Lahat ng Kabanata ng Second Marriage to the Billionaire: Ex-Husband Begs Me Not to Go: Kabanata 361 - Kabanata 370

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back,” Archer said softly. His voice was low, almost murmured into her ear. But if the manager had been paying attention, he would’ve caught a bit of it.The manager, who had been pretending not to look, froze. That gentle tone completely threw him off. Archer Duncan? Speaking like that?Since Archer’s back was turned, the manager couldn’t see his expression clearly. But still—his girlfriend looked young. Really young.Archer gave Aria’s hand another squeeze, only letting go once she was comfortably seated. Then he turned and walked over to continue the meeting.A few minutes later, Kent came in with refreshments for Aria—some snacks and a drink. Since she’d be heading home for dinner soon, she didn’t eat much.Seated quietly, Aria looked around Archer’s office. It was minimalist, clean, and straightforward—everything visible at a glance. But there was a small door leading to what must’ve been a private lounge. That room probably held the per

“We’re family now. No need to stand on ceremony,” Archer said with a faint smile as he set down the plate.Rachel wasn’t sure how to respond. She had always found Archer a bit intimidating, hard to read, almost unapproachable. And yet—was it just her, or did he sound a little shameless saying that? The contrast left her conflicted.She pulled a tissue from the table behind her and handed it to him.Archer took it with quiet grace and wiped the sauce from his thumb, his movements calm and elegant. Then he simply stood there, waiting for her to speak.Rachel sighed. “How serious are you about my daughter?”Archer didn’t hesitate. “I believe marrying her speaks for itself.”His voice was steady, firm. There was no room for doubt.Rachel took a deep breath. Her voice tightened. “Even if your family doesn’t approve?”She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but she needed to hear it from him. There were things Aria wouldn’t ask or even think to question. It was up to her, as the mother, to

This time, Aria didn’t give Archer the chance to answer. She jumped in right away. “Okay!”She had replied a little too quickly. Realizing it, she glanced at Archer, a bit sheepish. He looked like he was holding back a smile, his dark eyes sparkling with teasing amusement. But he didn’t object.His voice was calm and steady. “I’ll check my schedule. We’ll come by Friday or Saturday.”Rachel’s face lit up with a genuine smile, and Aria shot Archer a grateful look.As the two of them left and got into the car, Aria didn’t say thank you. It just felt too formal—too distant. She figured saying it might even annoy him.But right before the Range Rover pulled into the garage, just as they were about to get out, Aria suddenly leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The gesture was so light and swift that it stirred a faint breeze, along with the soft scent of her perfume.She was just about to open the door when Archer caught her wrist and tugged her back.At the same time,

Just as the room fell into a heavy silence, a soft, gentle voice suddenly broke it.“Well, how about giving me a shot first?”All eyes turned to Kandice. She looked around the room and said calmly, “Sure, Archer and Aria are together right now. But they haven’t gotten married, have they? No one in our circle even knows they’re a thing yet. And let’s not forget—Aria was married to Larry Spencer before. That kind of past doesn’t just disappear. The Duncans may not be against her, but they haven’t exactly approved her either. Nothing’s been finalized. Isn’t it a little desperate to go kissing up to her already?”“Besides,” she continued, her tone sharpening, “even if they do get married, people get divorced all the time. The Duncans don’t like her. That still gives me a shot. Who’s to say Archer and Aria are really going to last?”Kandice curled her lip. “Let’s be honest, trying to cozy up to Aria’s family? That’s the kind of move you only make when there’s no other choice. Even Uncle

Right now, all Aria wanted was to get rid of him as quickly as possible, but she couldn’t just say it outright. That would be rude.She quickly took the phone case she had just spotted off the hook and walked over to the cashier. As the machine displayed the price, Aria was already pulling some bills from her wallet when Oliver handed over a card to the cashier.Aria frowned slightly, holding thirty dollars in her hand.“Since I’m here, let me pay for it,” Oliver said.“I don’t feel comfortable with that,” Aria replied immediately. “I’m the one buying it. There’s no reason you should be paying.”“It’s just a small item. No need to be so formal between friends. Besides, I’ve never been one to let a lady pay when I’m around. It just doesn’t sit right with me. Think of it as an apology gift,” he said as he firmly placed the card into the cashier’s hand.Aria frowned again. “If you’re talking about what happened at the club, you already sent flowers. And honestly, I wasn’t that bothe