Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 76

Aria's POV

"You don't need to go that far," I said with a smirk.

"What?" Summer sounded instantly alarmed. "Don't tell me you're still planning to be nice about this..."

I laughed. "No, it's not that. I just meant that if she served me tea, I probably couldn't bring myself to drink it. A public apology will suffice."

Even thinking about Diana Hayes for one more second felt like inviting bad energy into my life.

"You're right! I'll call you back with good news soon!" Summer hung up with such enthusiasm that I could practically hear her cracking her knuckles through the phone.

Staring at the "Call Ended" notification on my screen, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd been too passive in the past. Had I really been that much of a pushover?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that yes, I definitely had been excessively accommodating.

Well, chalk it up to youthful mistakes.

I sighed, deciding not to dwell on it further. This Diana situation was in good hands now. Summer was more than capable, and I was confident that Diana's manager would be reaching out to us very soon, begging to smooth things over.

But honestly, compared to dealing with Diana, I had a more pressing issue to tackle: figuring out why Aiden was suddenly upset. This felt even more challenging than an online feud.

I propped my chin on my hand, studying my reflection in the vanity mirror. What exactly had I said to upset him?

Was it because I didn't want his help? But he'd agreed to that, so why would he be angry?

If not that, then what else could it be?

Tapping my index finger against my cheek, I mentally replayed our entire conversation. On our way home, I'd barely said anything at all. Try as I might, I couldn't pinpoint which of my words had crossed some invisible line with him.

Whatever. I'd figure it out while making amends.

I got up and removed my makeup, washed my face, and changed out of my cocktail dress into something more comfortable—a simple t-shirt and cotton pants. Then I grabbed the box of mango candies I'd been saving and went to knock on Aiden's door.

"Aiden, it's me," I called softly, knocking twice.

No response came from inside. Really? Was he that upset?

I was about to turn away when I heard a sudden click as the door unlocked.

As the door swung open and Aiden stood before me, I immediately regretted knocking. The look on his face was hard to read.

"Come in," he said tersely, turning his back to me before I could even speak.

What choice did I have? I followed him inside.

This was my second time in Aiden's bedroom, and I felt much more comfortable than before. After all, things had changed significantly between us since then. He'd already removed his jacket, though he was still wearing his dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his collarbone.

He leaned back against the sofa, his long legs stretched out casually. The way he sat made his partially unbuttoned collar open even wider.

I couldn't help but admire him for a moment before sitting down beside him, close enough that our thighs almost touched.

"What's wrong?" I asked directly, placing the box of mango candies on the table. "You've been acting strange since we got home."

"Nothing's wrong," he said, but his tone betrayed him.

I rolled my eyes. "Aiden, we're past this. I know when something's bothering you."

When we'd confessed our feelings to each other, we'd promised honesty. I wasn't about to let that promise fade so quickly.

He let out a quiet sigh, fingers raking through his hair in a rare show of frustration.

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