Fifi’s expression darkened. She’d only gone away on her honeymoon for a short while—how had things changed so drastically? Since when did the whole family just accept Aria?Without thinking, she blurted out, “Auntie, Uncle—why is she allowed to just show up at our house like it’s no big deal? You’re really okay with this? Don’t you care that the Duncan family’s being mocked because of her background?”“Watch your mouth,” Marianne snapped, her face instantly cold. “Don’t think I don’t know why you’re so against her. You’re already married to Mark—stop being so paranoid. If your marriage falls apart, it won’t be because of someone else. It’ll be because you ruined it yourself.”Marianne had long known about the past between Mark and Aria. She understood exactly why Fifi was so hostile.In truth, Fifi was Grace’s niece, and technically not a Duncan by blood. She shouldn’t have been spending so much time at the Duncan estate. Grace was especially close to her brother since their parent
Aria reached out when she saw Archer carrying all the bags by himself.“Let me carry a few,” she said.He glanced at her. “Let’s go.”“You’re holding too much. I’ll help,” she insisted.“Don’t be difficult,” he replied calmly. “Let’s get home before your mom starts worrying.”Though his hands were full of bags in all shapes and sizes, he didn’t seem the least bit bothered.But to Aria, it was hard to ignore how out of place it looked. A man as composed and elegant as Archer Duncan—yet here he was, carrying shopping bags without a trace of ego.When Rachel and James saw the mountain of bags they brought back, they both stared, speechless.Was Archer planning to move in or something?James couldn’t help but laugh. He could see it—Archer really did seem to care about his sister.Back in her room, Aria cleared out half the closet to make space for Archer’s new clothes.Archer looked on with satisfaction as his clothes joined hers in the wardrobe. Her little childhood room now hel
At the moment, her clothes were wrinkled, her hair still mostly neat—but her lips were clearly swollen and flushed a deep shade of red.Aria touched her lips and sighed. She had no choice but to open the door, so she braced herself and headed over.Standing outside was Rachel, holding a set of pajamas. When she saw the state Aria was in, she looked awkward and didn’t know where to rest her eyes.She wasn’t clueless—she understood how things were between young people. And after all, Aria and Archer were already married. It wasn’t like they’d be sleeping in separate rooms doing nothing.But still, seeing her own daughter like this stirred something complicated inside her.Aria felt just as awkward. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and said, “Mom…”Rachel’s eyes glanced past Aria’s shoulder and caught sight of Archer sitting on the edge of the bed. She instantly understood what she’d just interrupted and hurried to say,“These are your brother’s pajamas. He’s not much sh
“Was it hard getting used to this place after moving out of the villa?” Archer asked as he pulled Aria onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. His warm lips brushed gently against the corner of her eye before landing a firm kiss there.His lips were soft and warm, leaving a tingling sensation on her skin.She heard the tenderness in his deep, slightly hoarse voice and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, nuzzling her face into the curve of his neck.“It wasn’t that bad,” she murmured. “I’ve never been materialistic. I don’t mind a change of environment. And here, I don’t have to pretend to make small talk with people from that old circle—those heirs and socialites I had nothing in common with.”“After the bankruptcy, sure, money was tight. But in a way, I finally felt like I could breathe. Of course, adjusting wasn’t instant. Everything changed. I had to get used to a new home, a new school, and a totally different way of learning. But in the end, I didn’t fall behi
James and Rachel hadn’t been home in a while either, but by the time Archer and Aria arrived, the house was already tidied up.When they stepped inside, Rachel was nearly done cooking.Today, her attitude toward Archer had softened a bit—not exactly warm, but definitely more natural. She even gave him a few polite smiles here and there.After dinner, Rachel started fiddling with the new dishwasher. But she didn’t quite know how to use it yet.Usually, a housekeeper handled the cooking and cleaning—especially when she was working long shifts at the hospital—and this model was a newer one she wasn’t familiar with.It had just been installed, and she still hadn’t figured it out.Seeing this, Archer rolled up his sleeves, grabbed the manual, and headed into the kitchen to figure it out himself.Aria stood by the doorway, watching him crouch in the small kitchen. His tall frame looked a little out of place in the cramped space. He held the manual in one hand, studying it intently.E
As soon as the traffic light turned green, Aria hurried across the street. She only had time to toss out a quick explanation.“My boyfriend’s picking me up.”She didn’t say “husband” or “significant other”—just “boyfriend.” Mainly because she didn’t want people guessing she’d just gotten divorced.“I saw a Land Rover picking you up the other day,” Mandy said, quickening her pace to keep up. “Everyone at the office said it’s Mr. Duncan’s car. So your boyfriend is—”Before she could finish her question, they had already walked up to the Land Rover.The driver’s side window was down, and Mandy spotted Archer with one arm resting casually on the window frame. Even a simple gesture like that somehow looked refined and elegant.“Mr. Duncan!” Mandy called out immediately.Archer gave her a quick, indifferent glance and gave a faint nod.Aria also nodded at her, flashing a polite but distant smile. “I’m heading off now.”With that, she circled around the front of the car and got into t