Chapter 44

Aria's POV I stood frozen at the doorway, staring at my suitcases—neatly arranged inside Aiden's master bedroom. Wait. What? "You're putting my stuff in your bedroom?" I asked, completely thrown off. This wasn't part of the deal. We had a contract marriage—separate rooms, separate lives. Last night… well, last night had been a moment of weakness. Or something else entirely. But I hadn't expected it to change everything overnight. Aiden looked up from where he was adjusting something in the closet, one brow arching slightly."Where else would my wife's things go?" The way he said "wife" so casually made something flutter in my chest. Still, I tried to stay grounded. "I just assumed I'd be in the guest room," I said, my voice quieter now. He turned to face me fully, his expression unreadable. "After last night, I thought it was obvious." My cheeks flamed. Images from the night before rushed back—his touch, the way he'd looked at me, how he made me feel like I was the only thing in the wor