CHAPTER 79: SOAP OPERA

Aiden’s POV:

The drive to the office was quiet. Not the usual tense silence laced with irritation, but a different kind—something heavier, something charged. Alexia, for once, had nothing to say. No snarky remarks, no complaints, no dramatic sighs. Instead, she just sat there, staring out the window, her fingers absentmindedly brushing against her lips.

I gripped the wheel tighter, forcing my gaze to stay on the road. I knew exactly what she was thinking about—those damn kisses. Hell, I was thinking about them too. I hadn’t meant to kiss her like that. The first one was supposed to be for show, just enough to make the media eat out of our hands, but the second?

The second was a mistake.

A mistake that still burned on my lips.

I exhaled sharply, pushing the thought away. It didn’t matter. I had done what needed to be done, and judging by how the internet was already shifting the narrative, it had worked. That was all that mattered.

I glanced at Alexia briefly as we stopped at a red light. She was still lost in thought, her lips slightly parted, and then—fuck—she licked them.

A slow, unintentional, utterly distracting motion.

My jaw clenched, and I snapped my gaze forward, gripping the wheel like it had personally offended me. I refused to give in to whatever the hell was happening in my mind. But when I caught the flicker of my own smirk in the rearview mirror, I knew I had already lost that battle.

The moment we pulled up to my building, I saw her reaction. The tallest skyscraper in the city, a symbol of power, wealth, and dominance. I saw the way her eyes widened slightly as she took it all in—the sleek glass windows reflecting the morning sun, the grand entrance lined with security, the VIP section where only the highest-ranking executives and elite personnel had access.

She was impressed.

Of course, she tried to play it cool, but I noticed the subtle way she took in every detail.

I didn’t say anything as I led her to the private VIP elevator, my hand resting on the small of her back—a practiced gesture, meant to appear effortless, but I could feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her dress.

The elevator doors slid shut, and as we began our ascent, I noticed it again.

She licked her lips.

Twice.

My gaze flickered to her mouth, then back to the doors in front of me.

Damn it.

A knowing smirk tugged at the corner of my lips, and I didn’t even bother hiding it this time. I knew she felt it too. The remnants of our kiss, the unspoken shift between us. She was still dazed, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

Good.

Let her think about it.

I leaned back against the elevator wall, watching her.

"You’re quiet," I finally said.

She blinked, looking up at me as if just realizing I was there.

"I just—" she hesitated, then sighed. "Never mind."

Interesting.

The ding of the elevator broke the silence, and I led her through the pristine, luxurious hallway toward my office. My secretary, a sharp and efficient woman, stood as we approached. She opened her mouth to speak, but I brushed past her, giving her a curt later. Right now, I needed to get Alexia inside and keep up the act.

I pushed open the grand double doors of my office and stepped aside to let Alexia in first.

And that’s when I saw her.

Liz.

Sitting on the couch in my office as if she belonged there.

Fuck.

Alexia froze in the doorway. I could feel her entire body tense, her shoulders going rigid. I didn’t need to look at her to know her expression—shock, then anger.

I clenched my jaw. This was not how I wanted things to go.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Alexia snapped, spinning around to face me.

And just like that, the quiet car ride was forgotten.

Alexia’s POV:

The drive to Aiden’s office was... silent.

For once, I had nothing to say. Not a single sarcastic remark, not even an annoyed huff. My brain was still short-circuiting from what had happened earlier.

The kisses.

Not one, but two.

And not just any kisses—no, Aiden had kissed me like a man possessed, like he had something to prove. My lips still felt swollen from the way he had claimed them, and no matter how much I tried to push the thought away, it kept creeping back in.

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He looked completely unaffected, his hands gripping the steering wheel with practiced ease, his expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, I was a mess.

I found myself absentmindedly licking my lips, trying to shake off the lingering feeling. But then I noticed something—Aiden smirking. He had definitely seen it.

My face burned, but thankfully, he didn’t say anything.

When we pulled up in front of a massive skyscraper, I barely held back a gasp. The building was enormous, easily the tallest one in the city, its glass exterior gleaming like something straight out of a billionaire’s fantasy.

Well, guess there are perks to being married to Aiden Kingston.

I followed him inside, straight into a VIP elevator—because of course he had one—and up to the top floor. When the doors opened, I barely had a second to take in my surroundings before a stunning woman behind a sleek desk stood up, her eyes immediately locking onto Aiden.

"Sir—" she started, looking like she had something urgent to say.

"Later," he dismissed her without stopping.

I blinked. Wow. Guess the almighty Aiden Kingston was really that important.

Then, he opened the door to his office and motioned for me to step inside.

And that’s when I saw her.

Liz.

