Chapter 63

Aria's POV As soon as we stepped into the Carter estate, I braced myself for the warmth I thought would come. I had been looking forward to seeing Aiden's grandmother again—she had always been kind to me, the one person in his family who made me feel welcome. But as my eyes scanned the room, my heart sank. The familiar, gentle figure of his grandmother was nowhere to be found. Instead, I was met with cool stares and stiff smiles. Aiden's aunt Eleanor, his uncle Thomas and aunt Grace, along with a handful of other relatives, all looked at me like I didn't belong. Like I was some stray that had wandered in uninvited. I leaned in slightly and whispered, "Where's grandmother?" Aiden's expression softened. "She left for a cruise last week. Kind of a last-minute trip with some of her friends." "Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. "That explains it." He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "She would've loved to see you." I nodded, forcing a smile as we moved deeper into the lion's d