Chapter 312

Aria's POV Perhaps sensing my profound tension, steered the conversation into entirely new waters. "I'll tell you a secret," he said, his voice a low, intimate murmur, cutting through the anxiety that hummed between us. "One about my first love." "What?" The word slipped out before I could stop it, my voice tinged with an embarrassing hint of jealousy I couldn't quite hide. "Why did you fall for her?" I asked, trying to sound casual while something uncomfortable twisted in my stomach. Aiden's lips curved into that half-smile that always made my pulse quicken. "She reminded me not to dwell in past sorrows during my lowest point. Without her, I might never have achieved what I have today." I bit my lip, gathering my courage before asking the question burning inside me: "Do you still like her now?" His eyebrow arched slightly as he leaned back against his chair, tilting his head in that infuriatingly attractive way. "Does Mrs. Carter hope I do or don't?" I felt my face flush. "But whether