Mag-log inAria's POV
I woke up completely exhausted after our intense lovemaking.
The bedroom was dimly lit when I opened my eyes, and Aiden was no longer beside me.
I reached out to touch his side of the bed—still warm.
He must have gotten up just moments ago.
I smiled to myself, sat up slowly, and took a moment to gather my strength before grabbing my phone and heading downstairs.
The housekeeper had prepared afternoon tea and smiled when she saw me coming down the stairs. "Would you like something to eat, Mrs. Carter?"
It was already past three, and the pasta we'd eaten more than two hours ago had long been digested.
"Yes, please," I nodded.
"I'll serve you right away, ma'am."
"No rush," I assured her.
I'd barely taken a sip of water when Nanny returned with a slice of cake and a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
I didn't start eating immediately. Despite being awake for nearly ten minutes, there
Aria's POVAfter checking my social media for news about the hot search topic, I found it had completely vanished—not just from trending topics but even from regular searches.My lips curved into a knowing smile. No surprise there; Aiden had clearly pulled some strings.It didn't really matter if it stayed trending anyway.The competition was only days away, and the organizers had secured impressive backing with thirty-plus media outlets covering the event.The moment I took off my mask and revealed myself as JJ, the news would spread across the internet in minutes.How "sympathetic" people felt toward me online now—well, their faces would burn with embarrassment soon enough. God, I was becoming quite the schemer lately.I smiled to myself, closed the app, and headed toward my music room. Time to practice! But halfway there, realization struck me. The competition wasn't just about playing perfectly—it was about physi
My phone buzzed with Elena Pierce's name flashing on the screen. I swiped to answer, wondering what she could possibly want."Hello?" I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.Her light laugh trickled through the speaker. "Nothing important. I was just wondering if you'd be interested in attending the motorboat race in Lake City on the 17th? I have tickets, and if you'd like to go, I could have someone deliver a pair to you."The smugness in her voice made my skin crawl. She was practically gloating."Don't trouble yourself, Elena," I replied with a dismissive snort. "I already have tickets.""Oh, so you'll be at the race then. I guess I'll see you there in Lake City." She paused deliberately before adding, "I hear JJ will finally remove her mask that day. I'm quite curious to see what she looks like—the woman Lucas has been obsessing over for years."A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. If she only knew."Is something
Aria's POVI gripped my phone tighter as Nana's message popped up: "I'll start making arrangements! Time to clear up all those nasty rumors once and for all!"During my second year after bursting onto the jet ski racing scene, my refusal to show my face had sparked some truly ridiculous gossip in the circuit.The claims that I was "hideously ugly" were actually the tamer insults.The more outrageous rumors suggested I was actually a man who couldn't qualify in the men's division, so I'd switched to the women's competitions to steal the spotlight. According to them, I refused to show my face to avoid the backlash when I was "exposed."Seriously? The organizers obviously verified my gender before allowing me to compete in the women's division. But people who resented my success were numerous, and somehow even these brain-dead accusations found believers.They were so relentless because they knew they could get away with it—I'd never show
Aria's POVMy thoughts were a complete mess as I sat on the bed. First, I'd had another woman between Aiden and me, and now that we'd just confessed our feelings for each other, suddenly this "dream girl" appears out of nowhere? Talk about history repeating itself.Once bitten, twice shy. I felt myself slipping back into that painful, insecure place I'd been before.But I wasn't the same naive, brave girl anymore. If Aiden truly had feelings for this dream girl, I'd divorce him immediately and let them be together.After all, our marriage wasn't exactly conventional from the start.Yeah, divorce. That's the solution. I took a deep breath, trying to convince myself I was fine with this possibility.The bathroom door suddenly swung open, and Aiden walked out, freshly showered. My heart clenched with both heartache and guilt. I instinctively turned away, then immediately regretted it.Aiden was too perceptive. Turning away would only mak
Aria's POVI blinked, jogging over to where Aiden stood.My eyes fell to his collar before traveling downward. "Want me to help with your tie?"Aiden arched an eyebrow, lifting the hand that held his tie. "Thank you, Mrs. Carter," he said with that smile that still made my stomach flutter.I felt my cheeks warm as I took the tie from his hand.I'd always known Aiden was tall, but standing directly in front of him like this really drove the point home. At 5'6", I wasn't short by any means, but I still had to rise on my tiptoes to properly adjust his tie around his neck.This was the second time I'd done this for him. The first time, my nerves had gotten the better of me—my hands had trembled so much that the knot ended up loose and crooked. I'd wanted to fix it, but the warmth of his cedar cologne had made my fingers uncooperative, and I'd given up in embarrassment.Now, though we were much more comfortable with each other, I sti
Aria's POVI woke up completely exhausted after our intense lovemaking.The bedroom was dimly lit when I opened my eyes, and Aiden was no longer beside me.I reached out to touch his side of the bed—still warm.He must have gotten up just moments ago.I smiled to myself, sat up slowly, and took a moment to gather my strength before grabbing my phone and heading downstairs.The housekeeper had prepared afternoon tea and smiled when she saw me coming down the stairs. "Would you like something to eat, Mrs. Carter?"It was already past three, and the pasta we'd eaten more than two hours ago had long been digested."Yes, please," I nodded."I'll serve you right away, ma'am.""No rush," I assured her.I'd barely taken a sip of water when Nanny returned with a slice of cake and a cup of tea."Thank you."I didn't start eating immediately. Despite being awake for nearly ten minutes, there







