CHAPTER 83: AWKWARD

Alexia’s POV

Waking up naked—but somehow clean—on the couch in Aiden’s office was definitely not something I had ever imagined for myself. Not in a million years.

The dim glow of the office lights cast long shadows on the walls, and as I slowly sat up, my muscles ached in places they never had before. Aiden’s scent surrounded me—on the leather couch, on my skin, in the air.

I swallowed hard.

His black suit jacket was draped over me, covering my bare skin, and the realization hit like a freight train. We had slept together.

My heart pounded as flashes of what happened raced through my mind. His hands on me, the way he kissed me like he wanted to consume me, the way he whispered my name in that low, husky voice—

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to slow my breathing.

He had been rough, then gentle. He had taken his time. He had taken me.

And I had let him.

Shit.

I exhaled, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my face. My legs shifted slightly, and I winced at the unfamiliar soreness between them. There was no denying it now—I wasn’t a virgin anymore.

I glanced at the table beside the couch.

A neatly folded pile of clothes sat there: a soft t-shirt, sweatpants, a hoodie, and even a pair of underwear. My fingers brushed over the fabric, and a strange mix of emotions swirled inside me.

Had Aiden... cleaned me up?

The thought made my chest tighten. He wasn’t the type to be sentimental, so why had he bothered? He could have left me as I was, but instead, he’d taken care of me while I was asleep.

Why?

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside as I hurriedly dressed. There was no point in overanalyzing things. What happened was a mistake—one fueled by too much wine and a situation we never should have been in.

I tugged on the hoodie, inhaling the faint traces of his cologne. Damn it, Alexia. Get a grip.

Checking the time on the clock above his desk, my eyes widened. 8 PM.

I had slept through the entire afternoon.

And Aiden was nowhere to be seen.

I hesitated for a moment, debating whether to wait for him or go look for him. But the silence in the office felt suffocating, and I needed answers.

I needed to know what this meant for us.

Taking a deep breath, I walked to the door and pulled it open—only to be met with Tobias standing guard like some kind of royal soldier.

I arched a brow. "You’re seriously guarding the door?"

Tobias looked mildly uncomfortable but still nodded. "Mr. Aiden instructed me not to let anyone enter. Or go in myself."

My stomach flipped.

So that was it. He didn’t want anyone to see me. Not because he cared about me

, but because he didn’t want a scandal.

Of course.

I should’ve known better than to expect anything different.

Still, a sting of disappointment settled in my chest. I forced a neutral expression. "And if I came out?"

"Then I take you home."

I inhaled sharply.

He had planned everything. He made sure I was alone, protected my privacy, and had Tobias waiting for me to make sure I got home safely.

Aiden might not be the romantic type, but this... this was something.

"Fine," I said, stepping past him. "Let’s go."

As Tobias led me out of the building, my mind was a mess.

Aiden was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t even waited for me to wake up.

What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

If Tobias knew what had happened back in Aiden’s office, he didn’t show it. He remained as composed and professional as ever, keeping his eyes on the road while driving me back to Aiden’s villa.

I, on the other hand, was a complete mess.

My thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. My body still tingled from the aftermath of what we did. And Aiden? He was gone.

He didn’t come back to the office. He didn’t even bother to check on me. He just left.

What the hell is wrong with that man?

When the car finally pulled up in front of the massive villa, I felt a strange mix of relief and frustration. I needed a distraction—anything to stop replaying the events in my head.

As I stepped inside, William, the ever-dedicated butler, was already waiting for me. He offered a polite nod before asking, "Would you like something to eat, ma’am?"

It was only then that I realized how hungry I was. My stomach growled in agreement. I hadn’t eaten since morning, and after everything that happened, I was completely drained.

"Yeah," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Serve me whatever’s available."

William nodded and disappeared toward the kitchen.

I dragged myself to the couch and collapsed onto it, exhaling sharply. My body was exhausted, my mind clouded, and yet, the one person who should have been here—who should have said something—was missing.

Aiden still hadn’t come home.

I frowned. "Where the hell is he?"

I wasn’t expecting him to hold me in his arms or whisper sweet nothings, but disappearing completely after we... did that? That was low—even for him.

