Chapter 13
**Aria’s POV p>
I found myself staring at Aiden’s name illuminated on my phone screen, the digits glowing like a beacon in the dim light of my room. The seconds stretched into eternity as I hesitated, my heart racing in anticipation of what he might say. Finally, I took a deep breath and answered, “Hello p>
“My grandmother moved up the timeline,” he stated, his voice deep and commanding, cutting straight to the chase without any preamble.
A frown creased my brow as I tried to process his words. “What do you mean?” I asked, forcing myself to focus, my mind still clouded by the remnants of my earlier tears.
“She’s arriving in two days instead of next week,” he clarified, a hint of irritation lacing his tone.
I straightened in my seat, my body instinctively reacting to the urgency of the situation. “What!?” I exclaimed, disbelief flooding my senses.
“Two days from now. We need to get your things moved into our home before then.” His voice was firm, a sense of finality hanging in the air.
“Two days?” I echoed, my mind reeling from the suddenness of it all. It felt like I had just been thrust into a whirlwind with no time to prepare. “That’s… incredibly sudden p>
“I understand this is inconvenient,” Aiden replied, his tone softening just a fraction, revealing a glimpse of empathy beneath his businesslike exterior. “But once my grandmother sets her mind on something, there’s no changing it. If she arrives and sees that you haven’t settled in, she’ll immediately suspect that something is amiss with our marriage p>
A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. This arrangement was becoming more tangled by the hour, and I could hardly keep up. “Alright. I’ll make it happen,” I said, determination creeping into my voice.
“I’ve already asked Lucas to assist you with whatever you need. He’ll coordinate the moving team,” Aiden assured me, his voice steady and resolute.
“Thank you,” I responded quietly, a flicker of gratitude warming my chest. Then, I hesitated, the thought of my father creeping back into my mind. “About my father… I hope he hasn’t been giving you any trouble regarding our sudden marriage. If he has, please let me know. I can talk to him p>
I understood my father’s protectiveness, especially after everything that had transpired with Liam. The last thing I wanted was to add to Aiden’s burdens when our situation was already fraught with complications.
“Mrs. Carter is overthinking things,” Aiden replied, a hint of amusement threading through his words, catching me off guard.
Heat rushed to my cheeks at the mention of my new title. Mrs. Carter. It still felt so foreign, almost absurd when it rolled off my tongue.
“Right. I suppose I am,” I mumbled, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips despite the gravity of the situation.
I had expected Aiden to be colder, more calculating, embodying the ruthless reputation that preceded him. Yet, there was something about him that didn’t align with the image I had built in my mind.
But then again, it didn’t really matter. This marriage had an expiration date, after all.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said, his voice steady, before the call ended, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
After hanging up, I sank back onto my bed, my mind drifting to another house-the one Liam and I had planned to share after our wedding.
The three-story villa in Highland Park was a lavish masterpiece worth nearly twenty million dollars. The White family had purchased it outright, but I had poured my heart and soul into every detail of its interior design. From the custom marble countertops to the hand-carved mahogany bookshelves, every choice had been mine, a labor of love that had consumed months of my life.
Now, I had to confront the reality of it all.
Reaching for my phone once more, I dialed my lawyer, my fingers trembling slightly as I prepared to formally sign over my share of the property to Liam. I wanted nothing from him or his family—no money, no memories, nothing.
That afternoon, I stood in the expansive 6,000-square-foot space for what I knew would be the last time. The moving crew I had hired worked diligently around me, carefully packing up everything I had personally selected. The crystal chandelier that hung in the dining room, the custom sofa in the living room, the king-sized bed that had remained untouched—each item held memories I was now ready to leave behind.
As I began my final walkthrough, I entered the grand foyer, with its soaring ceilings and sweeping staircase that had once filled me with dreams. The crystal chandelier I had chosen from Italy was already being meticulously dismantled by the workers, and I recalled the thrill I had felt at its installation, envisioning how it would scatter rainbows across the marble floor on sunlit mornings.
Moving into the living room, I traced my fingers along the custom sofa—a piece I had designed with the perfect depth for curling up with a book. In this very space, I had envisioned lazy Sunday afternoons, Liam and I nestled side by side, comfortable in our shared silence.
Next, I stepped into the dining room, where a long table could seat twenty. I had imagined holiday dinners here, surrounded by family and friends, laughter echoing off the walls. Now, it stood empty, the table already wrapped and loaded onto one of the waiting trucks, a ghost of the warmth that once filled the room.
As I climbed the stairs slowly, each step felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of my memories was trying to pull me back. Down the hall was a smaller room-one I had never shown to Liam. In my mind, I had already designated it as a nursery, spending countless hours imagining soft yellow walls, a white crib, and stuffed animals arranged just so. A dream within a dream, now destined never to be realized.
When I finally reached what should have been our bedroom, my gaze fell upon the framed engagement photos lining one wall. Images of us laughing, kissing, looking at each other with what I had believed was love.
In that moment, something snapped inside me.
I stormed to the kitchen, grabbed the largest knife I could find, and returned to the bedroom, my heart pounding with a mix of rage and liberation. Without a second thought, I slashed through the first photo, the blade slicing through glass, paper, and drywall with a satisfying crash. The sound of the frame hitting the floor echoed in the empty room like a thunderclap.
I moved to the next one, and the next, and the next.
By the time I had finished, my arms ached, and I was breathing heavily, surrounded by shattered glass and ruined photographs. The wall before me looked as if it had been attacked by a wild animal, a chaotic testament to my emotional upheaval. And yet, amidst the destruction, I felt… lighter. Free.
When the last piece of furniture was loaded onto the trucks, I took one final walk through what was now just an empty shell, devoid of the life I had once envisioned.
Outside, I handed the keys to a courier service, instructing them to deliver them to Liam’s office, my heart racing with a mix of relief and exhilaration.
Barely an hour after I returned home, my phone rang with an unfamiliar number, jolting me from my thoughts.
“Hello?” I answered, my voice cautious.
“Aria? It’s Liam,” came the voice, sending chills down my spine.
My blood turned to ice at the sound of his name.
“I’m using Jacob’s phone because you’ve blocked mine. Please don’t hang up p>
Without a moment’s hesitation, I ended the call, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. The audacity of that man never ceased to amaze me.
My phone rang again almost immediately, the same number flashing on the screen.
I declined it, my mind racing.
A text chimed in seconds later:
“Please, just five minutes. I need to talk to you about the house p>
I typed back quickly, my fingers flying across the screen:
“Whatever you have to say can wait until dinner tonight with our families. Don’t contact me again before then p>
For good measure, I blocked Jacob’s number as well, a sense of finality settling
over me.