Chapter 64
Aria’s POV
I slumped against the car seat, mentally kicking myself. God, what was I thinking? My big mouth had gotten me into trouble again. Thomas looked like he was about to have a stroke right there at the dinner table.
I snuck a nervous glance at Aiden, fully expecting him to rip into me for causing a scene. Instead, his face was weirdly calm, not a trace of anger.
“Did they scare you?” he asked, voice low and steady.
“No,” I shook my head, chewing my bottom lip anxiously. “Aren’t you mad at me? I think I went too far… your uncle looked ready to explode p>
To my complete shock, Aiden’s lips curved into a smile—an actual smile—as he reached over and patted my head gently. “Well done p>
“What?” I blinked rapidly, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me.
Seeing my confused face, something in his dark eyes softened just a fraction. “Are you hungry? You barely ate p>
I licked my lips nervously, suddenly aware of the hollow feeling in my stomach. “A little.” Truth was, I’d been shoveling food in steadily until the drama erupted.
Aiden’s eyes tracked the movement of my tongue across my lips. Something shifted in his expression-something hot and intense as he reached out without warning. His thumb pressed against my bottom lip, the touch sending electricity shooting through my body.
“Food stain,” he explained, his voice dropping an octave lower.
My face instantly burst into flames. “Th-thanks p>
“Mmm,” he hummed absently, rubbing his thumb against his forefinger where my lip gloss had transferred.
The air between us suddenly felt thick, charged with something dangerous. After an excruciatingly awkward moment, I touched his arm lightly. “Should we get something to eat before going home p>
“What would you like?” His Adam’s apple bobbed visibly as he swallowed.
“Whatever you want p>
“I’m asking what you want,” he pressed, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Anything is fine. Really p>
I could tell his mood wasn’t great despite his calm exterior. Behind those controlled features, something was definitely brewing.
My mom always said when someone’s feeling down, they should eat something they enjoy.
Aiden didn’t argue further, just leaned forward and instructed his driver to take us to some private restaurant I’d never heard of.
Even there, I noticed he barely touched his food. Just pushed it around his plate like a moody teenager.
By the time we got back into the car, the dashboard clock already read 8:30 PM.
The silence between us stretched uncomfortably as we drove through the night, city lights blurring past the windows like neon ghosts. I stole glances at his profile, wondering what was going through his mind.
What kind of childhood did he have, growing up under the care of an aunt like Eleanor and an uncle like Thomas?
With both his parents gone, he must’ve longed for some semblance of family-for warmth, for belonging.
But instead, he was surrounded by coldness, judgment, and ulterior motives.
No wonder he seemed so guarded sometimes, so heartbreakingly alone even in a room full of people.
Back at the villa, I couldn’t stop obsessing over how to comfort him. The second my bedroom door closed behind me, I grabbed my phone and messaged Lillian.
Me: Lillian! SOS!
Lillian: Here, sweetie-
Me: How do you comfort someone who’s upset?
Lillian: [nose-picking.JPG] What’s up? Husband got his feelings hurt at the family dinner?
Me: Kind of. His uncle seems to only care about using him for business connections! He barely ate dinner!
Lillian: Easy. Put on sexy lingerie, comfort him in bed, and I guarantee he’ll perk right up!
Me:…I’m being serious!
Lillian: So am I!
For once in my life, Lillian was absolutely useless. The mere suggestion made my face burn hotter than the sun. Clearly, I needed better advice.
Since Lillian was a dead end, I turned to G e, spending thirty mindless minutes scrolling through relationship forums until I found something actually helpful that didn’t involve taking my clothes off.
After weighing all my options, distraction seemed the most practical approach. Aiden had barely eaten all evening, so food made perfect sense comfort his stomach and his mood at the same time!
I padded downstairs to make noodles. Why noodles? Because that’s literally the extent of my culinary repertoire!
Ten minutes later, I was carrying a steaming bowl from the kitchen, trying not to spill. This mansion was so ridiculously huge I nearly got lost twice on the way to his room.
Outside his door, I hesitated, ear pressed against the wood. Through the expensive soundproofing, I swore I heard something shatter inside. Poor guy, probably venting his frustration by breaking things.
I sighed and raised my hand to knock, when suddenly the door swung open. Aiden stood there with damp hair curling against his forehead and a loose bathrobe barely clinging to his frame. The clean, masculine scent of his shower gel hit me like a truck.
His eyes immediately dropped to the tray in my hands. “Looking for me?” Something about him fresh from the shower made my brain short-circuit. “I… made some noodles. Would you like some p>
“Thank you. I am hungry,” he said, taking the tray from my trembling hands and turning back into his room.
I stood frozen in the doorway like an idiot, not sure if I should follow or run away as fast as my legs could carry me.
He glanced back at me from near his sofa. “Aren’t you coming in p>
After a moment’s hesitation that felt like an eternity, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me with a soft click that sounded weirdly final.
As soon as my butt hit the sofa cushion, I regretted every life choice that had led me to this moment. The atmosphere felt charged with something I couldn’t name—or maybe didn’t want to. It didn’t help that his bathrobe was hanging open at the chest, the belt barely keeping the whole thing from falling open completely.
Not his fault, obviously—he’d just showered and wanted to be comfortable in his own damn house. Still, I kept my eyes carefully fixed on literally anything else while the noodles cooled.
Instead of eating right away, Aiden leaned back casually on the sofa, studying me like I was some fascinating puzzle. “You have a charity performance this Saturday,
right p>
I’d almost forgotten about it myself. I nodded. “Yes p>
“What time exactly p>
I blinked, surprised by his interest. “Around ten in the morning p>
Was he planning to attend? The thought made my stupid heart do a little gymnastics
routine in my chest.
“Hmm,” was his only response, maddeningly noncommittal.
I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Was I reading too much into it? After a brief silence that felt like forever, I gathered what little courage I had. “Are you coming to watch p>
If he was, I’d need to ask Summer to reserve tickets ASAP.Summer is my assistant. Aiden raised his eyebrows slightly, his lips parting to answer when his phone vibrated loudly on the table.
“I need to take this,” he said, glancing at the screen before answering the call.