Chapter 12: “I’ve decided to marry Ethan Luo.”

Aria picked up her phone from the dinning table after dropping the documents and and send a quick text to Mira.

>"Hey Mira, you free? Let's met up at Noir by Eleven in thirty minutes?"

Mia's reply came immediately.

>"Sure. See you there."

Noir by Eleven is An exclusive rooftop restaurant and wine bar where Aria and Mia often dine. Reservations are impossible without a name or a scandal.

It's known for its low lighting, sweeping sea views, and private glass booths.

A favorite for secret meetups, whispered alliances, and accidental paparazzi sightings.

The restaurant was discreet, dim lighting, velvet booths, and soft jazz playing under the clink of expensive cutlery.

No cameras and no flashing lights. Just the kind of silence Aria liked.

She was five minutes early, of course.

Mia slid into the booth two minutes after that, in a black leather jacket over a silk blouse, her hair swept up carelessly but still looking like a Vogue editorial.

She dropped her bag beside her and raised an eyebrow. “You look like someone who just fired three people and smiled while doing it.” she joked.

Aria sipped her wine. “Only one.”

Mia grinned. “Ah. Restraint. Growth.”

A waiter appeared but Mia waved off the menu. “She already knows what I want. Just bring me what she’s having.”

When the server left, Aria leaned back. Her posture perfectly still but her eyes flickered with something less certain.

And Mia didn’t miss it.

“Alright,” she said, setting her phone down. “What’s really going on?”

Aria hesitated, which was a rare thing. “The board’s nervous.” she grimaced.

“Of course they are. You kissed your assistant on stage like it was a finale of The Bachelor.” Mia teased.

“I didn’t plan it,” she muttered.

“Didn’t look unplanned.” Mia retorted.

Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t ask for your approval.”

Mia raised her hands in surrender. “Good. Because you wouldn’t get it.”

Silence stretched out before them with a yawning emptiness.

Mia’s voice softened. “I’m not judging you, Ari. I’m worried about you. You’re playing this entire scandal like a chess match, but I know that look. You’re not sleeping.”

“I’m solving it,” she replied quietly. “That’s more useful.”

There was a disconnect in her eyes, a sense that she was no longer fully present in the moment, her thoughts elsewhere.

Mia tilted her head. “You always solve. But when’s the last time you felt something about it?” she raised her brows.

That struck a nerve. Aria looked away, her voice cooler now. “I'm planning on sending him a message. Ethan. I’m thinking of bringing him in on Monday morning.”

Mia blinked slowly, as if she hadn't heard her correctly. “As in… bringing him in for damage control? Or for... something else?”

“I don’t know yet,” she admitted. “He hates me. I ruined the relationship he was going to propose into.” she groaned.

“And yet,” Mia said, her voice careful, “you’re still using him.”

She didn’t answer, because she didn’t need to. They both know the answer to that.

Mia had just taken a slow sip of sparkling water, waiting for Aria to elaborate what she meant.

Aria set her wine glass down slowly and blurted out. “I’ve decided to marry Ethan Luo.”

Mia choked, causing water to spray across the table, the candle, the cutlery, and directly onto Aria’s cream-colored silk blouse.

Aria blinked her eyes, her mouth twitching.

Mia coughed into her napkin. “I... What?”

Aria reached for a cloth, dabbing at the front of her blouse like this was all perfectly normal. “You heard me.”

“You said marry.” Mia’s eyes widened. “As in—holy vows, paperwork, matching rings... marry?”

“It’ll be contractual of course,” Aria said calmly. “Temporary and strategic.”

“Oh my god,” Mia whispered, sinking back into her seat. “You’ve finally cracked.”

Aria continued. “The public thinks I’m reckless and impulsive. Ethan is the damage and making him the solution reframes the entire narrative.”

“You’re insane.” Mia whispered still in shock.

“I’m logical.” Aria retorted.

“You kissed him in public without his consent.” Mia gaped.

Aria scrunched up her face. “He’ll benefit too. Financially and professionally. We’ll negotiate terms.”

Mia stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Aria. He doesn’t even like you.”

“I know.” she scowled.

“You ruined his engagement.” Mia exclaimed.

“He didn’t propose.” Aria countered.

“He was going to.” Mia's eyes narrowed.

Aria went silent for a second, and something flickered in her eyes. And it was definitely not regret or guilt.

She took another sip of her wine. “He’ll say yes.” she insisted.

Mia gave her a look somewhere between horror and awe. “You sound terrifyingly sure of that.” she stated.

Aria smirked. “I always am.”

Mia leaned forward, whispering like they were plotting treason. “Do you even like him?”

Aria met her gaze, a line appearing between her brows. “I don’t need to like him. What I need is to fix this.”

Mia stared at Aria like she’d just declared war on gravity.

“You can’t be serious,” she whispered, her tone sharp now. “You’re talking about a fake marriage. With a man who looks at you like you burned down his childhood home.”

Aria calmly swirled the wine in her glass. “It’s not fake. It’s contractual.” she said matter of fact.

Mia leaned across the table, her voice low and urgent now. “Aria. This isn’t one of your boardroom moves. This is your life. You don’t get to bury your reputation in a PR stunt and call it healing.” she whispered harshly.

“It’s not about healing,” Aria replied, quietly. “It’s about leverage. The headlines say I’m unstable and driven by emotion. What better way to counter that than a calculated, ‘whirlwind’ romance-turned-marriage that stabilizes the narrative?”

“Calculated romance?” Mia blinked slowly. “That is literally an oxymoron.”

Aria’s lips twitched.. “So is ‘trustworthy media.’ And yet here we are.”

Mia sat back, running a hand through her hair. “Does Ethan even know?”

“No.” she replied.

“Jesus.” Mia muttered.

Aria tilted her head to the side. “He’ll agree.”

“You really think you can just walk into the office on Monday, drop a marriage contract on his desk, and he’ll sign it?” Mia chuckled.

“I’m not walking in with a ring box,” Aria replied, as if that would be tacky. “I’m walking in with an offer that benefits us both.”

Mia exhaled sharply through her nose. “Aria, he hates you. You humiliated him, publicly. You wrecked his relationship. He probably wakes up cursing your name.”

“I don’t need his affection,” Aria said softly. “Just his cooperation.”

Mia stared at her for a long time, then sighed, resting her forehead in her hand. “You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

Aria didn’t answer.

After a moment, Mia dropped her hand and gave her a hard look. “Fine."

"But you’d better swear to me this stays between us.” Aria grimaced.

“It will.” Mia frowned.

“No leaks. No whispers. And it stays between us Mia." Aria insisted.

“You have my word.” Mia stated.

Mia narrowed her eyes. “But If this blows up, I’m not flying to Italy to smuggle you out of the country again.”

Aria smiled faintly. “That was one time. And technically, I smuggled you.”

Mia groaned and reached for her wine. “God help Ethan Luo. He doesn’t stand a chance.”