CHAPTER NINE- WHO IS HE?

"Aria, darling! About the way things went last time, I'm really sorry!" Daniel said, stepping into the room with a hesitant smile. His tone was soft yet pleading and his eyes fully expressing guilt. "can you not be angry with me"

His facial expression moved between remorse and desperation—eyes wide, lips slightly shaky, as if hoping she'd fall for the act.

Aria didn't move. She simply looked at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Within her disgust sprang up in her stomach like a serpent, coiling tighter with every breath he took. She fought to keep her face neutral, biting down the bitterness that threatened to rise.

"I'm not angry," she said, her voice calm as she pronounced each. Words separately and distinctly "Just give me some space, Daniel. I need to study. I've got a critical case tomorrow."

She turned back to her open laptop, flipping through case notes as if his presence didn't bother her. But her heart was racing. She could feel his eyes moving, waiting and trying to read her like a book he once owned but no longer understood.

Daniel stood still for a moment, as if calculating his next move. Then his tone shifted.

"Alright. I won't disturb you," he said, voice suddenly firmer. "But you have to get dressed."

Her fingers froze on the keyboard. She didn't turn.

"You what?"

"You have to get dressed," he repeated, his voice carrying the kind of authority that made her jaw tighten. "I want to make up for your birthday."

Aria closed her laptop slowly and faced him. His expression was no longer pitiful. It was expectant, demanding, as if her forgiveness was his right.

She scoffed, letting the sound echo through the room like broken glass. "Did I just here- Makeup?" she said, her brows raised. "Oh! Really?"

He moved closer, reaching out as though to touch her arm, but she leaned back before he could. His hand hung mid way, awkward and unwanted.

"You think coming up with a last-minute plan can erase everything?" she asked, her voice very low to a point it couldn't be heard. "You think showing up with sad eyes and a bossy tone will fix what you ruined?"

Daniel opened his mouth but no words came out. He looked like he wanted to argue, maybe even beg, but she didn't give him a chance to do so.

"I will be ready in a moment" Aria said finally, her tone flat. She stood, her spine straight, her shoulders seemed like she was walking into a courtroom rather than a birthday celebration. "I'll be done in a moment!"

She walked quietly towards her room without waiting to get a response from him.

Behind her, Daniel let out a quiet breath, maybe relieved, maybe confused. But Aria didn't care. His presence made her skin itch. His voice, once charming, now brought nothing but disgust. The memory of his lies surfaced in her head as it sent a sharp pain to her chest.

As she locked the door to the bedroom, her hands were shaking. Not from nerves—but from restraint. She had to summon every ounce of control not to slap the smug pretense off his face. Not yet. There would be a time for truth. For justice. For consequences.

But tonight?

Tonight, she'd play along.

Let him believe the game was still his.

The dinner was at one of the city's most luxurious hotels—crystal chandeliers sparkle above shining marble floors, and the air carried a faint note of expensive scent and aged wine. The restaurant was dimly lit, its elegance could be seen and it had an attached lounge where soft music played in the background. Waiters moved with quietly and swiftly between tables with practiced grace.

Aria sat at the candlelit table, calm and composed in a deep emerald dress that hugged her perfectly. She straightened her back and with an expressionless face, she locked her eyes on the plate before her. She dug into her food slowly, not once did she look at Daniel who was seated across from her.

Daniel, on the other hand, kept moving uncomfortably on his seat. He toyed with the rim of his napkin. He then cleared his throat once, twice trying to break the silence between them but the silence wasn't just quiet—it was loud with tension. He tried to speak, to offer some empty words to bridge the gap, but just as he opened his mouth, his phone rang on the table.

The screen lit up. The name "My Assistant!" popped across it in bold letters.

Aria's eyes darted to the screen before he could snatch it away. She saw the name. And then a derisive expression lingered on her face as she made a mocking sound, the sound low but unmistakable.

Strangely, though, she didn't feel the sharp sting she used to. No jealousy. No pain. Only a weird kind of calmness, as if something in her had finally snapped into clarity.

"Won't you take your call?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm and something colder—detachment.

Daniel's eyes twitched, surprised by her words. "It's not important," he said and quickly turned the phone off and immediately put it into his jacket pocket.

He leaned forward slightly, trying to let their eyes fix with each other. "Aria, I—"

But before he could finish, a tall figure entered the restaurant.

Heads turned. The aura of the man standing was commanding and magnetic. He wore a fitted black suit that seemed to absorb the light around him. Sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and a calm confidence in every stride—he looked like someone who walked into rooms expecting attention. And he got it.

Daniel froze, visibly shrinking in his seat as the man approached their table. Something about the stranger's aura rattled him.

The man didn't spare Daniel a glance. His gaze was locked on Aria.

Her face lit with a bright smile, the first she ever gave out this evening.

"Aria," the man called out in a smooth tone laced with power "let's go."

No hesitation. No question. Just a statement, certain and firm.

Aria didn't wink.

She slowly rose up, wiping her lips with the napkin before placing it neatly on the table. For a split second, she didn't spare Daniel a glance as she gracefully yet intentionally moved towards the door.

Daniel stood halfway, confused and flustered. "Wait—Aria, who is this?"