Chapter 53
Aiden’s POV
I was walking out of the conference room at Sega Tower when Lucas hurried toward
me.
“Mr. Carter-” he started.
I glanced at him, silently indicating for him to continue.
His eyes suddenly fixed on the side of my neck, and he froze mid-sentence. It
seemed like he’d spotted something unexpected.
Interesting. He hadn’t noticed the mark this morning.
“Mr. Grant?” I prompted when his silence stretched too long.
My deep voice snapped him back to reality. “I’m sorry, sir. I got distracted p>
I gave him a pointed look. “What is it p>
“Mrs. Smith apparently went to see your wife p>
My eyes darkened instantly upon hearing this. “I see,” I replied, looking at Lucas.
Without another word, I headed straight for the elevator.
Lucas assumed I was returning to my office and automatically pressed the button for the 28th floor.
Before he could withdraw his hand, I canceled his selection and pressed for the parking garage instead.
Lucas blinked in surprise. “Sir, aren’t you going back to your office? The project manager from Harris Department is waiting p>
“No p>
My tone left no room for negotiation.
Lucas nodded in understanding, wisely choosing to remain silent.
Too bad for Harris. His timing couldn’t have been worse.
I decided to drive myself today rather than call my driver. Heading straight for the parking garage, I got into my car and started toward the villa.
During the drive, thoughts of my aunt Eleanor brought a cold irritation to my features.
The Saturday traffic wasn’t helping my mood-not completely gridlocked, but far from smooth sailing either.
I was already halfway home when my phone rang. It was Lucas again.
“Mr. Carter, Harris is asking when you’ll be available for the meeting. Should I reschedule for Monday p>
“Yes.” I kept my answer brief, focusing on maneuvering through the weekend traffic.
My thoughts drifted back to Eleanor. What exactly had she said to Aria? My aunt had always been ruthlessly direct-it was one of the few traits we shared.
The traffic light ahead turned red, forcing me to stop. I drummed my fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, my mind racing ahead to the villa.
What would I find when I got home? Would Aria be upset? Angry? Or worse-would she have taken whatever offer Eleanor had undoubtedly dangled in front of her?
The thought made my jaw clench. Not because I doubted Aria’s integrity, but because Eleanor had no right to interfere in my affairs.
Since my parents’ death, Eleanor had appointed herself the guardian of the Carter family legacy.
And she had turned matchmaking-specifically arranging dates for me-into her second full-time job.
She’d never approved of any woman who came near me unless she had been the one to orchestrate the introduction.
And I had no doubt she would find Aria particularly objectionable-despite knowing nothing about her.
The light finally turned green, and I accelerated perhaps a bit too aggressively.
I pulled into the driveway of the villa twenty minutes later, parking hastily before striding toward the front door.
Lucy greeted me at the entrance, looking slightly surprised to see me home so early. “Where is Mrs. Carter?” I asked without preamble.
“In the music room, sir,” Lucy replied.
I nodded and headed upstairs, my footsteps measured despite my urgency. As I approached the music room, I could hear no piano playing.
I knocked on the door briefly before entering.
Aria’s POV
I slumped back on the sofa, mentally calculating all the ways ten million dollars could’ve changed my life. God, what had I done? Sighing dramatically, I grabbed my phone and texted Lillian.
“Just turned down ten million dollars. Please tell me I’m not crazy p>
Three dots appeared immediately. Lillian was typing frantically.
“YOU DID WHAT ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND p>
I grimaced, typing back: “Mrs. Smith Aiden’s aunt-offered me 5 mil to divorce
him, then doubled it when I refused. TEN MILLION, Lillian p>
“And you said NO?? Girl, that’s enough money to buy a private island! Or fund your dad’s retirement! Or just, I don’t know, BE RICH FOREVER p>
I couldn’t help laughing at her words. “I know! But what was I supposed to do p>
“Look on the bright side, your husband is worth billions! What’s a measly million compared to that?” Lillian texted back immediately.
I rolled my eyes at her logic. “That’s HIS money, not MINE p>
“Learn from your mistakes, right?” I replied, surprised at how easily I could discuss Liam now.
The truth was, I didn’t feel ashamed about my relationship with Liam anymore. I only felt it was a waste of time. So when Lillian mentioned him, I didn’t feel the slightest bit bothered.
Lillian sent a row of crying-laughing emojis. “You’ve really grown up! So what did you say when you turned down a LITERAL FORTUNE p>
“I said ‘In my heart, Aiden is priceless.’ Almost gagged saying it p>
“OMG STOP! That’s rom-com level cheesy! Did she buy it p>
“She stormed out looking like she wanted to murder me. So… no p>
Lillian sent back a GIF of someone slow clapping. “Well played, Mrs. Carter. You know what’s better than 10 mil though? Getting Aiden to give you that money himself p>
I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see me. “Now who’s living in a fantasy world p>
“Think about it! His aunt tried to bribe you, and you nobly refused out of loyalty to him. You deserve compensation for that p>
“Have you forgotten? We have a contract marriage,” I reminded her, though I was slightly amused by her persistence.
“So what? How will you know if you don’t try? Why not ask Mr. Carter to reimburse you for this?” Lillian wasn’t giving up.
“Are you insane? How could I possibly ask for that much money? He’ll think I’ve lost my mind!” I typed back frantically.
“You’re married! What’s wrong with asking for money? Just say it’s compensation for the emotional damage from refusing his aunt! Besides, you’re sharing a bed with him now, don’t you deserve something for that p>
My rapid-fire texting was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
I jumped, startled, and my phone slipped from my hands, landing on the piano keys
with a discordant “plunk” as it hit a G6.
The door swung open, and there stood Aiden, looking perfectly put together as always in his tailored suit. I scrambled to grab my phone, hoping he hadn’t seen the conversation.
“I heard we had a visitor,” he said, his deep voice filling the room as he stepped
inside.
I nodded, trying to look casual despite my racing heart. “Your aunt stopped by. Eleanor Smith p>
His eyebrows raised slightly—the Aiden Carter equivalent of extreme surprise. “My aunt was here? What did she want p>
“Oh, you know, just dropping by to welcome me to the family,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Then I hesitated, wondering if I should mention the bribe. “Actually, she tried to pay me to divorce you. Ten million dollars p>
“And you declined?” His tone was neutral, impossible to read.
“Of course I did! I might have been a bit… rude to her though. I hope that doesn’t cause problems p>
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Don’t worry about my aunt. She’s survived worse than a little rudeness p>
As he moved closer, I noticed something on his neck—a red hickey partially visible above his collar.
Wait, how was that showing now?