Chapter 9
“Aria, I love you.
“Forgive me, but I can’t wish you happiness.”
After saying this, he drove me to Elizabeth’s house in silence, then left without looking back.
When I told Elizabeth about my dating situation, she was furious and decided to stop setting me up with potential matches for a while.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon, an unexpected visitor showed up at Elizabeth’s doorstep.
“Grace? What are you doing here?”
“Aria! You need to go back home right now! Arthur’s gone crazy, and you’re the only one he’ll listen to. Please do something!”
I was about to show her the door.
“I won’t get involved in his business. And if he sent you here, don’t bother. It won’t work.”
Grace stomped her foot in frustration, glaring at me.
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“I swear Arthur didn’t send me! He’s completely lost it. He’s not doing any work, just spending his days visiting therapists. He’s driven nearly every psychologist in the city to their breaking point.
“The mastermind who set you up at my party? Arthur’s eradicated them! Their whole family tree is behind bars now, going back generations.
“Now he’s turning his anger on me! But I won’t stand for it! I was just doing what I was paid to do!
“Let me set the record straight! Nothing ever happened between Arthur and me. Even those late–night intimate scenes were that bastard made me act them out alone!
“It makes my blood boil just thinking about it! He paid me a million dollars to pretend we were in love in front of you, just to break your heart.”
After hearing Grace’s story, I just calmly shook my head.
“This isn’t my concern, Grace.
“Arthur made his own choices, and now he’s simply paying the price for them.
“I never cared whether he was deceiving me, hating me, or resenting me.
“But what I can’t accept is how he’s always avoided dealing with whatever’s between us.”
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The eerie calmness in my voice frightened even me.
“So you should go now. We’re both in recovery, trying to desensitize ourselves to losing each other. I wish him well, and I hope he succeeds.”
Grace nearly hurled her cupcake across the room.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
“For crying out loud, you two are impossible! You both like each other! Just get together! Why torture yourselves like this?”
I turned to her, puzzled.
“What makes you think Arthur likes me? He just feels obligated to take care of me. He’s always seen me as a kid…”
Grace was fuming.
She immediately pulled out her phone and called Arthur.
“Mr. Hastings, Aria is sleeping with someone right now. Take a look! You might catch the aftermath.”
The line went dead.
I turned away. “See? He won’t react at all.”
Grace fumed, “Just you wait.”
Chapter 9
Several hours later, Elizabeth’s front door swung open.
Arthur burst in, looking travel–worn and disheveled.
He scrutinized me but remained silent.
I looked at him, puzzled. “Why are you here?”
“To check on you.”
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Grace couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward, unleashing her frustration.
“Arthur, either admit you want to be with Aria or just wish her well with someone else. Stop getting all worked up and rushing here from overseas!”
Then she turned to scold me.
“Aria, either confess to him one last time and see how he reacts, or move on already. Stop giving yourself false hope.”
I turned to Arthur and spoke slowly.
“Would you marry me?”
“Yes, I would!”
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“Didn’t you say you saw me as family?”
Chapter 9
Several hours later, Elizabeth’s front door swung open.
Arthur burst in, looking travel–worn and disheveled.
He scrutinized me but remained silent.
I looked at him, puzzled. “Why are you here?”
“To check on you.”
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Grace couldn’t take it anymore and stepped forward, unleashing her frustration.
“Arthur, either admit you want to be with Aria or just wish her well with someone else. Stop getting all worked up and rushing
here from overseas!”
Then she turned to scold me.
“Aria, either confess to him one last time and see how he reacts, or move on already. Stop giving yourself false hope.”
I turned to Arthur and spoke slowly.
“Would you marry me?”
“Yes, I would!”
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“Didn’t you say you saw me as family?”
Chapter 9
“I’d rather make you my wife.”
“You!”
Before I could finish, Arthur’s lips crashed into mine.
The kiss carried all his weariness from the journey, all the hardships of the road.
Everything poured into that kiss.
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I tried to push him away slightly, conscious of Grace standing nearby.
But he wouldn’t budge, charging ahead like a lovesick teenager, terrified of losing his girl to someone else.
“I’m going crazy with jealousy,” he muttered.
I surrendered and hugged him back.
“Me too.”
Arthur swept me up in his arms, bridal style.
He headed straight for the bedroom.
Frightened, I looked at Grace with pleading eyes.
Grace watched us with pure joy.
“Arthur, do you regret anything?”
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He spoke through gritted teeth, “I regret taking you that night and then avoiding you like a fool. I regret not keeping you in bed until you couldn’t leave.
“I regret that after all this time, it could only be you, yet I was too stupid to see what was in my own heart.”
I smiled and kissed his lips.
“As long as I’m with you, I regret nothing.”
The End
