Chapter 138 One thirty eight

Chapter 138 One thirty eight
Aria’s POV

There was something about this, about him, that made everything feel… steadier.
Even when nothing else was.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

He glanced at me briefly, then nodded.

“Eat,” he said. “You’ll need the energy.”
Tomorrow.

He was already seated. I took the seat opposite him without a word.

For a while, we just… ate.

Silence filled the space between us, not uncomfortable, but heavy with everything we weren’t saying. The ticking of the clock on the wall sounded louder than usual, each second passing like a reminder.

Tomorrow.

No, today.

I kept my eyes mostly on my plate, occasionally glancing up at him. Each time, I caught him already looking at me.
Observing.Thinking.

But neither of us spoke.

When we were done, he stood first, taking his plate to the sink before turning slightly toward me.

“Get some rest,” he said quietly.
I nodded.

We made our way upstairs together, the quiet following us like a shadow.

Inside the room, I sat on the bed while he grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the space shortly after.

I lay back slowly, staring up at the ceiling.
My thoughts refused to settle. Everything felt like it was leading to one moment.

And I didn’t know how it was going to end.

By the time Damien came out of the bathroom, I hadn’t moved much. I turned my head slightly to look at him as he dried his hair, his movements calm, controlled, like always.

He joined me on the bed moments later, lying beside me without saying anything.
The silence returned.

But this time, it felt different.

Closer and more aware.

I turned slightly onto my side, my back facing him, closing my eyes.

Sleep didn’t come immediately.
But eventually…

It did.

The alarm clock shattered the silence.
A loud, almost violent noise that dragged me out of sleep instantly.

I groaned softly, blinking against the light as I pushed myself up.

For a second, I forgot.

Then it all came rushing back.

Today.

I turned my head.

Damien was still asleep.

For a moment, I just watched him.

His face was relaxed, free of the tension he usually carried when awake.

It was rare.

And strangely… calming.

I slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake him, and made my way to the bathroom.

The cold water against my skin helped clear the last traces of sleep.

I brushed my teeth, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes lingered. There it was again.
That subtle difference. That change I couldn’t ignore anymore. I exhaled slowly and looked away. Not now.

I couldn’t deal with that now.

After I was done, I headed downstairs.
The house felt quieter in the morning.
Still.

Like everything was waiting.

I moved into the kitchen and started preparing something simple, tea and bread.

Nothing heavy.

Just enough to get through the morning.
The familiar routine helped steady my hands, even if my thoughts were anything but steady.

By the time I was done, I wiped my hands and headed back upstairs.

Damien was already awake.

Standing by the sink, brushing his teeth.

I leaned lightly against the doorframe.

“Come down,” I said. “Let’s eat. I’m done.”
He glanced at me through the mirror, then nodded slightly.

I didn’t wait for him. I turned and went back downstairs, taking my seat again.

A few minutes later, he joined me. We sat opposite each other. Again.

And again, we ate in silence.

But this time, the silence felt tighter. More aware. Like both of us knew exactly what today meant. When we were done, we both stood almost at the same time.

No words. No hesitation. We moved. Back upstairs. Separate routines.Separate thoughts. But heading toward the same moment. After getting ready, we stepped out of the house together.

The air outside felt different. Or maybe that was just me. We got into the car, and the engine started with a low hum. And we drove.

Thirty minutes.

Thirty long minutes of silence.

Not the peaceful kind.

The kind filled with glances.

Questions.

Unspoken thoughts.

I caught him looking at me more than once.

Each time, I pretended not to notice.
Until he finally spoke.

“Is your aunt… strict?”

I turned slightly to look at him.

The question almost made me smile.
Almost.

“Calm down,” I said softly. “She’s not bad.”
He exhaled quietly, nodding, but I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced.

Neither was I.

The rest of the drive passed in a blur. Too fast. Too slow. Until finally… We arrived.

The gate stood tall in front of us.

Damien slowed the car, and before he could say anything, the gateman stepped forward and opened it.

Like we were expecting. Like we had been watched.vMy chest tightened slightly. We drove in.

The compound was too quiet.

Damien parked the car to the side, turning off the engine.

For a second, neither of us moved. Then he stepped out.

I followed.

We walked toward the house together, our footsteps echoing faintly against the ground.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

By the time we reached the front door, my heart was beating faster than I wanted to admit.

I raised my hand and knock on the door. She opened it almost immediately…

Like she had been standing there the entire time waiting for us to come.

Aunt Gianna stood in front of us.

Her presence was as commanding as I remembered.

Her eyes are sharp. And observant.

And the moment the door fully opened..
Her eyes met Damien’s.

Everything stopped. The air shifted instantly.

Something unspoken passed between them.

Recognition. Shock. Something deeper. Something I didn’t understand. My breath caught.
Because at that moment…

They both looked like they had seen ghosts.