Chapter 19
Aria’s POV
“I want this woman off my damn plane,” Jace snapped, standing up with a glare.
I stared back at him, completely unfazed.
“Aria’s my friend. Why are you being such an ass to her?” Delilah snapped. “Did you two know each other back at Apex or something!
“No,” we said at the exact same time.
Of course we’d met. We even used to date.
The only person who didn’t know that was Delilah.
Yet I could tell that neither of us wanted to tell her. Jace didn’t want his messy past exposed, and 1–well, I just wanted to avoid drama. She already suspected something was going on between me and her brother. The last thing I needed was her finding out I’d also dated. her husband.
Delilah, I thought this was supposed to be a private trip. Why’d you bring someone completely unrelated?” Jace tried to soften his voice, but it still came out stiff.
“Like I said, Aria’s my friend. You never want to go shopping or pick up outfits or any of those stuffs with me, so at least let me bring someone who does”
“But, honey, I—”′′
“Okay, it’s settled,” Delilah cried, and then she shoved me further into the cabin.
I took the seat farthest from Jace. He kept glaring at me like he wanted to throw me out mid–air. Luckily, Delilah wouldn’t stop. chattering about all the things we’d do once we landed.
“Your husband doesn’t exactly look thrilled to have me here,” I whispered to her. “Maybe I should leave-
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, patting my hand. “Jace is just in a mood. First the prenup, then that job thing. it’s not about you.”
“So he still hasn’t signed the prenup?”
Her face darkened. She sighed. “Nope. And you saw how Grayson was about it. He’s not gonna let it go.”
“Your brother’s just trying to protect you. A prenup would guard your assets.
”
“You think I don’t know that?” she muttered. “But Jace and I just got married and our relationship could suffer from things like that. And my brother? Well Grayson doesn’t give a damn about that. God he’s so bossy. Always takes control. Always makes the decisions for everyone.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. So I just stayed quiet.
She glanced at me and gave a small, tired smile. “You’re right. I don’t have to worry about money… but you see, I’ve got plenty of other problems. Being part of this family? It’s not for the faint of heart”
“Delilah… have you ever considered-“I hesitated.
“What?”
1
I wanted to ask if it ever occurred to her that maybe the reason Jace was so against signing the prenup was because he didn’t truly love her. That he was after her money all along.
But I could already tell Delilah believed in love the same way May did–blindly, romantically. She wouldn’t question her husband for a second, even if he was a complete ass,
“Just talk to him again. If he really loves you, he’ll agree. That’s all I could say to her.
She finally smiled. That’s the plan. I’m going to keep him in a good mood this whole trip. Maybe then he’ll finally say yes.”
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9:47 AM
Chapter 19
Then she held out her hand to me.
“Hey, come on. I have to show you my flying wardrobe, We need new looks before we land.”
The plane was already in the air, heading for a destination I still didn’t know of Delilah dragged me into the back cabin, and I was nearly stunned to death.
There was a whole walk–in wardrobe.
There had gotta be hundreds of items. Dresses, bags, shoes, jewelries. All neatly arranged according to color and season
“You had all this flown in from home?” I gasped.
She casually flipped through racks. “From home? No these are all straight from the mall. I told them I wanted this season’s collection and they stuffed the closet.”
Okay, I officially hated rich people.
Delilah spent half an hour picking an outfit and finally settled on a rose–pink slip dress, which she said was “a hundred times better than that silver–blue thing from last time” Then she sat me down in front of the vanity and started curling my hair and doing my makeup. It can do this myself,” I said, reaching for the brush.
She dodged me. “Nope. Sit still. This is part of my apology, remember? Besides, I’ve always wanted a sister to do girly stuff with. Having an older brother is so boring. Especially when that brother is Grayson”
I let out a small laugh.
She spent the next two hours perfecting my hair and makeup. The plane still hadn’t landed, and I had no clue where we were going.
Once she was done, she spun me toward the mirror
“Tada!” she grinned.
Ta–da, indeed.
In the mirror, I saw a girl in a pink dress embroidered with white lace roses My lips and cheeks were blushed pink, giving me a fresh, glowing look. My hair was curled in soft waves, cascading over my shoulders.
“Wow, Delilah this is…”
“I’m an artist, aren’t I?” she said proudly. “Now you just need the shoes,”
She handed me a pair of white strappy heels so tall they gave me vertigo,
“No way. I never wear heels”
These are Christian Louboutin! And you are not wearing those busted sneakers.”
We were wrestling over the shoes. Suddenly, the door to the changing room flew open. Jace stomped in looking totally pissed.
“Delilah, what the hell are you doing back there-
He stopped mid–sentence.
His eyes landed on m
on me, and his expression changed from furious to stunned, I could tell he’s in awe with my look.
Try knocking next time, Jace,” Delilah cried. “What if Aria was changing?”
“S–sorry,” he coughed, suddenly awkward,
“But she looks amazing, doesn’t she?”
“Anyone would look good in clothes that expensive,” he muttered.
“You’re such a jerk. Now stay here and help her put on the heels. I’m going to grab the champagne.”
9:48 AM
다.
Chapter 19
She waltzed out of the cabin humming.
The moment she was gone, Jace closed the distance between us in two angry steps.
His jaw was clenched tight as he hissed. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”
“If you don’t want your wife finding out about your past, you’d better keep your distance,” I warned.
“Fuck you, Arial What’s your game, huh? First you fuck Grayson, then you try to steal my job, and now you’re cozying up You just want to ruin my life don’t you!”
to my
He was so close, I could feel his hot breath on my face. I took a step back, but he followed, pressing me against the wardrobe.
“Back the fuck off!” I snapped. “I have zero interest in your pathetic life. This is all just one big coincidence–I told you that!”
wife?
He grabbed my wrist, hard. “Yeah, right. You think I’m stupid? You are more ambitious than I thought Aria. So go ahead. Bring it on you cunning slut. I’ve got plenty of ways to destroy you-
“What the hell are you two doing?”
The voice cut through the room like a blade,
We both froze and turned.
Delilah was standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of champagne, staring at us with wide, shocked eyes.
And we were standing way too close
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