripped on a cable.

Splash.

Half a pint of lager went cascading down the back of Aria’s leather jacket.

"Hey! Watch it!" Zoe shouted, shoving the guy away.

"Oh my god, I’m so sorry!" the extra slurred, trying to wipe Aria down with a dirty napkin.

"Don’t touch me!" Aria stepped back, shaking out her jacket. "It’s fine. Just... go."

She grabbed a napkin from the table, dabbing at the wet spot on her shoulder. It took maybe ten seconds. Fifteen at most.

When she looked up, the crowd had shifted. The birthday song was ending. The sparklers were dying down.

She looked at the corner booth.

It was empty.

Aria froze. The napkin fell from her hand.

"Bella?" she whispered.

The tequila bottle was there. The empty shot glasses were there. But the sequined lump that was her stepsister was gone.

Aria scanned the room frantically.

Then, she saw the back door—the one leading to the alley—swinging shut.

Through the sliver of glass, she caught a glimpse of a familiar profile. Lucas. He was wearing a designer hoodie and jeans, looking casual but purposeful. He had Bella scooped up in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, fast asleep.

If Lucas took Bella home in his car... the video stayed in the parking lot. Or worse, Lucas would find the car keys in Bella’s purse, drive her car, see the phone charging, and delete the evidence before Aria could get to it.

"Damn it," Aria cursed under her breath.

"What?" Zoe asked, finally tearing her glaring eyes away from Sarah and Kai.

"I need some air," Aria lied, backing away. "It’s getting too stuffy in here. The beer smell is getting to me."

"I’ll come with you," Zoe said immediately, abandoning her drink. "I need to cool down anyway before I throw a lime at Sarah."

"No," Aria said, putting a hand on Zoe’s shoulder to stop her. "Stay. Eat your cake. I’ll be right back."

"But—"

"Give Leo a chance," Aria called back over her shoulder, already moving.

She pushed through the crowd, ignoring the cheers and the music, her eyes fixed on the exit. She wasn’t going to let him get away.