Chapter 5

Aria's POV I stared at the door Aiden Carter had just walked through, my brain still trying to process what had just happened. Did he really agree to marry me? Just like that? The deal I'd proposed seemed almost absurd now that I had a moment to actually think about it. Me, Aria Jones, marrying Aiden Carter - the thirty-two-year-old heir to the Carter empire and my ex-fiancé's biggest business rival. A marriage that would solve both our problems. Mine: escaping the humiliation of being left at the altar. His: getting that piece of land his company had been eyeing for years. My thoughts were interrupted when Lillian burst into the hospital room, her eyes wide with shock. "Was that Aiden Carter who just left your room?" she asked, her voice rising an octave higher than usual. I nodded, still feeling somewhat dazed. "The Aiden Carter? CEO of Carter Group? The one Forbes listed as one of the thirty most influential businessmen under forty? That Aiden Carter?" "Yes, that one," I confirmed, adjusting my position on the hospital bed. "What was he doing here? Wait... is this about the accident?" I filled her in on part of what happened, conveniently leaving out the marriage proposal I'd just made. "He came to discuss the compensation for my injuries from the car accident." Lillian looked skeptical but didn't push further. After helping me gather my things, she drove me home so I could change before heading back to the hospital to look after Dad. Dad had simply fainted from his emotional breakdown, nothing serious, but they wanted to keep him under observation. Once at home, I changed into a comfortable sweater and jeans, trying not to think too much about what I had just initiated. Was I really going to marry Aiden Carter? A man I barely knew beyond his reputation as a ruthless businessman? Back at the hospital,Dad was looking better than he had in one day. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. At least something was going right. The next day, as I sat by his bedside, reading a book while he slept, the door to the hospital room opened. I looked up, expecting to see a nurse or doctor. Instead, Liam White stood in the doorway,holding a bouquet of flowers. My heart clenched painfully at the sight of him. The man who had promised to love me forever. The man who had left me standing alone at the altar. The man who had chosen Sophia Clarke over me when bullets were flying. "Aria..." he began, his voice soft and apologetic. "I heard about your father. I wanted to see how you both were doing." Before I could respond, Lillian jumped to her feet from where she'd been sitting in the corner of the room. "How dare you show your face here! After what you did? You left her at the altar, you self-centered jerk! And now you have the audacity to walk in here like nothing happened?" she hissed. Dad's eyes fluttered open at the commotion. When he saw Liam, his expression hardened. "Get out," Dad said, his voice weak but firm. Liam took a step forward. "Mr. Jones, please, I just want to explain—" "I said get out!" Dad's voice rose, causing the heart rate monitor to beep faster. "You've done enough damage to my daughter." I remained silent, staring at Liam with a coldness I never thought I could feel toward him. This was the man I'd loved for twelve years. The man I'd planned to spend my life with. Now, looking at him, I felt... nothing. Just a hollow emptiness where my heart should be. "Aria, please..." Liam pleaded, looking at me with those eyes that used to make my knees weak. "You heard Dad," I finally spoke, my voice steady. "Leave." Lillian practically shoved him through the doorway. I could hear her furious voice in the hallway, tearing into him with a vengeance. " Go back to your precious Sophia and leave Aria alone before I call security and have you thrown out!" When she returned, her face was flushed with anger. She looked at me with concern. "Are you okay?" I nodded, surprised to find that I actually was. Seeing Liam hadn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Over the next few days, I noticed that I couldn't access any social media on my phone or tablet. Lillian had secretly disconnected them from the internet, trying to shield me from the cruel comments online. But I confronted her about it. "I want to see what they're saying, Lillian," I insisted. Her face crumpled with worry. "Why would you want to torture yourself like that?" I gave her a sad smile. "It took me twelve years to wake up. If I don't pour some salt on the wound, I might forget the pain once it heals." Hearing this, Lillian's eyes welled with tears, but she reluctantly handed over her phone. "People are so cruel," Lillian muttered, watching me scroll through comments on a gossip site. "How can they say these things about you?" I read the comments myself. The public had been merciless, speculating about why Liam had left me. Some suggested I wasn't good enough for him. Others claimed I must have done something terrible to drive him away. A few even celebrated his choice to be with Sophia, painting her as some sort of romantic heroine who had won against all odds. Each comment was like a small knife, but with each cut, I felt my resolve harden. I had been naive, believing in a fairy tale romance that never truly existed. Now it was time to face reality and move forward. The day Dad was discharged from the hospital, we were gathering his things when my phone buzzed with a text message. I checked it discreetly, my heart skipping a beat when I saw it was from Aiden: "I have time tomorrow. Meet me at the civil affairs office at 10 AM. Bring your documents. - A.C." I read the message three times, my heart racing. Despite his agreement in the hospital, part of me hadn't fully believed Aiden Carter would actually go through with our arrangement. "Who's that from, sweetheart?" Dad asked, noticing my expression change. "Just work," I lied smoothly, tucking my phone away. "Nothing important." As we headed home, Lillian immediately dragged me into my bedroom. "Alright, spill the tea!" she said, bouncing onto my bed with an excited gleam in her eyes. "I saw who texted you earlier. It was Aiden Carter, wasn't it? The Aiden Carter!" "Yes," I admitted, trying to sound casual. "But it's nothing important." "Nothing important?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "The most eligible bachelor in the city doesn't just text people out of the blue for ‘nothing important.'" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Come on, what's it about?" I let out a sigh. "It's just… compensation stuff. From the accident." "Compensation?" Her eyes widened with interest. "What kind of compensation are we talking about here? Did he run over your dog or something?" I hesitated. How could I explain that I'd asked Aiden Carter, the most powerful businessman in the city, to pretend to be my husband? The absurdity of my request hit me all over again. Lillian misinterpreted my silence. "Look, Aria, don't feel bad about asking for money. Aiden Carter practically bathes in it. Problems that can be solved with cash aren't problems for him at all." She grinned mischievously. "So how much did you ask for? Tell me and make my day!" "I didn't ask for money," I admitted. "I made a different kind of request." Her curiosity piqued even further. "What request?" I took a deep breath, about to confess my impulsive proposal— when the door opened and Martha, one of the housekeepers, stepped in.