Sitting on the couch like she belonged there.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

My entire body went rigid. My mind, which had been a mess just moments ago, instantly sharpened like a blade. The remnants of Aiden’s kisses were long forgotten as anger flared up inside me.

I turned to Aiden slowly, my hands clenched at my sides.

He had dragged me here after our little public display of affection—after making a whole damn scene at my school—only for me to walk in and find her

here?

Oh, hell no.

I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay calm. "Care to explain why she is here?"

Aiden ran a hand through his hair, already looking like he regretted everything.

Good. He should regret it.

Because I was this close to setting his stupid, glamorous office on fire.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Elizabeth’s annoyingly sweet voice filled the room before Aiden could even attempt to explain himself.

"Oh Aiden, I didn’t know... I came to see you, but you were out, so I chose to wait for you."

I nearly gagged.

The way she said his name, like some lovesick damsel in distress, made my skin crawl. And Aiden, the ever-reliable knight in shining armor, was already moving toward her, concern flashing in his eyes.

"Liz, you know you’re not well. What are you doing here? You should’ve called me."

Great. Now I get a front-row seat to a live soap opera.

Had I known this was what I was walking into, I would’ve stayed in the car. Or better yet, I wouldn’t have agreed to come in the first place. I had been so caught up in the damn kisses, in my swirling emotions, that I hadn’t even questioned why he wanted to bring me here.

But now? Now it was clear.

I folded my arms, tapping my foot impatiently as I watched the scene unfold.

"Aiden, I saw the news... how people were bashing you. So, I came to see how I could help."

I barely held back an eye-roll.

Great. She was one of the beauties without brains.

I scoffed, leaning against the desk. "Did it ever occur to you that you being seen with him again will only make things worse?"

Silence.

Elizabeth blinked at me, as if I had just spoken in a foreign language.

Right. Of course. Thinking clearly had never been her strong suit.

Elizabeth blinked at me, her perfectly manicured fingers clutching the hem of her designer dress like some fragile, innocent maiden. The audacity.

"But... I just wanted to help," she said, her voice soft, like she was about to cry. Oh, give me a break.

Aiden let out a sigh, rubbing his temple like he was the one suffering here. "Liz, I appreciate it, but—"

"But nothing," I cut in, stepping closer. "You showing up here, in his office, after what just happened, isn’t helping anything. If anything, you’re making it worse."

Elizabeth frowned, finally turning her attention fully to me, like she had only just realized I was standing there. "I... I just don’t want Aiden to suffer because of me."

I scoffed. "Right. Because you’ve done so much to prevent that from happening."

"Alexia," Aiden warned, his voice low, but I wasn’t in the mood to be scolded like some unruly child. Not when this woman was acting like she was the most important person in the room.

"You know what? It’s fine," I said, waving a hand dramatically. "Maybe Aiden wants his little PR nightmare to continue. Maybe he likes playing the hero, running to rescue you every time you get caught up in a scandal."

Elizabeth’s lips parted like I had just slapped her. Good.

"I— I didn’t mean for any of this to happen," she stammered. "I was just worried about Aiden."

I let out a sharp laugh. "Wow. How selfless of you. But if you were really worried about him, you’d realize that staying far away is the best thing you could do right now."

Elizabeth looked at Aiden, searching his face for support. He stayed silent.

Huh. Interesting.

She took a deep breath, clearly gathering herself, before saying, "I just don’t want our friendship to be ruined over this."

Oh, hell no.

I turned to Aiden, placing a hand on my hip. "Your friend clearly doesn’t know boundaries. Maybe you should explain it to her."

Aiden, to his credit, looked torn between exasperation and exhaustion. "Liz, I think it’s best if you go home."

Finally.

Elizabeth’s face fell. "Aiden..."

"It’s not up for discussion," he said firmly. "I’ll handle everything. You don’t have to worry about me."

I expected her to argue. To fight back. To try and push her I’m-so-sweet-and-helpless act again.

But instead, she nodded.

"Alright," she murmured. Then, turning to me, she added, "I hope you know how lucky you are, Alexia."

I smirked. "Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. I definitely do."

With one last lingering look at Aiden, Elizabeth walked out of the office, her heels clicking against the marble floors.

As soon as the door shut behind her, I let out a dramatic sigh. "Well, that was fun."

Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose. "You could’ve handled that better."

I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. "Excuse me? I think I handled that perfectly."

He shot me an unimpressed look. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

I grinned. "Maybe."

His gaze flickered to my lips for a second—just a second—but it was enough to make my stomach flip.

I cleared my throat, taking a step back. "Anyway, I think I deserve my wine now."

Aiden sighed. "Yeah. You probably do."