Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 100

Aria's POV

"Is there something you needed?" Aiden pulled his bathrobe closed, covering those incredible abs, though the neckline still dipped dangerously low.

I tried desperately to drag my eyes away, pretending I hadn't just been ogling my husband. "I just got a phone call from your uncle's secretary."

"What did they say?"

Aiden turned and walked deeper into his room. I hesitated for a moment before following him inside, feeling like I was crossing some invisible boundary.

"They said your uncle wants to meet me tomorrow at Half Moon Tea House at 12:30 PM."

"Ignore him," Aiden said flatly.

I nodded, relieved by his response. "I wasn't really planning to go anyway."

"Good. Don't." His voice was cool and dismissive, ending the conversation there.

The room fell into awkward silence. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling increasingly uncomfortable standing in his personal space.

"Aiden, I should probably get some rest now?"

Instead of answering, he looked at me with those intense dark eyes and asked, "Has Liam contacted you recently?"

I blinked in surprise. Liam White? I'd almost forgotten he existed. It struck me that I hadn't seen or heard from him in over a month.

"No, he hasn't. Did he contact you?"

"Yes."

I immediately tensed up, my stomach knotting with anxiety. "Did he say something awful to you?"

Aiden straightened up and reached for his water glass, taking a slow sip. Something flickered in his eyes—was that amusement?—before his expression returned to its usual unreadable state.

"You could say that."

"God, I'm so sorry!" I blurted out. "Just ignore him! Let him go crazy on his own!"

I could only imagine what kind of nonsense Liam might have said to Aiden. It wasn't that I was worried about Aiden getting revenge on Liam—I was more concerned about Aiden holding me accountable for my ex's behavior.

Even though things between us had been decent lately—Aiden was cold, yes, but surprisingly considerate—I had this gut feeling that Aiden could be terrifying when jealous.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked.

I lowered my voice, suddenly feeling small. "Because I'm afraid you'll be upset?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Afraid I'll be upset and go after Liam?"

"No, that's not it. I'm mostly afraid you'll get jealous and then blame me for it."

The moment those words left my mouth, I wanted to slam my head against the wall. What was wrong with me? Why did I always blurt out exactly what I was thinking around Aiden?

The awkwardness was suffocating.

I lowered my head, unconsciously picking at the leather sofa beneath me. The expensive material protested immediately with a sharp "screech," making the situation even worse.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped, looking down at the scratch I'd just created. My stomach dropped. "Aiden, this sofa wasn't cheap, was it?"

Aiden glanced at my crimson ear tips. "Not particularly. Just three hundred thousand dollars."

Just three hundred thousand?! I felt like crying. "This sofa... can I pay you back in installments?"

To my surprise, Aiden burst out laughing. His deep, rich laughter filled the room, sending waves of heat rushing to my face. I hung my head, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.

When his laughter finally subsided, he said, "You don't need to pay for anything. You're my wife. Why would I make you pay?"

"But I—"

"Perfect."

"Good."

We fell silent after that. I massaged his head for about twenty minutes until my hands started to cramp. Aiden seemed to have fallen asleep, so I softly called out, "Aiden?"

No response. Just like my dad, he'd dozed off from relaxation.

Feeling accomplished, I rubbed my sore fingers and palm, then moved around to grab my phone before heading back to my room.

Trying not to wake him, I deliberately slowed my movements. But as Murphy's law would have it, the more careful I tried to be, the more disaster-prone I became.

Just as I grabbed my phone and turned to leave, I took too large a step. My left foot didn't catch up with my right, and I stumbled, losing my balance completely. I fell forward directly onto Aiden.

As my face crashed into his chest, the only thought that ran through my brain was: This is the second time.

His masculine scent flooded my nostrils as I laid sprawled across his body, with only one hand managing to brace against the sofa beside him.

"Does Mrs. Carter plan on getting up anytime soon?" His deep voice rumbled from above me.

I wanted to die from embarrassment.

I frantically tried to push myself off him, but my uncoordinated movements only made things worse. Looking up into those dark eyes, I was close to tears.

"I swear I'm not trying to seduce you!"

Please, just let me explain!

"Is that so?" His voice held a dangerous edge. "Then I'm curious to see what Mrs. Carter's actual seduction looks like."

"..."