Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 262

Aria's POV

I felt incredibly upbeat, so much that I even devoured an extra half portion at lunch. The good mood had me humming as I played my baby grand piano all afternoon, losing myself in the music until after two o'clock when Summer called to confirm next week's work schedule. Only then did I reluctantly leave my piano room.

The charity concert in France was happening next Saturday, which meant I needed to fly out by Thursday. As I hung up, I suddenly realized I hadn't mentioned this trip to Aiden yet.

My finger hovered over my phone, but seeing it was already past five, I changed my mind. Better to tell him in person anyway.

Aiden arrived home earlier than usual today. I had just finished my yoga session when I heard movement in the kitchen. Rising instinctively from my mat, I padded out of the home gym toward the sound.

He was leaning casually against the kitchen island, sipping water. When his dark eyes found mine, they lit with that familiar spark that still made my pulse quicken.

"Just finished working out?" he asked, his gaze traveling slowly over my form-fitting yoga outfit that highlighted every curve of my body.

I hadn't thought much about my appearance until I caught the appreciative heat in his stare. My ears burned as I felt my skin flush under his attention.

Aiden turned to pour me a glass of water. As I took it, our fingers brushed, sending a tiny shiver through me. I took several gulps before looking back up at him.

"I need to go to France next week for a charity concert," I said. "I'm helping out a friend." Though of course, it was a paid performance too.

"Which day?" he asked.

"The performance is Saturday, but I need to fly out Thursday." I watched his expression carefully.

Aiden's eyes met mine. "How long will you be gone?"

As he spoke, he reached forward unexpectedly, his fingers gently brushing a stray strand of hair from my cheek. The light touch sent tingles across my skin.

"Probably until Monday," I admitted, feeling slightly flustered by his proximity.

"So five days then," he murmured.

I nodded. "Mmhmm."

I bit my lower lip, wanting to tell him I'd bring him back a gift, but decided to keep it as a surprise instead.

At that moment, Nanny appeared, her timing impeccable as always. "Sir, ma'am, dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."

I had to admire how Nanny always timed meals perfectly whenever Aiden came home, regardless of whether he arrived early or late. She always had dinner ready about fifteen minutes after his arrival.

The court had officially accepted the case, with a civil hearing scheduled for the twentieth of next month. After receiving the court summons, Vicki and Bart had stopped harassing me directly but started camping outside Lillian's office building, hoping to intercept her instead.

Two days ago, they finally caught Lillian leaving work. She had her colleagues call the police while she stalled the couple. The confrontation ended at the police station, and after that, they didn't dare approach Lillian in person again.

Yesterday, the couple proposed a new scheme—they agreed to compensate and apologize but claimed they couldn't afford the full payment at once and wanted to pay in installments.

When Lillian told me this, even her emojis couldn't hide her exasperation. I felt equally annoyed when I heard about it. Their intentions were transparent—they wanted us to withdraw the lawsuit first so they could drag out payments as long as possible. I refused to fall for such an obvious ploy and dismissed it as a bad joke.

Then yesterday afternoon, the Food Safety Department called with their findings: the restaurant's kitchen failed basic hygiene standards, and some refrigerated items were past their expiration dates. Under national food safety laws, the department revoked the restaurant's operating license.

The ruling was quickly made public when someone following the case posted screenshots of the official notice online. The internet celebrated the outcome, while many former patrons who discovered they'd been served expired food filed their own civil lawsuits against the establishment.

In the end, Vicki and Bart were facing the consequences of their own actions—not just our lawsuit, but multiple cases from other disgruntled customers as well.

My wolf senses had picked up the spoiled food immediately that day, but now everyone knew the truth. I felt a strange satisfaction, not from their downfall, but from the vindication. In our pack, those who tried to harm others eventually faced justice—just as these two were discovering now.

I closed my eyes at the piano, my fingers finding the keys with practiced precision. My upcoming trip to France would be a welcome change of scenery. While I'd miss Aiden—my mate's absence always left me feeling slightly hollow—the pull between us had grown strong enough that even five days apart would feel like an eternity.