24. Piece of Meat

Aria stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat as a tiny pair of arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She looked down, stunned, and instinctively placed her hands on the small back and shoulder of the little girl clinging to her like a lifeline.

The warmth of the child’s embrace was so sudden, so pure, it completely disarmed her.

“Nina,” Mason said with a soft chuckle, his voice warm and indulgent, “you’ve just ambushed our guest. Shouldn’t you introduce yourself first, sweetheart?”

The little girl gasped and stepped back slightly, still holding onto Aria’s hand. “Right! I’m sorry,” she said, her voice so delicate and sincere it made Aria’s heart twist in the best way possible.

Aria knelt down slowly, her eyes wide with wonder as she came face-to-face with the child. “Hi there,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Hello, Auntie,” Nina greeted sweetly, waving her tiny hand with a shy smile. “My name’s Nina. I’m the girl you saved from the car crash… Do you remember me?”

Aria’s heart swelled so fast it nearly knocked the breath out of her. She felt a rush of warmth flood her chest as she took in the sight before her—Nina’s big, curious eyes, her little smile, and the cast wrapped around her arm like a badge of survival.

“I remember you,” Aria said, her voice trembling with affection. “How could I ever forget you? I was worried, but I am glad that you are alright now.”

She reached out gently, brushing a strand of hair from Nina’s face and letting her fingers rest lightly on the child’s cheek. There were no visible wounds now, just that cast that told stories of what she’d been through.

“You look so much better,” Aria said softly, blinking back the moisture in her eyes. “You’re so brave, and so pretty too.”

Nina beamed, proud and bashful all at once. “Daddy said I can play all I want, but I should be careful with my arm. Today, I played with my friends too!"

Aria smiled at how enthusiastic Nina was in telling her stories. The little girl was so comfortable in her presence that it was as if they had known each other for a while now.

"Nina, your nanny was looking for you. She said you suddenly disappeared." Julian, together with Cecil, came into the office too.

Aria stood up, still holding Nina's tiny hands. She squinted her eyes playfully at her and said, "Did you just try to escape from your nanny?" She tickled Nina at her side a bit, making her laugh.

"No, I didn't. I thought I smelled you, so I followed the scent and found you here," Nina said proudly.

"Wow, you haven't forgotten my scent. I am touched! Now go with your Dad and see your nanny. She must be worried," Aria uttered, pointing at Julian.

"But, he's not my Daddy. He is my Uncle. My Daddy is him," Nina said, looking at Mason.

Aria tilted her head in confusion and looked alternately between Nina and Mason.

Mason gave a small, knowing smirk. “She’s my daughter. Julian brought her along that day—they were on their way to a kids’ party.”

Aria’s eyes widened slightly as she processed the information. She gave a slow nod. “Ah… that makes sense.”

Mason’s expression softened, his voice dropping with sincerity. “She hasn’t stopped talking about you since then. Every day, she’d ask when she could see the ‘pretty lady who saved her.’” 

Then added with a faint smile, “That’s actually why I asked to meet you here instead of in my office. She made me promise.”

Aria glanced down at Nina, who was beaming up at her with that irresistible smile. “Really? You wanted to see me again? And why is that, pretty girl, hmm?” she teased, kneeling in front of her once more.

“Because you saved me!” Nina declared proudly. “And you smell really nice—I feel super safe! Aaaand…” She threw her arms out dramatically before wrapping them tightly around Aria. “Because I love you!”

Her tiny voice and sincere affection drew soft laughter from everyone around.

“Well, that might just be the fastest love confession I’ve ever gotten in my life,” Aria said with a grin, clearly charmed.

Just then, Nina’s nanny appeared in the hallway, calling out gently, “Nina, there you are! You haven’t finished your dinner yet.”

Nina pouted and looked up at her father. “Can the pretty auntie eat with me? Please?”

Mason turned to Julian. “Is dinner ready?”

“All set, Alpha,” Julian replied smoothly.

Mason looked back at Aria. “Join us?”

Aria blinked. “Oh—uh, no, Chairman, that’s very kind, but we really weren’t planning to stay for dinner.”

But Nina tugged on her sleeve, eyes wide with pleading. “Please... Can you stay a little longer? Our cook is very good, he always makes the best food ever!”

Aria chuckled, glancing between the sweet little girl and the composed, watchful man behind her. “How can I possibly say no to that face?”

“Yay!” Nina squealed, grabbing Aria’s hand and pulling her eagerly toward the dining room.

Mason let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he followed the two, a rare softness warming his usually stoic expression, surprising both Julian and the nanny.

Dinner in the grand dining room flowed with quiet elegance... at least for most. While the others dined in composed silence, Aria and Nina were wrapped in their own little world. 

The child insisted Aria feed her, and Aria, smiling like a soft-hearted mother, gladly obliged, giggling each time Nina opened her mouth like a baby bird.

Mason watched them quietly, his expression unreadable—until he reached for a generous cut of steak, expertly slicing it into bite-sized pieces and placing them neatly on Aria’s plate.

The air shifted.

Heads subtly turned. Even the nearby staff stiffened in surprise. No one had ever seen their Alpha do something so… intimate, after their late Luna passed away years back.

Aria stared at the steak on her plate, then slowly lifted her gaze to Mason. Her lips parted as if to say something, but no words came. She closed them again, stunned.

“You’re so busy feeding Nina that you’ve forgotten to eat,” Mason said calmly, as though the gesture was nothing unusual. He reached for a serving spoon and added a colorful scoop of stir-fried vegetables to her plate. “Try this. Our chef takes pride in that one.”

Still speechless, Aria just blinked at him.

Mason noticed—and with barely a pause, he picked up her fork, speared a perfectly cooked broccoli floret, and offered it to her. “Come on,” he said with a subtle smirk. “One bite.” His hand slowly approached Aria's mouth, intending to feed her directly.

A metallic clatter snapped through the moment. Julian had dropped his utensils, his mouth slightly agape as if the world had turned sideways.

The sound broke Mason’s focus. He blinked, seemed to realize just how far he'd gone, and awkwardly handed the fork back to Aria, clearing his throat before returning his attention to his own plate.

“T-Thank you, Chairman,” Aria finally muttered, cheeks flushing faintly as she took a bite of the broccoli, then followed it with a mouthful of steak—anything to mask the flurry in her chest. 

She quickly turned back to Nina, who was now playfully spooning rice like it was a game.

[What in the actual hell just happened?!] Cecil’s voice blasted in Aria’s head through the mind-link, barely restrained.

[Keep your voice down,] Aria replied coolly. [And chew your food. You tend to talk out loud when you’re excited. One slip and we’re both doomed.]

[The only one doomed in this room is you,] Cecil snapped through the mind-link, her voice filled with mischief and warning.

Aria didn’t respond. Instead, she focused intently on Nina, pretending to be entirely absorbed in helping the child with her food. Her heart, however, betrayed her, thudding just a bit too fast.

Once the table settled back into the quiet clinking of cutlery and casual murmurs, Aria dared a glance at Mason—only to catch him staring back at her.

His gaze was unwavering, unreadable, and intense. As if he’d been studying her this entire time.