Chapter 76
Aria’s POV
“You don’t need to go that far,” I said with a smirk.
“What?” Summer sounded instantly alarmed. “Don’t tell me you’re still planning to be nice about this p>
I laughed. “No, it’s not that. I just meant that if she served me tea, I probably couldn’t bring myself to drink it. A public apology will suffice p>
Even thinking about Diana Hayes for one more second felt like inviting bad energy into my life.
“You’re right! I’ll call you back with good news soon!” Summer hung up with such enthusiasm that I could practically hear her cracking her knuckles through the phone.
Staring at the “Call Ended” notification on my screen, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been too passive in the past. Had I really been that much of a pushover?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that yes, I definitely had been excessively accommodating.
Well, chalk it up to youthful mistakes.
I sighed, deciding not to dwell on it further. This Diana situation was in good hands now. Summer was more than capable, and I was confident that Diana’s manager would be reaching out to us very soon, begging to smooth things over.
But honestly, compared to dealing with Diana, I had a more pressing issue to tackle: figuring out why Aiden was suddenly upset. This felt even more challenging than an online feud.
I propped my chin on my hand, studying my reflection in the vanity mirror. What exactly had I said to upset him?
Was it because I didn’t want his help? But he’d agreed to that, so why would he be angry?
If not that, then what else could it be?
Tapping my index finger against my cheek, I mentally replayed our entire conversation. On our way home, I’d barely said anything at all. Try as I might, I couldn’t pinpoint which of my words had crossed some invisible line with him.
Whatever. I’d figure it out while making amends.
I got up and removed my makeup, washed my face, and changed out of my cocktail dress into something more comfortable—a simple t-shirt and cotton pants. Then I grabbed the box of mango candies I’d been saving and went to knock on Aiden’s door.
“Aiden, it’s me,” I called softly, knocking twice.
No response came from inside. Really? Was he that upset?
I was about to turn away when I heard a sudden click as the door unlocked.
As the door swung open and Aiden stood before me, I immediately regretted knocking. The look on his face was hard to read.
“Come in,” he said tersely, turning his back to me before I could even speak.
What choice did I have? I followed him inside.
This was my second time in Aiden’s bedroom, and I felt much more comfortable than before. After all, things had changed significantly between us since then. He’d already removed his jacket, though he was still wearing his dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his collarbone.
He leaned back against the sofa, his long legs stretched out casually. The way he sat made his partially unbuttoned collar open even wider.
I couldn’t help but admire him for a moment before sitting down beside him, close enough that our thighs almost touched.
“What’s wrong?” I asked directly, placing the box of mango candies on the table. “You’ve been acting strange since we got home p>
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said, but his tone betrayed him.
I rolled my eyes. “Aiden, we’re past this. I know when something’s bothering you p>
When we’d confessed our feelings to each other, we’d promised honesty. I wasn’t about to let that promise fade so quickly.
He let out a quiet sigh, fingers raking through his hair in a rare show of frustration.
“You won’t let me help, and I get it—you’re trying to handle it your way,” he said, his voice low and steady, but there was something in it. A trace of something else.
“But then you turn around and worry that getting me involved might damage the Carter Group’s image p>
He paused, his gaze lingering on me-not sharp, just… tired.
“It just feels like I’m not really part of your world. Like no matter how close we get, there’s always this line I’m not allowed to cross p>
I stepped closer and took his hand.
“Why would you think that? That’s not what I meant. The reason I worry about the Carter Group’s image… is because of you p>
I looked up at him, my voice softening.
“I want people to see you as flawless. Untouchable. I didn’t want any of this to reflect badly on you p>
“Really?” he said, squeezing my hand. “But that’s not the point p>
“Then what is it p>
He looked at me with those intense eyes that still made my heart skip. “I want you to rely on me, Aria. I’m your husband-not just in name p>
I couldn’t help but smile. This powerful, commanding man was actually pouting because I wouldn’t let him fight my battles.
“Aiden,” I said softly, “I will, I swear.It’s just… I’m still getting used to all this. You know, after everything with Liam p>
He nodded slowly, accepting my words. Then he reached for the box of candies. “Are these for me p>
“Yeah,” I said, pushing them closer to him. “My friend brought me two more boxes. I thought you’d like one p>
He opened the box and unwrapped a piece, but instead of eating it himself, he held it out to me. “Open up p>
I laughed but parted my lips anyway. When he placed the candy on my tongue, his finger brushed against my bottom lip, sending a familiar warmth through me.
“You’re Mrs. Carter,” he said, his voice deeper now. “Our relationship is public knowledge. You don’t need to worry about causing me any problems p>
I was still savoring the candy, trying to process what he meant. My confusion must have shown in my eyes.
“I’m referring to what you said earlier about your public image,” he explained, his fingers now tracing the line of my jaw.
“Oh,” I said, finally understanding. “I see p>
Of course I’d overthought things. We’d been trending the very day we got our marriage certificate. We’d only been married for a short time; it would be completely normal for a newlywed husband to dote on and protect his wife. The public would expect nothing less.
And now that we’d finally admitted our feelings for each other, our marriage was becoming more real every day.
I bit down on the candy, letting the sweet-tangy mango flavor spread across my tongue as I gathered my thoughts.
“Aiden,” I said, meeting his gaze directly, “I think we should revisit our arrangement p>
His brow lifted slightly. “What do you mean p>
“Well,” I continued, choosing my words carefully, “when we got married, it was a business deal. A contract. But now p>
“Now?” he prompted, his eyes steady on mine.
I took a deep breath. “Now I have feelings for you. Real ones. And I know you feel the same way p>
The words hung in the air, vulnerable and bold all at once. We’d already confessed our feelings before, but saying it like this-openly, decisively—felt different. It felt final. Like closing one chapter and choosing to write another.
Aiden held my gaze, his expression unreadable at first, then softening into something deeper. Familiar. Grounded.
“You want to void the contract?” he asked quietly.