All Chapters of Too Late, Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

Aria's POVComing home with a necklace worth over three hundred thousand dollars had me smiling the entire ride back.My thoughts were consumed with how Aiden had completely shut down Elena's pathetic attempts at flirting. I'd completely forgotten how flustered I'd been earlier about whether I should even go out tonight.Once inside our house, I was removing my earrings when it suddenly hit me—that conversation about "going out" had really been about something else entirely. My heartbeat immediately kicked into overdrive.I placed my earrings in their case and caught a glimpse of my flushed face in the mirror. Great, I was blushing like a teenager.I slapped my cheeks lightly, trying to get myself together. Just as I turned around, I spotted Aiden walking into our bedroom. My heart hammered against my ribs while he approached with a glass of water. I took it from him with slightly trembling fingers, focusing intensely on the bedspread to avoid eye cont

Aria's POVThe moment Aiden walked out of the hospital room, only Charles and I remained, plus my father still unconscious on the bed.Looking at Dad lying there so still, I couldn't imagine how I would have fallen apart if the emergency room doors had opened and the doctor had told me they couldn't save him. My mother had died before I was old enough to remember her. Dad had raised me single-handedly.When I was little, I'd constantly ask him why all the other kids had mothers and I didn't. Dad would always tell me my mom had gone to heaven early to prepare all my favorite toys for me, so when I eventually joined her, I'd have a room full of treasures waiting.As I grew older, I learned the truth—that my mother wasn't in this world anymore. I gradually stopped asking about her, but on many nights, I'd notice the light on in the master bedroom. Peeking inside, I'd find Dad holding Mom's photo, pouring out his heart's struggles. He wanted me to remember her

Aria's POVI gasped when Dad mentioned Nicholas. God, I'd practically forgotten about Liam White's entire existence."Uncle Nick and Aunt Patricia were furious after Liam's runaway groom stunt," I said, running my fingers along the edge of the hospital bed. "They wanted to fly back and handle the whole mess themselves."The memory made me wince. I'd pulled out every trick in my arsenal—pouty lips, pleading eyes, promises I wasn't sure I could keep—to convince them to let me handle it myself. "They were in Seattle then, too far away to do anything immediate. I practically begged them to stay put, swore I could handle everything."Now they were coming back, and knowing Uncle Nick, he'd be hunting down the White family for some long-overdue retribution. My stomach twisted at the thought."They won't cause trouble, will they?" I asked, cringing.Dad raised an eyebrow at me. "You know how much they adore you, Aria."I did know. All too well. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my blouse as

Aria's POVDarkness cradled us both, our mingled breaths the only sound between us. Time stretched and contracted until my lips felt parched from our earlier heated exchange.God, I needed water.I shifted slightly against Aiden's solid frame beneath me, instantly feeling him tense."Baby," he groaned, his voice husky with restraint. "What's wrong?"I heard the unspoken warning in his tone—if I kept squirming against him like this, his impressive self-control would snap."I'm thirsty," I whispered, feeling the vibration of his chest as he let out a low chuckle.Aiden patted my back gently, signaling me to move. I rolled off him reluctantly, my body still tingling from where we'd been pressed together. He sat up and switched on the bedside lamp, bathing our bedroom in a soft golden glow."I'll get you some water," he said, sliding out of bed.The mattress rose as his weight left it, and I sat up, pressing my palms against my flushed

Aria's POVWatching Aiden's amused face as I shifted nervously beside him, my heart fluttered when he reached over and squeezed my hand."Don't worry," he said with that reassuring smile that always melted my insides. "If Thomas tries to kick you out, I'll leave with you." He paused, his thumb brushing across my knuckles. "Though I doubt he'll try anything tonight."I bit my lip, unconvinced. "But what if he does? You can't just walk out of your own uncle's sixtieth birthday with all these important people watching. Wouldn't that be mortifying?"The guest list tonight was packed with New York's elite. The thought of Aiden storming out with me in tow made my stomach clench."If anyone should be embarrassed, it won't be us," he replied with such easy confidence that I couldn't help but believe him."Okay," I nodded, drawing strength from his certainty.Our car pulled through the hotel's grand entrance. Thomas Carter had rented out the entire five-sta