Chapter 244

Aria's POV Our ride was waiting right outside, with the staff quickly grabbing our luggage and helping us into the car. The moment we shut the doors, I spotted a swarm of reporters realizing what was happening. They rushed toward our vehicle, cameras flashing wildly through the windows. "God, they're intense," I said, turning to Aiden with a half-smirk. He laughed softly, reaching for my hand and playing with my pinky finger. "That's what happens when Mrs. Carter generates this much buzz." "I'm hardly a celebrity," I protested, feeling heat creep up my neck despite myself. "Better than one," he murmured, his thumb tracing circles on my skin. His words sent a flutter through my stomach that I couldn't quite suppress. Even after being together so long, he still had this effect on me. As our car pulled away smoothly, the reporters fell behind, though I caught a glimpse of one particularly determined photographer sprinting after us in the rearview mirror, camera still rolling. "Talk about