Chapter 348

Aria's POV After finishing my piano practice and stepping out, I finally noticed my phone—vibrating nonstop, so hard it made my palms tingle. I picked it up, and the screen was flooded with unread messages, dozens of missed calls piling up. My finger hovered over the WeChat icon, a terrible feeling gnawing at my chest, twisting like vines around my heart, tightening by the second. That feeling crashed into reality the moment I opened Summer's message, cold enough to numb my fingertips. Footsteps sounded behind me, carrying the warm, fresh scent of someone just out of the shower. It was Aiden. He'd just stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still damp, a faint smile playing on his lips. He walked over, leaned down, and pulled me into his arms. His voice was low, laced with a lazy rasp—usually so reassuring, but I went rigid all over. He must have sensed it. His smile faded instantly, his fingers brushing gently over my shoulder as he asked, "What's wrong?" I opened my mouth, my voice tr