Chapter 8

The morning’s brightness hadn’t lasted long. By the time Aria was heading home, her phone buzzed. Peter’s name lit up the screen. I just left… wanna meet up?

She froze.   She had asked him in the morning about his plans, and he hadn’t given her a hint they’d be meeting. Now, when she was almost home, he suddenly wanted to see her? ..She wasn’t prepared, not dressed for anything close to a date... just jeans, a plain top, her hair tied back in a loose knot.

The phone rang almost immediately. She picked up.

“Aria,” Peter’s voice was urgent, rushed, “I’ll be having a company dinner in an hour or two. Can we quickly meet? I want to introduce you to my colleagues.”

Her stomach tightened. Social things like this always made her nervous; she could already picture the way strangers’ eyes would size her up. “I’m not even prepared… how do I just show up there?” she said hesitantly.A sigh crackled through the line. “Just meet me at the square in thirty minutes. We’ll figure something out. Please, Aria....this is important. You know how much I love you.”

That last line...so rehearsed, so familiar, left her with no choice. Saying no would make her the bad one. So she agreed.

His office was far from her place, and with time running out, she booked a cab. Peak-hour traffic swallowed the streets, the fare climbing higher with every stalled signal. She sighed and leaned against the window, watching the sun sink behind glass towers, her mood already heavy..... 

When Peter spotted her, he came running, eyes bright with excitement. For a moment, it felt like he had been waiting for her all along. Then his gaze dropped to her clothes. “Aria, why are you dressed so simply?”

Before she could answer, he took her wrist and pulled her toward the market. The streets buzzed with life... vendors shouting, scooters weaving, neon signs flickering as twilight painted the sky lilac and gold. For a brief second, it was beautiful. Peter held her hand as they wove through the crowd, only to drop it the moment he spotted a food stall. He ordered his favorite dish without hesitation. “Order for yourself,” he told her casually.

It stung. Did he really not know what she liked? She forced a smile, excused herself, and said she’d check for an outfit while he enjoyed his food.

In the next shop, she slipped through racks, calling him now for an opinion. He suggested pieces offhandedly until she settled on something modest yet decent..something she could afford.

Peter joined her later when it came time to find shoes. He pointed out a store, eager. She tried several pairs. He immediately chose the sharpest, most pointed heels without considering her comfort. Aria rarely wore heels, but he looked so excited that she agreed...

“I’ll buy them,” Peter said suddenly.

For the first time, she heard those words. Her heart lifted, surprised. But when he swiped his card, the machine beeped error. Again. And again. The shop staff’s patience thinned. Heat rose to Aria’s cheeks; before the moment turned humiliating, she stepped in and paid.

Peter ranted the whole way out, insisting it wasn’t his fault. Aria barely listened. In the restroom, she changed quickly, slipping into the new outfit and the stiff heels. When she stepped out, Peter’s face lit up as though seeing her for the first time. Compliments spilled from his lips, one after the other, almost too fast to mean anything.

By the time they reached the restaurant, a few of his colleagues were already seated. Peter introduced her with a smirk, boasting about her studies in architecture, his arm loosely draped around her chair.

Two men at the table grinned at him. “Where did you find a girl this beauty and brains, huh?"

Peter smirked, delighted, pride swelling in his expression as he glanced at Aria.

However…