Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 321

Aria's POV

I went back to my father’s house. It wasn't exactly my proudest moment—running away from Aiden like this—but I needed space to think.

Charles looked genuinely surprised when he saw me walk through the front door. "Miss Aria! What brings you here today?"

"Just wanted to see Dad," I replied casually, then hesitated. "Also, I wanted to ask—has the person I mentioned been calling Dad lately?"

The concern in my voice must have convinced him I wasn't just hiding from my husband, because his expression softened. "Your father has received quite a few calls lately, but I'm not sure if any were from that particular individual."

I bit my lip nervously. While escaping Aiden was definitely part of my agenda today, I was genuinely worried about Dad's situation.

"Has Dad seemed... different lately? Anything unusual?"

Charles shook his head. "Mr. Jones has been his usual self, Miss."

"Alright. I'm going to take a nap in my old room. Tell Martha to prepare my dinner, please!"

I practically flew up the stairs to my childhood bedroom. Everything was exactly as I'd left it several months ago when I moved out. The grand piano that had accompanied me through my teenage years stood silently in the corner, covered with a dust sheet.

I pulled off the cover and opened the lid, running my fingers over the spotless keys. Even after months, not a speck of dust had settled—Dad must have had it cleaned regularly. The thought made my heart ache a little.

My bed still had the same Egyptian cotton sheets from before I left. I grabbed a tank top and shorts from my old closet, changed quickly, and collapsed onto the mattress. My whole body ached in places I didn't know could ache, thanks to last night with Aiden. God, just thinking about it made me flush all over again.

My phone slipped from my hand and vibrated a few times, but I was already drifting off into a deep sleep.

When I finally woke up, it was already past five. I rolled over and found my phone under me. Shit—several messages from Aiden. My heart raced as I tapped to read them, feeling guilty as I saw he'd sent the address for tonight's dinner event.

I replied with a quick emoji and typed: "Having dinner at Dad's tonight."

Aiden didn't respond immediately. Probably busy with meetings. I breathed a sigh of relief and tossed my phone aside like it was burning my fingers.

Downstairs, Martha had prepared my favorite bird's nest soup. After finishing it, I grabbed some fish food and headed to the koi pond to feed Dad's prized collection. It felt good to fall back into old routines, watching the colorful fish dart around as I scattered the feed.

With my phone upstairs, I was blissfully unaware of any calls or messages. I took my sweet time feeding the fish until they dispersed, no longer interested once the food was gone.

The sound of a car engine caught my attention. I looked up to see Charles greeting my father at the entrance.

"Dad!" I called out, brushing my hands together and walking toward him.

My father looked surprised to see me. "What are you doing home today?"

I could read his thoughts so easily—he immediately suspected Aiden and I had fought. But he was too diplomatic to ask directly.

"Just missed you!" I wrapped my arm around his, my voice playfully childish. "How have you been feeling?"

"Never better."

The genuine smile on my face seemed to ease his worry. Whatever concerns he had about possible marital problems disappeared as he returned my smile. "You're staying for dinner? Where's Aiden?"

"He has a business dinner tonight," I replied casually.

"Wonderful!" Dad seemed truly pleased as we walked into the house together. While he changed his shoes, I went to get him a glass of water.

"I haven't stayed overnight in so long," I ventured. "I thought I might sleep here tonight."

And just like that, the worry lines returned to his forehead.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify