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

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."

***

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?"

"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."

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."

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.

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