Chapter 261
Chapter 261
She glanced sideways and met Owen’s sharp, deep eyes–like a boundless night sky twinkling with countless stars.
Aria’s thoughts froze, as if she were being drawn into a world that belonged only to him.
His eyes burned with intense emotion, but it only for a split second
It vanished so quickly, leaving no trace.
Aria snapped out of her daze, thinking it might just be her imagination. Then she asked Owen, “How did you end up falling asleep on the couch?”
Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, Owen effortlessly masked the turbulent emotions in his eyes and put on his usual gentle smile. “I brought you dinner.”
Their position was awkwardly intimate.
Aria knelt with one knee on the couch, still clutching the blanket. A mere lift of her hand would have brushed Owen’s chin, yet she remained oblivious to
their closeness.
Just then, the door suddenly swung open, startling both Aria and Owen.
They turned their heads toward the sound simultaneously.
Caleb stood in the doorway, a bag in hand. The moment his eyes landed on the intimate scene unfolding on the couch, he froze in shock. His grip slackened, and the bag slipped from his grasp, hitting the floor.
Aria turned back, following Caleb’s gaze, and locked eyes with Owen.
Her pupils constricted slightly as realization dawned on her.
She jerked upright too abruptly, her foot catching on the edge of the coffee table. In an instant, she lost her balance and tumbled backward out of
control.
“Aria!” Caleb shouted in alarm, sprinting toward her.
As Aria tried to steady herself by reaching for the coffee table, Ower swiftly grabbed her outstretched right hand.
The sudden movement threw her off balance completely.
Pulled forward, Aria tumbled straight into Owen’s arms.
From Caleb’s perspective, the scene looked almost as if Aria had Owen pinned to the couch, making an aggressive move–like she was having her way
with him.
For once, Aria was the one in charge.
Owen felt her warmth in his arms, his heart hammering wildly as if it might burst out of his chest.
‘Thank goodness for the blanket between us,‘ he thought. ‘Otherwise, she’d probably hear it pounding.‘
Caleb hurried over and helped Aria up, his voice full of concern. “Are you hurt?”
Recalling how she had tumbled into Owen’s arms, Aria felt her ears burning and took a moment to steady herself.
“No,” she replied.
She shot Owen a glance and added with a teasing smile, “He was my cushion.”
1/2
Chapter 261
She could’ve steadied herself, but Owen just had to pull her hand back.
Owen straightened up, tidied the blanket, and explained, “She saw I was asleep and was just trying to cover me up.”
“I know,” Caleb shot Owen a sidelong glance. “I was the one who startled Aria.”
He silently chided himself. If only he’d kept his cool, he wouldn’t have scared Aria.
Owen, who had willingly served as her cushion, slowly rose and unhurriedly straightened his slightly disheveled clothes.
His every movement was so graceful and composed that it was oddly pleasing to the eye.
But if you looked closely, a faint tremor in his hands betrayed his calm facade.
Aria glanced at his hands, and an absurd thought popped into her mind.
‘He looks just like a guy caught cheating in someone else’s house, trying to act calm but failing miserably.
‘What on earth am I thinking?‘
Aria squeezed her eyes shut, trying to banish those wild thoughts from her mind.
Owen straightened his clothes, then folded the blanket in one fluid motion.
“Where does this go?” he asked.
“The top shelf of the closet in the room,” Aria replied.
Caleb started to offer, but just as he opened his mouth, he remembered he hadn’t washed his hands. All he could do was watch helplessly as Owen walked into Aria’s room.
Caleb turned to the bag on the floor, hurried over to pick it up, pulled out some documents, and set them on the coffee table. “Here, Aria. The young researchers came up with these. They asked me to bring them for you to review.”
Aria smiled. “Thanks, Owen.”
