Chapter 42
Aria’s POV
I woke to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar curtains, momentarily disoriented until memories of the previous night flooded back. My God. Aiden and I had… everything. My cheeks flushed hot just thinking about it.
When I tried to move, every muscle in my body protested with a delicious ache. I couldn’t even remember how many times we’d made love before I literally passed out in his arms. Three? Four? The details blurred together in a haze of pleasure and exhaustion.
The space beside me was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. Aiden must have been gone for hours. A note on his pillow caught my eye: “Had an early meeting. Didn’t want to wake you. Rest. -A”
I glanced at the clock and gasped. It was nearly noon! I hadn’t slept this late since college.
Dragging myself from the comfort of the bed was torture, but the thought of facing the household staff after what had clearly been a very… vocal night motivated me to move. I wrapped myself in Aiden’s discarded shirt, breathing in his scent as I made my way to the en-suite bathroom.
The woman in the mirror looked… different. My lips were slightly swollen, my hair a wild mess, and—oh God—there were visible marks on my neck and collarbone. Tiny bruises where Aiden’s mouth had been particularly enthusiastic.
After a long, hot shower that did little to ease my delicious soreness, I dressed in the most concealing outfit I could find and made my way downstairs.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Carter,” the housekeeper greeted me with a knowing smile that made me want to crawl under the dining table. “Would you like some lunch p>
“Yes, thank you,” I managed, avoiding her eyes.
All of the staff seemed to be looking at me with these little secret smiles. Did everyone in this house know what had happened between Aiden and me last night? Of course they did. The mansion was large, but I hadn’t exactly been quiet.
I was halfway through my meal when my phone rang. Lillian’s name flashed on the screen.
“So?” she demanded before I could even say hello. “How was the dinner p>
“It was fine,” I replied cautiously.”Just… not what I expected. It turned out to be a business dinner with Julian p>
“Wait, so that dinner Aiden took you to wasn’t just some random meeting? It was Carter Group signing Julian for an endorsement deal? Are you serious p>
She didn’t wait for me to answer. “You and Julian hit the trending topics, and suddenly your husband takes you to a dinner where he’s locking Julian in as the face of his company? Come on-that’s not a coincidence. That’s Aiden staking his claim p>
I nearly choked on my water. “What are you talking about p>
“Don’t play dumb with me p>
“You’re reading too much into it,” I insisted, though her words made my heart flutter strangely. “It was just business p>
“Yeah, right,” she scoffed. “So tell me what happened at this ‘business dinner.’ How did Aiden and Julian get along p>
I tried to recall details from the dinner, but honestly, most of my attention had been
on Aiden – the way his fingers had brushed mine when passing dishes, the intensity in his eyes whenever he looked at me.
“I don’t know… it was fine? Aiden kept putting food on my plate p>
“He was feeding you in front of Julian?” Lillian squealed. “Oh my god, that’s totally alpha male behavior p>
I couldn’t help laughing. “It wasn’t like that. He was just being considerate p>
“Sure he was,” she said, clearly unconvinced. “Hey, can we video chat for a sec? I want to show you something p>
Before I could respond, my phone screen changed to show Lillian’s face. Her eyes immediately went wide.
“Holy shit!” she screamed, loud enough that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Is that a hickey? Actually, are those MULTIPLE hickeys p>
My hand flew to my neck. I hadn’t even looked in the mirror after my shower. “Keep your voice down p>
“You slept with him, didn’t you? YOU TOTALLY DID p>
My blush was answer enough.
Lillian let out another ear-piercing shriek. “I knew it! This is exactly like those romance novels I’m always trying to get you to read! The fake marriage that turns real? The business arrangement that becomes a love story? It’s happening to you p>
“You and your overactive imagination,” I laughed, shaking my head. “Maybe you should be writing those books instead of just reading them p>
“Don’t change the subject! Was he good? He looks like he’d be good p>
Just then, my phone buzzed with another incoming call. “It’s Aiden,” I told Lillian. “I have to take this p>
“Of course you do,” she teased. “Call me later with ALL the details p>
I switched calls, my heart doing a little flip at the sound of Aiden’s deep voice.
“Good morning. Or should I say afternoon?” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“I didn’t mean to sleep so late,” I admitted.
“You needed the rest after last night.” His tone dropped lower, sending shivers down
my spine. “Have you eaten yet? You should replenish your energy p>
I glanced at my half-finished plate, my face burning. “I’m having lunch now p>
“Good. I have something for you, by the way p>
“What p>
“A surprise. It’s waiting for you on the second floor p>
“A surprise?” I asked, thinking of the jewelry he’d already given me. “Aiden, you don’t need to p>
“This one’s different,” he cut in gently.
I tilted my head, curiosity getting the better of me. “What is it p>
“That would ruin the surprise. You’ll have to find it yourself.” There was a pause. “I
wish I could be there to see your face when you do p>
We talked for a few more minutes – about his meetings, about my plans for the day –
but my mind kept wandering to whatever surprise waited upstairs.
As soon as we hung up, I quickly finished my meal and made my way to the staircase. The second-floor hallway stretched out in both directions, lined with numerous doors-most of them closed.
Which one contained Aiden’s surprise? As if reading my thoughts, one of the maids appeared.
“The third door on the right, Mrs. Carter,” she said with a small smile. “Mr. Carter had it prepared specially p>
I thanked her and approached the indicated door. My heart pounded with anticipation as I turned the handle and pushed it open.
The room that greeted me wasn’t just any room-it was a music room. Sunlight poured through tall windows, illuminating hardwood floors and acoustic panels on the walls.
But what drew my gaze immediately was the stunning Steinway Model S baby grand piano sitting in the center of the room like a black diamond.
My breath caught. I moved toward it as if in a trance, running my fingertips reverently over its polished surface before lifting the lid.
Without thinking, I sat on the bench and let my fingers dance across the keys, playing a brief segment of Chopin that had always calmed me.
The sound was magnificent, rich and resonant in the perfectly designed room. This was a Steinway Model S from 2018, worth well over half a million dollars on the market.
My family had a Steinway too—an older model my father had purchased over a decade ago for around $100,000.
I’d treasured that piano, practiced on it countless hours, and it had never given me a single problem in all those years.
Last year, when Liam and I were planning our wedding, my father had offered to buy me a new piano for our marital home. I’d flown overseas specifically to select one, spending days testing different instruments.
This exact model had been my favorite—the tone was perfect, the action responsive yet nuanced.
But when I saw the price tag of over $500,000, I couldn’t bring myself to let my father spend that much. I’d decided we would just move my old piano into the new house instead.
And now, somehow, this very piano—the exact one I’d fallen in love with and reluctantly walked away from-was here, in Aiden’s house.
My fingers trembled as they hovered over the keys. How was this possible? How
could Aiden have known?