Semua Bab Second Marriage to the Billionaire: Ex-Husband Begs Me Not to Go: Bab 191 - Bab 200

Archer looked at his smiling little wife, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice took on a slight rasp."What are you up to?"Aria shook her head. "I'm not up to anything. I just want to talk with you."He lowered his gaze from the documents, those dark eyes growing even more intense as they fixed on her, as if searching for some deeper meaning."What do you want to say?" Archer asked.Aria's fingers danced across the desk surface, two of them walking like tiny feet—tap, tap, tap—until they reached his hand. Then those same fingers caught his sleeve, giving it the gentlest shake.Such a simple gesture, light as a leaf drifting onto a frozen lake's surface, yet somehow that single leaf seemed to herald spring's arrival. The endless ice and snow appeared to melt in that instant, sunlight breaking through to dance across the water in shimmering waves.Archer caught her wandering hand, his voice rough. "What are you up to?"He looked serious enough, but having seen how cold and ster

Being able to sense his unhappiness and even making the effort to comfort him at a moment like this—wasn't that a form of caring in itself?"So you really were unhappy because of me." Aria looked at him, disappointment evident in her voice.Archer paused as Aria continued. "I know I've done so many things wrong.""You're being too hard on yourself," Archer replied."I'm just stating facts." Aria met his gaze. "I never really understood what my role should be after marrying you.""You asked me to marry you—said it would be your only marriage. On our wedding day, you immediately introduced me to the family patriarch. You knew I'd been hurt, so you drafted a marriage agreement that completely protected me. You followed every tradition, sending me clear signals from the beginning.""You were telling me that you cared about me, that marrying me meant seeing me as your partner in life, not just business.""You probably wanted to be part of my world too—to meet my friends, learn about

"Aria." Archer's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at his little wife, his expression becoming somewhat strange upon hearing her call him cute.Probably not many mature men would appreciate being called cute—or perhaps that couldn't even be considered a compliment."I was trying to compliment you."She seemed to anticipate what Archer was about to say, her eyes crinkling with laughter."Haven't you ever heard that saying?""What saying?""When you think someone is cute, it means you're falling for them." Aria was trying to express her affection for Archer.Archer paused, "I've only heard that when someone has no redeeming qualities, you give them the empty compliment of being 'cute.'"Aria: "..." That was an angle she'd never considered."But you said that's when someone has no good qualities—and you have plenty of good qualities."Archer raised an eyebrow, tightening his hold on her, "So what are my good qualities?"His directness made Aria laugh."Obviously, you're hand

There were no dishes on the table yet—they were obviously waiting for Archer to arrive before ordering.Ethan and the others first looked at Archer, then at Aria beside him, and finally their gazes dropped to the pocket where their hands disappeared.Their expressions showed initial shock—they hadn't heard of any previous connection between the two. Though they'd gotten their marriage license, how long had it been? Were they already this intimate?Only Luther snorted internally. Of course they were intimate—Aria had nearly refused to work with him several times over those two paintings for Archer's sake.Aria fought the urge to hide behind Archer under their stares.Retreating from a few glances would be pretty embarrassing.Aria steeled herself to endure it. Archer said nothing, pulling her toward the table.There was an empty seat between Ronald and Wesley.Wesley's entire demeanor was cold—even more so than Archer's intimidating presence, his features carrying obvious detach

"Our smoking habits aren't that bad anyway," Ethan said with a smile. Indeed, none of them pulled out cigarettes again, including Ethan himself.Even Wesley, who had been silent the whole time and whose earlier motion to reach for cigarettes no one had noticed, quietly put his pack back.Archer introduced this group to Aria.She was already familiar with Ethan. Ronald was the heir to the Jefferson family, whose business focused on emerging technology and electronics.Wesley came from the Garner family, which dealt in luxury brands. He had foreign aristocratic blood and currently controlled major entertainment industry capital. The Garner family's theaters alone occupied nearly half of the domestic market, not counting the smaller companies and theaters they'd acquired, nor their international connections. Wesley's coldness seemed innate, yet carried a British gentleman's refinement—the type one could only admire from afar.Luther needed no introduction—the second son of the Willia