Arwen''s brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about, Anna? What bold step?"

    "You don''t know?" Gianna asked, clearly surprised. "Girl, have you even checked the internet this morning?"

    "Wait a second. I will check" Arwen said, frowning as she put the call on speaker before pulling up the headlines. As she read, shock filled her, but she quickly shook her head, "My mother isn''t behind this."

    "It''s not her, then who? Could it be your father?" Gianna asked, skeptical. For once she hoped Catrina Quinn had finally grown a heart and backed her daughter instead of blaming her for everything. But if it wasn''t Catrina, then...

    "Dad might consider doing something like this, but it''s not him either," Arwen said, knowing full well that her father wouldn''t dare without her mother''s consent, and her mother wouldn''t do anything that would hightlight their name negatively. "But I think I know who did."

    Gianna sighed on the other side of the call. It was like she already knew what Arwen was going to say next. "Wennie, Don''t tell me it''s Ryan-the jerk-Foster. He couldn''t —"

    "It''s my husband." Arwen interrupted, cutting Gianna short.

    "Out of the frying pan into the fire. Not any better." Silence lingered on the other end for a few seconds before Gianna cleared her throat to speak again. "You husband? The one you signed the certificate with two days ago?"

    Arwen smiled and hummed in confirmation. "Yes, it''s him." She sounded confident because she recognized the style —a low key but fast strike, hitting just enough to make an impact. Aiden knew how to land jabs that hit people exactly where it hurt, making them feel like they were suddenly in the depths of the hell.

    "Ahem! Arwen, you sound too confident. You might not know him well enough after just a couple of days. Why don''t you check with your father first? What if he confirms that it was him?" Gianna suggested, her voice laced with concern.

    "Seems like I didn''t disappoint you again."

    Arwen blinked in confusion, not immediately understanding what he meant. Aiden chuckled. "Did you like what you see, Moon?"

    Realization dawned upon her. She pressed her lips together, then stood up and walked toward him. Standing close to him now, she looked into his eyes, her gaze steady, devoid of awkwardness from before. "You cannot afford to disappoint me, Mr. Winslow. Especially after making all those promises last night.

    So, —" she trailed off, her fingers lightly grazing his chest. His skin felt velvety yet firm under her touch.

    Aiden shivered slightly, and her confidence soared. A smirk curved her lips as she continued. "—you would better keep this up because I do like what I see. And I wouldn''t appreciate it if I ever had to settle for anything less."

    Aiden''s eyes darkened with desire. Groaning, he swiftly grabbed her hand, pressing it flat against his chest. "You have already settled for me, darling. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you hooked. I definitely can''t let my wife go astray," he murmured, pulling her closer until their breaths mingled, both of them equally unsteady.

    "Did you do it?" Arwen asked suddenly, her voice soft, not offering much context to her question.

    But Aiden didn''t need any more explanation to understand what was going on in her heart or mind. Nodding, he accepted, "Yes. You are my wife. I couldn''t let them slide away unscathed. They deserve worse, but since I didn''t discuss it with you first, I kept it subtle."

    "You stirred up almost a quarter of the city, and you call it subtle?" Arwen raised a brow. "I would love to know what your ''crude way'' looks like."

    "Pray that no harm ever comes your way that put me on the edge of using my crude way, Moon. The world might not survive," Aiden replied, and something in his gaze told Arwen he wasn''t joking. His gaze was sincere and he meant every word he said.