CHAPTER 38: LOST RING

Elena’s POV:

The sound of my retching filled the car, and I could feel Aiden freeze beside me as my dessert decided to stage a dramatic encore—right onto his designer suit.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Horrible, mortifying silence.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Aiden finally said, his voice low and dangerous.

I sat back, wiping my mouth with trembling hands. "I—uh—sorry?"

He turned to me slowly, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might snap. "Do you enjoy ruining my life? Is this some kind of twisted hobby for you?"

I opened my mouth to respond but quickly closed it as another wave of nausea hit me. He groaned, leaning his head back against the seat and glaring at the ceiling like he was asking the universe why it hated him.

"I warned you," he muttered, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe at his ruined suit. "I told you to pace yourself. But no, you just had to have your stupid chocolate lava cake."

"It wasn’t just the cake," I mumbled weakly. "There was also cheesecake... and garlic bread... and—"

"Stop talking," he interrupted, holding up a hand. "Just stop."

By the time we got back to his house, Aiden had calmed down—mostly. He shoved me into the nearest bathroom with a towel and a warning glare. "Clean yourself up. And if I ever see you eat that much again, we’re getting a divorce. Deal or no deal."

I rolled my eyes, closing the bathroom door behind me. "Drama queen," I muttered under my breath.

From the other side of the door, I heard him groan. "I heard that!"

I couldn’t help but smile, despite the lingering embarrassment. Sure, I’d ruined his suit (and possibly my dignity), but at least I’d gone down fighting. And honestly, wasn’t that what this fake marriage was all about?

As I opened the bathroom door, feeling slightly less like a walking embarrassment and slightly more like a human being again, I was immediately greeted by Aiden, who stood there with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water in his hands. His expression was a mix of smug satisfaction and thinly veiled annoyance.

"You’re cleaning up your mess," he declared, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"Wait... what mess?" I asked, my voice dripping with faux innocence.

He cocked an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, don’t play dumb, Alexia."

Then it clicked—the car. My face turned a shade of red that could probably rival a tomato. "Ohhh... that mess," I muttered, avoiding his gaze.

Without another word, he shoved the sponge and bucket toward me. I grabbed them reluctantly, wincing at how heavy the bucket was. "Why is this thing so heavy? Did you add bricks in here for fun?"

Aiden smirked, his arms crossed as he watched me struggle. "Don’t be dramatic. It’s just water. Now get to work."

I shot him a glare as he followed closely behind me, his presence looming like a warden escorting a prisoner to their sentence. When we reached the front door, he swung it open with unnecessary flourish, revealing his car parked in the driveway. All the doors were open, and even from a distance, I could see the telltale signs of my unfortunate... accident.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I groaned, shifting the bucket to my other hand.

"Do I look like I’m kidding?" Aiden asked, his tone dry. "You’ll find I rarely joke about my cars. Now, chop-chop."

Carrying the stupid, back-breaking bucket to the car, I muttered curses under my breath about his ridiculous obsession with his "precious" vehicles. Aiden, of course, stayed right behind me, clearly enjoying every moment of my misery.

When I reached the car, I dropped the bucket with a dramatic thud and looked at him. "Do you want me to clean it with a toothbrush too, Your Highness? Or is this good enough?"

"Just use the sponge," he said with a lazy shrug, leaning against the side of the car like he had all the time in the world. "And don’t forget the seats. You messed both of them."

I threw him a glare that could have melted steel before grabbing the sponge and dipping it into the soapy water. I started scrubbing, muttering under my breath the entire time.

"I told you not to eat so much," Aiden said casually, watching me work.

"And I told you to mind your own business," I snapped back, scrubbing the passenger seat with more force than necessary. "You’re lucky I didn’t puke on you twice."

By the time I finished scrubbing the car, my arms felt like noodles, and I was soaking wet from all the splashing. Aiden, meanwhile, looked perfectly dry and smug as ever.

"Done?" he asked, inspecting my work like a drill sergeant.

"Yes, sir," I replied, saluting mockingly. "Can I go eat now, or are there other chores you’d like me to do, Master?"

Aiden smirked, handing me a towel. "You can eat. But if you ever—ever

—throw up in one of my cars again, you’re cleaning the entire garage next time."

"Noted," I said through gritted teeth, snatching the towel and drying off.

Back inside, I collapsed onto the nearest chair, completely drained. "I’m starving," I announced, shooting Aiden a pointed look. "And don’t you dare say I just ate. That was hours ago, and cleaning up your precious car burned at least a thousand calories."

