When Owen opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at Aria’s sleeping face, just inches away.
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For a second, he forgot where he was, then realized–he’d actually spent the night in her bed. A huge, dorky smile spread across his face as he watched
her.
He lay there for a while, completely at peace, until he suddenly jolted. ‘Wait, wasn’t I supposed to go to work?‘
Moving as quietly as he could, he slipped out of bed and peeked outside.
The sun was already high, definitely not six AM. ‘Damn, I overslept.‘
He crept out of the room, closing the door behind him as gently as possible.
Halfway down the hall, he heard another door open and froze. Turning, he locked eyes with a very sleepy Derek–Owen’s heart nearly stopped.
Things between him and Aria were still fragile, and the last thing he needed was for Derek to catch on and start asking questions.
If Ania got annoyed, she might just end things right here.
Derek blinked at him, then mumbled, “Owen? Morning.”
Owen put on a casual smile. “Morning.”
Derek wandered into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and shuffled back toward his room, still half–asleep. “I’m going back to bed.”
“Sure,” Owen said.
Derek paused, suddenly realizing something was off. “Wait, isn’t this Aria’s place? Why did I just see you coming out of her room?”
He rubbed his eyes, suddenly wide awake.
Owen didn’t even blink. “I came over to make breakfast and wake her up. She wasn’t hungry, so she went back to bed. Want something to eat?”
Derek shook his head. “Nah, I’m not hungry. I just want to sleep.”
Owen gave him a friendly smile. “Alright, I’ll get going. Get some more rest.”
Derek didn’t seem suspicious at all. “Yeah, yeah, see you.”
As the door shut behind him, Owen let out a huge sigh of relief.
Elsewhere, Amanda had been trying and failing to reach Fryderyk, so she marched straight into the police station.
The moment she spotted him in uniform, her heart did a little flip.
She told herself, ‘Okay, calm down. He’s got someone he likes now. Just… be cool.‘ Then she headed over. “Fryderyk! Why haven’t you answered my messages?”
Every head in the office turned at once.
Fryderyk glanced up. “I’ve been busy.”
Amanda huffed. “It’s not like I’m asking you to hang out. I need you to protect me.”
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23:48 Sun, 22 Jun —
Chapter 427
He looked up, deadpan. “If you’re worried about your safety, hire a bodyguard. Or, here’s a thought, don’t throw a wine tasting.”
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Amanda protested, “I’ve been planning this for months! The invitations are out. I can’t just cancel. And bodyguards aren’t as good as you. Ever since you admitted you liked Aria, I haven’t messaged you once! I’m not chasing you, I really do need your help.”
Across the room, someone dropped a file. Whispered conversations sprang up instantly, but in the small office, every word was easy to hear.
“No way, Fryderyk likes Aria?”
“Honestly, it’s kind of shocking… but not really. He’s always looking out for her, always helping.”
Fryderyk, who had recently been put in charge of Aria’s case, said nothing.
Amanda set an invitation on his desk. “I promise I’ll get Aria to come. Friday. You have to be there. Bye!”
“Fryderyk, you should go,” someone called out after she left. “We barely get time off in this place. Seize your chance–go after Aria!”
“Yeah, you’ll need to work hard for that one. She’s not easy.”
Fryderyk kept his head down. “I don’t like Aria.”
“Sure, sure. But you’ll come to the tasting, right? Aria’s going to be there.”
Meanwhile, on her phone were a few messages.
Aria: [Not coming.]
Amanda: [Please, Aria! If you come, Fryderyk will show up too! I really, really need his help–it’s urgent!]
Amanda kept spamming messages, and Aria seriously regretted ever accepting her friend request.
With a sigh, she gave in: [Fine]
Amanda: [Great! I’ll send you the invitation.]
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