Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 238

Aria's POV

I saw Lillian's random message and instinctively sent back a "?" before I could think about it.

Just as I sent it, Aiden walked over and took my suitcase from my hand. "I'll get that," he said.

I nodded, looking down at my hand where his had just touched mine. I couldn't help smiling as I subtly tightened my grip when our fingers intertwined.

The elevator was pretty crowded at this hour.

"Should we get in?" I asked Aiden, eyeing the packed elevator where people were already making room for us.

He nodded. "Let's go. It's busy right now - the next one will probably be just as crowded."

I murmured an agreement and followed him in.

With so many people inside, Aiden released my hand but wrapped his arm around my shoulders instead, pulling me against his chest and creating a barrier between me and everyone else.

We stood so close that when I moved, my head brushed against his chin. My face grew warm as I watched the elevator doors slide shut, my heart picking up speed.

As the elevator began its ascent, I silently counted the floors along with the changing numbers on the display.

"Excuse me," a hesitant female voice suddenly came from beside me. "Are you Aria?"

I turned toward the voice, surprised, and nodded. "Yes, I am."

The woman's face lit up immediately. "Could I get a photo with you? I'm into jet skiing too, and I've been watching your competitions forever! I was planning to ask you for a picture earlier, but I saw you leaving with your husband and didn't want to intrude..."

She looked genuinely embarrassed. "But I'm such a huge fan. I actually got into jet skiing in high school after randomly seeing one of your competition videos. It was the first time I realized women could be that amazing at it! I'd really love a photo with you, Aria."

Her pleading eyes melted my heart—how could I possibly refuse?

Just then, the elevator doors opened. "Is this your floor?" I asked.

She nodded but quickly added, "It's okay, I can go up to your floor instead!"

I smiled. "No need. We can take it right here."

I tugged gently at Aiden's sleeve. "Can we step out for a minute?"

Aiden ruffled my hair and led me out of the elevator, still holding my hand.

The woman hurried out after us.

"Is this spot okay?" I asked, finding a good place to stand.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, rushing to my side. "Aria, would it be okay if I hugged you?"

I felt slightly awkward but nodded. "Sure."

Her entire face brightened as she turned to her boyfriend. "Make sure it's a good one!"

Aiden waited patiently nearby while we took the photos.

The woman was considerate and only took two pictures before declaring she had enough.

Before leaving, she specifically asked if she could post the photos on social media.

"Of course!" I told her.

She looked genuinely touched. "You're so sweet, Aria! You and your husband make such a perfect couple. I wish you both all the happiness in the world!"

I glanced at Aiden, who was standing there holding my suitcase, and smiled. "Thank you. We should get going now."

The elevator doors opened again, and Aiden and I stepped inside.

The fan stood at the doors, watching until they completely closed before reluctantly walking away with her boyfriend.

Maybe because we were heading to a higher floor, this elevator was empty when it arrived. Once Aiden and I entered, it was just the two of us.

Aiden looked down at me, noticing my bright expression. "You look happy," he observed.

"Didn't you just say you were tired?"

Before I could protest further, he was already heading toward the bathroom.

I bit the rim of the water bottle, zoning out briefly before remembering Lillian's message. I picked up my phone again and opened her text.

Lillian had replied ten minutes ago: "Check T*****r. [Screenshot.jpg]"

Confused, I opened T*****r only to discover that Aiden had actually posted something.

The words "Aiden Carter, CEO of Sega" were impossible to miss. As soon as he posted, along with the company's official retweet, it had immediately started trending.

When Lillian sent me the screenshot, the hashtag wasn't even in the top ten.

Now when I checked, #AidenCarterCEO was already trending at number seven.

I clicked on it and saw Aiden's post: "Congratulations to Mrs. Carter, forever my champion."

Below was a picture—I'm not sure when he took it—of me holding my trophy on stage, talking to someone.

I pressed my lips together, trying to contain my smile, but within seconds I couldn't help grinning.

After a day full of trending topics I hadn't responded to, this was the only one that made me want to log in.

I signed into my own account, and immediately a flood of notifications and direct messages came pouring in, causing my phone to freeze temporarily.

After waiting two minutes, I finally managed to log in.

Thirty seconds later.

@AriaNotSettling replied to @AidenCarterCEO: "Thank you for coming today, Mr. Carter! [Rose] [Kiss]"

I had barely posted when Lillian's message came through: "Score!"

The love might be delayed, but it definitely arrived.