Chapter 207
Aria’s POV
Aidan’s sudden question caught me completely off guard, leaving me momentarily stunned.
I was worried he would misunderstand my relationship with other men.
“There’s nothing to assume,” I retorted, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.
“There’s absolutely nothing between him and me p>
The truth was, I hadn’t actually considered what I’d do if Julian did like me.
If he had directly confessed, I could have easily rejected him.
But he hadn’t made any such declaration.
Aidan reached out, gently pinching my earlobe.
“Nice deflection,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving me.
His unwavering stare made me nervous.
I wanted to ask if he was jealous or if he was misunderstanding my connection with Julian, but his expression remained too calm.
I couldn’t find an opening to ask.
If I directly questioned him, he’d surely think I was being presumptuous, wouldn’t he?
“So, what are we having for dinner tonight?” I quickly changed the subject, eager to steer the conversation elsewhere.
Aidan leaned back in his seat, gazing at me softly.
“You decide, sweetheart p>
I hadn’t eaten much for lunch, and the afternoon had left me utterly drained.
As a result, I accidentally overate at dinner.
Aidan had finished his meal long ago and was watching me intently; I, on the other hand, was shamelessly devouring mine.
When I finally put down my fork, Aidan gave me an amused glance.
“Full now p>
“Stuffed to the gills,” I admitted, glancing down at my stomach.
My jeans were already tight around my middle, creating a slight bulge.
I tried to suck in my stomach, hoping to hide the protrusion, but it stubbornly refused to disappear.
“Can we go home now?” I asked.
I was utterly exhausted, all I wanted was a shower and then to collapse into bed.
Aidan settled the bill, then took my hand and led me out of the private room.
No sooner had we stepped into the corridor than the door to another private room directly ahead of us opened.
Julian and Tony emerged, and Aidan’s earlier ‘what if’ question immediately resurfaced in my mind.
Julian’s gaze lingered on my face for a moment before shifting to Aidan.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter,” he greeted politely.
Since he had greeted us first, I couldn’t very well pretend not to see him.
“What a coincidence,” I said with an awkward smile, “Julian, Mr. Edwards p>
As I spoke, I noticed Julian staring at me with an unnerving intensity.
I instinctively darted a glance at Aidan.
Evidently, he had also noticed Julian’s gaze-his expression had visibly hardened.
I felt Aidan tighten his grip on my hand, almost possessively.
“Aria is utterly exhausted from today’s shoot,” he said calmly.
“We should be going. Good evening, gentlemen p>
Without waiting for my response, he led me by the hand towards the exit.
Stepping outside, the heavy night breeze enveloped us, only the soft, amber glow of
the streetlights illuminating our path.
The car was parked just a short walk across the street in the parking lot.
I stole a nervous glance at Aidan’s profile.
“Are you angry?” I asked.
I was worried he was angry, and yet, paradoxically, I was worried he wasn’t.
Because if he were angry about this, it might mean he truly loved me.
Aidan subtly turned his head to look at me.
“Why would I be angry?” he replied, but the sarcasm in his tone completely betrayed him.
I heard it loud and clear.
My heart pounded once more.
Perhaps Aidan truly did love me.
As we left, I couldn’t help but glance back at Julian, only to find him still watching my retreating figure.
In that moment, I suddenly recalled Summer describing Julian’s gaze towards me —”like melting cheese,” she had said, spreading her hands apart to mimic sticky cheese strands.
By itself, that might not have been a big deal, but unfortunately, Aidan noticed me looking back at Julian.
His expression turned distinctly unfriendly.
He even asked, “Do you like that man p>
I immediately retorted, “No, I don’t p>
“But I saw you sneaking a look at him,” Aidan’s tone was positively murderous.
Oh, God.
The misunderstanding had just deepened significantly.
I tried to explain further, but I didn’t know what to say.
I was afraid anything I said would only deepen the misunderstanding.
We walked to the car in silence, the atmosphere thick with awkwardness.
Once inside, I took a deep breath and gently tugged on his hand.
“Aidan, please don’t be angry,” I pleaded.
Aidan didn’t respond.
He simply looked at me, his intense gaze making my heart race.
I bit my lip.
“I swear, I don’t feel anything for him!” I insisted.
“Both you and Summer told me Julian liked me, so I just looked back out of curiosity! That’s all it was p>
Aidan immediately latched onto the keywords in my explanation.
“More than one person told you Julian liked you? You already knew this?” he demanded, his voice sharp.
I blinked, realizing I had let slip too much.
Under his unwavering gaze, I recounted what Summer had told me.
at me!” I stated this with absolute certainty.
Of course,d was only referring to Julian’s gaze during our afternoon shoot not the way he looked at me in the restaurant corridor just now
“And what about the way he looked at you just now?” Aidan asked, as if he could
read my thoughts.
“Did you think that look was normal p>
I squirmed in my seat.
I honestly couldn’t bring myself to say it was normal.
“That was… a little different,” I conceded reluctantly.
“So, what will Mrs. Carter do now?” he asked, repeating the question he’d posed before dinner, only now the hypothetical had becomea, reality content
“I… I’ll never work with him again!” I stammered, my words tumbling out.
“I didn’t even know he would be the other spokesperson for this campaign p>
I explained frantically, but Aidan remained unmoving, his gaze fixed on me with unsettling intensity.
His silent scrutiny made my heart pound even faster.
het
I blurted out nervously, “I’ve only seen him a few times in my life! don’t feel anything special for him! I love you so much how could I possibly like another man?
“So much,” he repeated slowly, his formerly stern expression softening instantly.
He leaned forward.
“How much is ‘so much p>
Aidan lowered his head, our faces almost touching.
I gazed into his eyes, suddenly realizing I could barely breathe with him this close.
I blinked, remembering a famous children’s book I’d once read.
I smiled and said, “I love you to the moon and back p>
Aidan’s expression softened, and a genuine smile spread across his face.
“My wife certainly has a way of coaxing me, always able to smooth things over p>
I seized the opportunity to ask, “So, are you still angry p>
He shook his head.
“I’m not angry,” he explained.
“It’s just my possessiveness acting up p>
“Perhaps it’s a lack of security p>
“I’m afraid of losing you p>
Hearing him admit that, my heart completely melted.
I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, and gently pressed a kiss to
his lips.
“You won’t lose me,” I whispered, feeling a blush creep up my neck despite our closeness.
“I’ll always be yours p>
Aidan looked at me with an incredibly intense gaze, and I watched his Adam’s apple
bob as he swallowed hard.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke, his voice low and husky: “I know p>
“I know how much you love me,” he continued, his eyes growing tender. “Sweetheart,” he murmured, gently kissing my forehead, “I love you just as much p>
His words seeped into my heart like honey.