Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 258

Aria's POV

As we left the restaurant, Lillian couldn't hold back anymore.

"Were they messing with us?" she fumed, her face flushed with anger. "They sounded so reasonable on the phone, but then face-to-face they basically accused us of extortion!"

"Do I look like I need their pathetic money?" I snapped, my hand clenching around my purse strap. "Extortion? Really? Is my middle-of-the-night emergency room visit only worth a thousand dollars to them?"

The medical expenses had exceeded a thousand because Lillian had called an ambulance and I'd been rushed to the emergency room.

Meanwhile, Aiden had taken me to the hospital separately for additional tests, though I hadn't stayed in the ER, which came to about seven or eight hundred dollars. Add our meal cost of several hundred, and the restaurant's total compensation offer didn't even reach twenty-five hundred dollars.

That was their idea of taking responsibility.

While I wasn't as visibly angry as Lillian, I felt the restaurant manager had played us for fools. "I'm going to have Aiden connect me with a lawyer," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

My schedule was relatively light for the rest of the year anyway. I had plenty of time to deal with this bullshit.

Lillian took a deep breath, her shoulders finally relaxing slightly. "No matter what they say next time, I'm not accepting any settlement."

"Want to get some coffee? Maybe some dessert?" I suggested.

Lillian had taken the entire afternoon off for this meeting, just to lose several hundred dollars for nothing.

I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, stop fuming. Let's get something sweet."

We picked a coffee shop with elegant décor and had just settled into our seats when my phone buzzed with a message from Aiden: *How did it go?*

I hadn't been that upset before, but seeing his concern made all my frustration bubble up: *It went terribly. They accused us of extortion.*

Aiden typed for a moment before responding: *Then don't negotiate. I'll contact a lawyer. We'll sue them.*

*That's exactly what we're planning*, I replied.

Lillian had ordered a cappuccino while I was messaging Aiden. Noticing me on my phone, she correctly guessed what I was doing and ordered me a latte.

I put my phone down to find her watching me with a knowing look.

"I was just asking Aiden about borrowing a lawyer," I admitted, feeling a slight warmth in my cheeks.

Everyone knew Carter Group's legal team was legendarily successful.

For once, Lillian didn't tease me about Aiden. "Their lawyers are absolute killers," she agreed with a firm nod. "Let's see the restaurant act tough when they're facing that kind of firepower!"

After coffee, we went our separate ways. Lillian had dinner plans with colleagues, and I planned to discuss the restaurant situation with Aiden over dinner.

When I arrived home at our estate, it was still early. I changed into something more comfortable—a soft cashmere sweater and leggings—then spent two hours practicing piano in the music room.

Around six in the evening, I heard the purr of a car engine.

I instinctively glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling windows behind me but couldn't see anything. The music room overlooked the garden, not the driveway.

Within moments, I heard movement at the entryway.

I grabbed a tissue to wipe orange juice from my fingers.

The door opened as Aiden stepped in, changed from his dress shoes to house shoes, and walked toward me.

Looking at the last orange slice on the table, I picked it up. As Aiden approached, I stood and held the slice to his lips. "It's so sweet," I said softly.

Aiden opened his mouth, taking the orange slice between his teeth. His arm slid around my waist as he sat on the couch, pulling me down beside him.

I watched him swallow the orange and raised my eyebrows questioningly. "Sweet, right?"

"Very sweet," he murmured.

His fingers brushed a strand of hair from my face. "So what exactly happened at the restaurant?"

I pulled out my phone. "I recorded everything."

Aiden took my phone and played the recording.

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