25. Warmth of the Wine

After dinner, Nina wasn’t finished with her surprises. She tugged insistently at Aria’s hand and led her straight to her room.

Mason made an attempt to intervene, calling after them, but Aria was just as eager. The two completely ignored him, swept away in their own little world.

With a resigned sigh, Mason let them go and returned to the upstairs living room, where Julian and Cecil were deep in animated conversation. 

Or rather, Julian was talking with exaggerated hand gestures, while Cecil laughed heartily, clearly enjoying herself. 

Mason, meanwhile, simply watched, his mind elsewhere.

Not long after, Aria came back, stepping quietly into the room alone.

“She fell asleep while I was reading her favorite story,” she said softly, a tender smile tugging at her lips.

Julian and Mason immediately checked the time, then exchanged a look that didn’t go unnoticed by Aria and Cecil.

“What’s the matter?” Cecil asked, eyebrows lifting.

“That was… surprisingly fast,” Julian said, sounding genuinely astonished.

Aria blinked, unsure of what to make of their reaction.

Mason cleared his throat and met her gaze. “Nina’s been struggling to fall asleep since the accident,” he admitted, his voice lower and more serious now. “The pediatrician thinks it might be early PTSD, but we’re waiting to see a specialist for confirmation.”

Aria’s smile faded, replaced by something softer, more thoughtful, as her eyes wandered toward the hallway where Nina’s room was.

“She must really feel safe with you,” Mason added quietly, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

Aria offered a faint smile, forcing herself past the hesitation knotting in her chest. “Uhm… about my request. It’s getting pretty late. Maybe… maybe we can come back tomorrow to talk about it properly?”

“Stay,” Mason said firmly—too firmly.

Both Julian and Cecil snapped their heads toward him, jaws nearly hitting the floor in unison.

“Like you said… It’s late,” Mason continued, his eyes never leaving Aria’s. “Two women on the road at this hour? It’s not safe.”

Aria blinked in disbelief. “Chairman, really, it’s fine. We can handle ourselves… Right, Cecil?”

But when she turned to her friend, Cecil was suddenly very interested in the floor and said absolutely nothing.

Mason stepped closer, voice low and heavy with protective authority. “Aria, I saw what Elliot and his pack did to you. You say your parents were framed. That makes you a target, too, don’t you think? If someone did want to silence you, tonight would be the perfect opportunity.”

He took one more step, towering but calm. “So, no. You’re not leaving tonight. We’ll continue the discussion tomorrow.”

Then, without waiting for her protest, he turned to Julian. “Prepare the best guest room. Make sure everything’s perfect.”

And with that, he walked away—smooth, controlled, final.

Aria stared after him, mouth half open in stunned silence.

Julian gave her a lopsided smile. “You heard the Alpha. Come on.”

He started walking, not bothering to wait.

Cecil patted Aria’s arm with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Let’s go, drama queen. Don’t just stand there like you’ve been kissed by fate.”

She followed Julian, leaving Aria to gather her wits and trail behind, heart pounding harder than she cared to admit.

“What the hell just happened?” Aria whispered to herself, still stunned, before hurrying after Cecil down the hallway.

Julian stopped at a grand double door and gestured. “This will be Ms. Lambert’s room. Yours is on the other side of the mansion.”

Aria’s brows furrowed. “Wait—what? Why can’t we just stay in the same room? It’s only for one night.”

Julian offered a tight smile. “Orders from the boss. He said ‘the best room,’ and trust me, I enjoy having a job. You wouldn’t want to get me in trouble, would you?”

Aria huffed in frustration. “But our bags are still in the car.”

“I’m on it,” Cecil chimed in, already halfway down the hallway before vanishing around the corner.

Julian turned toward Aria and gestured down the opposite wing to where Nina’s room is. “Come, Ms. Harper. You need rest. Tomorrow might be heavier than today.”

She hesitated for a moment, then gave a soft nod. He was right. If things went well, she might finally see her parents tomorrow—something she’s waited too long for.

'Mason wouldn’t have asked us to stay if he wasn’t planning to help… right?' she thought, clinging to that fragile thread of hope as she followed Julian deeper into the mansion’s elegant shadows.

After Cecil delivered her suitcase, Aria took her time freshening up before slipping into something soft and comfortable. 

The guest room Julian had assigned to her was nothing short of extravagant. Rich linens, warm lighting, and the kind of quiet that could almost lull a person to sleep.

Almost.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her body still and mind racing. No matter how many times she shifted positions, sleep danced just out of reach. With a frustrated sigh, she threw off the covers and padded quietly out of the room, remembering the small upstairs bar she’d passed earlier.

As she reached the dimly lit lounge, the rich scent of aged red wine drifted into her senses.

“I figured the new surroundings might keep you up,” came a low, familiar voice.

Aria’s heart skipped a beat. Mason stood at the bar, wearing black sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt, casually swirling a glass of wine as he looked over his shoulder at her.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her voice soft. “You’re right. That... and the chaos in my head. I thought a glass of wine might help.”

His gaze lingered on her for a beat longer than necessary before he reached for another glass and poured. “Then let’s do something about that,” he said, handing her the drink with a glint in his eyes.

Without a word, he grabbed his own glass and the bottle, then tilted his head in a silent invitation. Curious and slightly breathless, Aria followed.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as they walked side by side down the quiet hall.

“To a place where we can forget everything for just one night,” Mason said, glancing at her with a smile that was both devilishly playful and devastatingly charming. “Might help us sleep... or at least distract us enough to try.”

Aria tilted her head with a frown and uttered inwardly, 'What the heck does he mean?'

Her heart raced, and her mind suddenly flooded with not-so-proper thoughts. She drank the wine in one go to calm herself down. Now, the warmth of the wine wasn’t the only thing heating her from the inside...