I groaned and buried my face in a cushion.

We had fucked, and he just went

MIA on me.

What was I supposed to do with that?

I sat on the couch, arms crossed, foot tapping against the floor, glaring at the front door like it had personally wronged me.

How the hell was I supposed to react when Aiden finally showed his stupid face?

Should I yell? Should I pretend like nothing happened? Should I throw a glass of water at him just for the dramatics? Or should I act completely unbothered just to mess with him?

The last one had potential.

Before I could decide, William returned with a tray of food—steak, mashed potatoes, and some kind of fancy salad I didn’t care about. My stomach growled at the sight, but my mind was still a jumbled mess.

I stabbed at my food aggressively.

How dare he just leave after that? No message, no explanation, not even a damn note. He just vanished.

And the worst part?

I didn’t even know how to feel about it.

Embarrassed? Probably.

Angry? Definitely.

Confused? Absolutely.

Because the truth was—I had wanted him. Every moment of it. And if he had stayed, if he had whispered my name again in that deep, husky voice of his, I wouldn’t have pushed him away.

But instead, he left me alone. Like what happened was some mistake he needed to erase.

The sound of the front door unlocking snapped me out of my thoughts.

I stiffened.

Here we go.

Aiden walked in like he hadn’t just disappeared for hours. His hair was slightly disheveled, his tie loosened, and his sharp gaze immediately landed on me.

I scoffed.

"Oh, look who finally decided to come home," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm as I took another bite of my food. "What happened? Did you have to go wash off the regret first?"

His jaw clenched, and for a second, I swore I saw something flicker in his expression—guilt, hesitation, something. But it was gone just as fast.

"You were asleep," he said simply, like that justified everything.

I rolled my eyes. "So that means you had to disappear? How original."

He sighed, stepping forward. "Alexia—"

"Nope." I held up a hand, stopping him mid-step. "Save it. I don’t care."

Lie.

I definitely cared.

But I wasn’t about to let him know that.

Great. Just great.

I spent all this time wanting to see him, waiting for him, and now that he’s finally here, I’m acting like some stupid, jealous wife.

I should have gone with the nothing happened attitude. Just a casual nod, maybe a little smirk, and then move on like last night didn’t completely flip my world upside down.

But nope. I had to let my emotions get the best of me. And now the damage was done.

Fine. Plan B: the completely unbothered act.

Like we just fucked and that was it. No big deal. Nothing life-changing. And definitely not the fact that he took my virginity.

Nope. That detail? Buried. Locked away. Thrown into a vault and sunk deep into the ocean where not even I could access it.

I leaned back on the couch, crossing my legs, pretending to be more focused on my food than the man standing in front of me. "Relax, Aiden," I said, waving my fork in the air. "I’m not asking for an apology. You can do whatever you want. It’s not like we’re an actual couple."

His expression didn’t change, but I felt the shift in the air.

"You’re upset," he stated.

I scoffed, stabbing a piece of steak with more force than necessary. "Why would I be upset? it was just... a fun little accident, right?" I looked up at him, tilting my head in mock curiosity. "Or are you the one making a big deal out of it?"

His jaw ticked, his eyes darkening just slightly. "Alexia—"

I shoved another bite of food into my mouth, cutting him off. "Seriously, it’s fine. No need to act weird. We had some wine, things happened, and now we move on. Simple."

I had no idea why I was pushing him like this. Maybe because I was the one feeling weird, and pretending not to care was my only way of controlling the situation.

Aiden stared at me for a long moment, like he was trying to read between the lines of what I was saying.

Then, instead of responding, he let out a low chuckle.

My fork paused midair.

"What’s so funny?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He shook his head, his smirk sending a shiver down my spine.

He exhaled through his nose, then started walking past me. "Go to bed, Alexia."

I scoffed. "What, no bedtime story?"

He ignored me, heading upstairs to his room, and I clenched my jaw, gripping my fork tightly.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I should’ve just acted normal. Instead, I made things more awkward.

I let out a frustrated sigh, pushing my plate away. Maybe I should just go to bed, too.