Chapter 63
Aria’s POV
As soon as we stepped into the Carter estate, I braced myself for the warmth I thought would come.
I had been looking forward to seeing Aiden’s grandmother again—she had always been kind to me, the one person in his family who made me feel welcome.
But as my eyes scanned the room, my heart sank. The familiar, gentle figure of his grandmother was nowhere to be found.
Instead, I was met with cool stares and stiff smiles. Aiden’s aunt Eleanor, his uncle Thomas and aunt Grace, along with a handful of other relatives, all looked at me like
I didn’t belong. Like I was some stray that had wandered in uninvited.
I leaned in slightly and whispered, “Where’s grandmother p>
Aiden’s expression softened. “She left for a cruise last week. Kind of a last-minute trip with some of her friends p>
“Oh,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment. “That explains it p>
He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “She would’ve loved to see you p>
I nodded, forcing a smile as we moved deeper into the lion’s den. Without her here, I had a feeling this dinner was going to feel a lot longer.
Thomas Carter, Aiden’s uncle, didn’t even try to hide his disdain as he looked me up and down before turning to Aiden. “So the Carter home is now open to just any woman, is it p>
Aiden’s hand tightened around mine. “I could say the same to you,” he replied, his voice calm but cutting.
The jab wasn’t subtle-everyone knew Thomas’s wife Grace had been his mistress before they married. The hypocrisy made my blood boil.
Eleanor, already heading toward the dining room, quickly tried to diffuse the situation. “Come now, he rarely visits for dinner. What’s one more place setting? Besides, Claire is here-let’s not create a scene p>
Thomas reluctantly backed down at the mention of Claire, though his irritation remained evident. “What are you, three years old? Do you need to hold her hand so she doesn’t get lost p>
Though he directed this at Aiden, I knew the insult was meant for me. I let it roll off me-no way was I going to fight with Aiden’s uncle.
This wasn’t about hurt feelings; it was about basic respect.
But I couldn’t help rolling my eyes, thinking no one would notice. When I looked up, however, I caught a woman watching me from the stairway landing.
She was tall, elegant, the kind of beautiful that didn’t need effort. Everything about her screamed “right fit”-for this house, for this family… for him.
And the way she looked at Aiden? Like he was already hers.
Then the way she looked at me too-like I was temporary. Like I didn’t belong here. Like she could see through me and already knew this marriage was just a façade.
I hated the way she looked at him.
It was irrational, I knew. We weren’t real. This wasn’t real. But the spike of jealousy was sharp and immediate, curling hot in my stomach before I could reason it away.
So I moved closer, slow and deliberate, and wrapped my arm around his.
The gap between us disappeared as I pressed against his side. His cologne— woody and masculine-became more intense, making my heart race uncomfortably.
Just acting, just acting, I reminded myself, taking a deep breath to calm down.
I caught a flash of amusement in Aiden’s dark eyes before it vanished, replaced by cold steel when he turned back to Thomas.
“I am genuinely concerned about her getting lost,” he said dryly.
“You—” Thomas bit back whatever he was about to say, his jaw clenched tight.
A tense silence followed, broken only by the clinking of silverware as the staff finished setting the table.
Once everything was in place, one of the maids gave a subtle nod, and the family began to take their seats.
The Carter home screamed wealth in every detail.
Though my family wasn’t poor, I’d never experienced this level of opulence—even the decorative vases probably cost hundreds of thousands each.
In families like this, etiquette rules supreme. I kept quiet during dinner, not wanting to embarrass Aiden.
Thomas, however, clearly didn’t consider me worth acknowledging. Right in front of me, he began introducing Claire to Aiden, his intentions transparent.
“Our families have been close for years,” Thomas said smoothly. “Claire’s father and I both hope to strengthen that connection p>
I kept my head down, pretending to focus on my soup while my mind raced.
Were they seriously trying to arrange a match between Aiden and this woman while his wife—fake or not-sat right here? The audacity was almost impressive.
Grace and Eleanor joined in with syrupy smiles, their comments thinly veiled attempts to push Aiden and Claire together.
“Claire just got back from Paris,” Grace said pleasantly. “She’s grown into such a refined young lady p>
“You two look so elegant together,” Eleanor added, casting a pointed glance at me like I wasn’t even there.
I set down my spoon slowly, my fingers tightening slightly around the cloth napkin in my lap. Did they think I’d just sit here and politely sip my soup while they staged a coup in front of me?
I opened my mouth, ready to say something-something calm but unmistakably firm, the kind of thing only a wife would have the right to say.
But Aiden spoke before I could.
Aiden remained unfazed. While calmly peeling a shrimp, he replied, “You should discuss this with Brandon, not me. I’m already married, so matchmaking doesn’t apply to me p>
“Aiden!” Thomas snapped, his voice rising sharply, as if the truth personally offended him.
Aiden placed the peeled shrimp gently into my bowl. “Which part of that was incorrect?” he asked, tone still maddeningly composed.
“I am married. Whatever alliance you’re planning has nothing to do with me p>
He paused, finally lifting his eyes to look at Claire. “Miss Claire, I assume you wouldn’t want to be the reason someone’s marriage falls apart, would you?” Claire stiffened-I could see the cracks in her perfect composure.
She’d been pretending all night that Aiden’s coldness didn’t faze her, but now that he’d dragged her into the spotlight, the mask slipped. And of course, her gaze landed right on me.
“A good marriage can’t be broken,” she said, voice sweet but tight. “But a bad one?
It falls apart on its own. Don’t you agree, Mrs. Carter p>
I wasn’t surprised it had come to me. I’d been waiting.
I set down my chopsticks, straightened in my seat, and met her gaze with a smile
that didn’t reach my eyes. “So what you’re saying is… you’re volunteering to be the mistress p>
The silence that followed was deafening.
It was bold-rude, even-but I didn’t care. I was done playing polite.
I could see the change ripple across the table. Faces turned cold. Grace’s smile
froze in place. Eleanor’s brows twitched. And Thomas—he looked like he was about to explode.
“You really think just because you have a marriage certificate, that makes you part
of this family?” he said, his voice dripping with disdain.
I picked up my napkin and dabbed the corners of my mouth.
“Not at all,” I said calmly. “I married Aiden. I didn’t marry the Carter family. I’m not interested in squeezing into somewhere I’m not wanted p>
Grace’s tone turned sharp, her smile all but gone. “How selfless of you. But really— let’s not pretend. You married him for the money, didn’t you p>
I didn’t flinch. “Aiden is my husband. If I married him for money, that’s not a crime, is
it p>
Thomas’s face turned near purple. Every vein in his neck looked like it was about to burst.
He opened his mouth, probably to yell, but Aiden stood up before he could get a word out. He reached for my hand.
Thomas’s face turned nearly purple with fury. As he opened his mouth to respond, Aiden stood and took my hand. “Finished eating? We’re heading out p>
His tone was final.
I stood with him without hesitation, ignoring the glares, the tension, the barely concealed outrage.
As we walked out, Aiden paused just long enough to glance over his shoulder, his tone calm—almost too calm.
“One more attempt to interfere in my marriage, and I won’t hesitate to make sure your assets feel it p>
And then we were gone.