Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 33

Aria's POV

I woke up to my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Grabbing it with sleepy fingers, my heart skipped when I saw Aiden's message:

Coming home tomorrow?

Three simple words that somehow made everything inside me flutter. I stared at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard. What should I say? Was I ready to go back after our fight?

I stared at the message, typing and deleting responses for fifteen minutes before finally calling Lillian.

"What would you do?" I asked without bothering with a greeting.

"Wait, slow down. What are we talking about?" Lillian's voice was thick with sleep.

"Aiden texted me. He wants to know if I'm coming home tomorrow."

"Oh?" Now she sounded fully awake. "What did you say?"

"Nothing yet! That's why I'm calling you at—" I glanced at the clock, "—six in the morning."

Lillian laughed. "Make him sweat a little. Don't answer right away."

"But what if he thinks—"

"Trust me," Lillian cut me off. "Let him wonder. You rushed back last time after your fight, and look how that ended. Besides, don't you have that recording session with Julian Hayes today? Focus on that first."

She was right. Today marked my first real venture back into the world since the wedding disaster. For weeks, the only people I'd seen were my father, Lillian, my nominal husband Aiden, and his grandmother. The thought of actually working again—doing something I loved—felt both terrifying and exhilarating.

I spent extra time getting ready, selecting a vintage Chanel dress that hugged my figure just right. When I emerged from my room, Dad looked up from his newspaper, a smile spreading across his face.

"Well, don't you look lovely," he said softly. "I've missed seeing that spark in your eyes.The studio today?"

I nodded, pouring myself another coffee. "Julian Hayes needs his piano tracks recorded. Shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"It's good," he said,"seeing you getting back to your music."

The drive to Ellis Records filled me with a nervousness I hadn't felt in years. Was I really ready to face people again? Would they be whispering about my scandalous wedding? The tabloids had eventually moved on to fresher gossip, but in this industry, people had long memories.

Sure enough, the moment I stepped into the lobby, I felt eyes flick toward me—subtle but unmistakable. And as we walked down the hall toward the front desk, I caught the unmistakable whisper trailing behind us:

"Isn't she the one whose fiancé ran out on the wedding?"

"Right," he scoffed, pulling out his phone. "I'm calling security."

"That won't be necessary, Mark," a familiar voice called from down the hall. Julian Hayes walked toward us, coffee in hand, his signature charismatic smile in place. "Aria's exactly who she says she is." He turned to me, eyes warm with recognition. "You look amazing. It's been too long."

"Mark,this is Aria Jones, last year's International Leilerna Award winner and the special guest pianist for my new album!"

The manager's expression changed instantly when he heard Julian's words. He stepped forward eagerly to greet me: "Miss Jones—oh, I mean, Mrs. Carter. I'm Mark Howard, Julian's manager! I've heard so much about you! When Julian told me he'd invited you to play accompaniment for his album, I thought he was joking. I can't believe he actually managed to get you here!"

Realizing his earlier rudeness, Mark quickly apologized: "Mrs. Carter, please don't take offense! Julian has so many obsessed fans, I completely misunderstood the situation."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Howard," I replied, not bothered by the mix-up.

Seeing I wasn't upset, Mark visibly relaxed.

Julian gestured toward Studio C. "Shall we? I've been looking forward to working with you again."

Julian held the door open, and I stepped into the studio. Just before it shut behind me, I felt the weight of someone's stare on my back.

A flicker of unease settled in my chest.