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Pancakes. Cheesecake. Chocolate lava cake. You sure you’re not part bear getting ready for hibernation?"

I threw a napkin at him. "Just get me the food before I pass out."

He sighed but called out the butler to get dinner ready "What do you want?"

"Everything," I said dramatically, leaning back in my chair. "And don’t skimp on the desert."

"One stomach, Alexia," he muttered, "You have one stomach."

"And it’s empty," I shot back. "Thanks to you."

He ignored me, talking to the butler. "The food is being prepared. Try not to faint before it gets here."

"Too late," I mumbled, slumping further into the chair. "Wake me up when it’s time to eat."

"Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "I didn’t sign up to babysit."

"You totally did," I said with a smirk, closing my eyes. "It’s in the contract."

He groaned but didn’t argue, which I counted as a small victory.

"Come on, dinner is ready," Aiden called out, his voice cutting through the haze of my nap.

Dragging myself out of the couch, I stumbled to the top of the dining room, still half-asleep. Aiden stood at the bottom, looking casual for once in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. I blinked. Was this the same guy who strutted around in those ridiculously expensive suits, exuding cold robotic vibes? In this casual wear, he actually looked...human. Almost approachable.

"We also need to discuss how we’ll handle everything after the wedding tomorrow," he added casually.

Wait—tomorrow?

I froze, my brain short-circuiting. How had three days flown by so quickly? My nap-addled mind processed this with the urgency of a snail. The realization hit like a bucket of ice water dumped on me, and suddenly I wasn’t so sure I was hungry anymore. But the growl that erupted from my stomach loudly disagreed.

With a sigh, I followed him to the dining room. As the aroma of food hit me, my hunger roared to life like a caged beast. My stomach growled again—loudly enough to echo.

Aiden glanced back at me, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Did you swallow a bear, or are you auditioning for a sound effects gig?"

"Ha-ha," I replied flatly, shooting him a glare. "My stomach is protesting the inhumane starvation you’ve subjected me to. Now move, before I knock you over and eat the table."

His smirk deepened, but he stepped aside, letting me pass. I slid into a chair at the long dining table. As usual, the ever-efficient butler, William, appeared out of nowhere to pull my chair out for me.

"Enjoy your dinner, Miss Elena," he said with a polite nod before disappearing like a ghost.

"Thank you, William," I said, flashing him a genuine smile. Honestly, William was a gem. Aiden could stand to learn a thing or two about being a gentleman from him.

Looking at the feast spread out before me, I couldn’t help but marvel. Just days ago, I’d been scrambling to figure out what to eat, and now I was seated at a dining table fit for royalty, complete with rows of dishes that looked like something out of a gourmet magazine. The transformation was surreal.

As I reached for my glass of juice, I became aware of Aiden’s eyes on me. He was staring—keenly, intensely—like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. "Don’t you know staring is rude?"

He didn’t flinch, his gaze zeroing in on my hand. "Where’s the engagement ring?" he asked, his tone calm but unmistakably firm. "I told you not to wear it until it was resized."

Huh? My hand instinctively moved to my finger.

No ring.

Panic coursed through me. I looked again. Nope—still no ring.

"Uh..." My voice faltered as my brain raced to retrace my steps. Where had I last seen it? I’d worn it earlier. Hadn’t I?

Aiden’s eyebrow arched. "Don’t ’uh’ me. Where is it?"

"I... don’t know," I admitted, my voice small. The realization sank in: I lost the engagement ring.

My heart sank faster than a stone in water. Aiden’s expression darkened as I stared at my bare hand, trying to process what had happened.

"I...uh..." My brain scrambled for an answer, but all I could think of was how shiny, big, and adorable the ring had looked when I last saw it. "It was here...earlier...I think."

"You think?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low. "You think?"

"Okay, okay!" I said, my hands flying up defensively. "Don’t go all Hulk on me! I definitely had it when I was upstairs...probably."

"Probably?" Aiden repeated, his tone icy. "Do you know what that ring costs, Alexia?"

"No," I said honestly, folding my arms. "And I don’t care. What matters is that it was on my finger, and now it’s not. Do you think I misplaced it on purpose?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath. "Unbelievable."

"It’s just a ring," I snapped, annoyed by his overreaction.

"Just a ring?" His voice rose slightly, and I could practically see the vein in his forehead popping. "Alexia, that ’just a ring’ costs more than a sports car. You don’t just misplace something like that!"

I swallowed hard. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just a ring. But still, the way he was glaring at me, you’d think I’d lost a national treasure.