<b>Chapter </b><b>319 </b>
<b>With </b>just those words, Aria hastily made her exit.
<b>Back </b><b>home</b><b>, </b>sure enough, the noise had ceased.
<b>Navoron </b>Restaurant delivered the meal. Lily arranged the dishes, Gael went to fetch Mono, while Aria called Owen, only to hear <b>a </b>cold<b>, </b>automated message indicating the call didn’t go through.
Aría thought, ‘I already messaged Owen about dinner. There’s no way he’d be sleeping at this hour.‘
Aria hurried down the hallway to Owen’s apartment and pressed the doorbell.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, she pressed the doorbell again–still, no response.
Aria frowned, then, without further hesitation, keyed in the passcode she knew by heart.
The lock clicked open as she gently pushed the door. The living room was pitch–ck<b>, </b>save for a faint glimmering from a room in the corner.
From where she stood, the door was slightly ajar.
Aria softly called out, “Owen?”
Still, there was no answer.
Then she hurried over, her footsteps echoing unnervingly clear in the deathly quiet space.
Aria stood at the door, about to call Owen’s name, when an unexpected scene suddenly caught her off guard.
He stood bare–chested, his shirt dangling from one arm.
His sun–kissed skin glowed, broad shoulders flowing into sculpted back muscles. Every contour was taut and defined, his trim waist forming a perfect <b>V- </b>line–an embodiment of raw masculine perfection,
Sensing movement at the doorway, Owen froze for a split second, then abruptly whipped around.
Aria’s gaze locked onto Owen’s taut, perfectly aligned eight–pack abs–each muscle like carved marble, subtly rising and falling with his every breath.
His chiseled muscles tapered down into his dress pants, the defined lines disappearing beneath the waistband.
Aria’s eyes widened as her gaze traveled upward, locking eyes with him in an electric moment.
The air stood still.
Owen seemed equally stunned by the sudden intrusion–oddly enough, he didn’t even attempt to cover himself at first.
Aria’s mind wentpletely nk with a dizzying rush, heat flooding from her cheeks down to her entire body.
Her eyes fluttered in panic before she finally snapped out of it. In a rush<b>, </b>she spun around, her movements flustered and desperate to get away.
“Sorry.” After blurting that out, Aria spun on her heel and all but fled the scene.
But just as she reached the doorway, Aria froze in her tracks.
‘I’vee to get Owen for dinner. If I leave now, it’ll just make things even more awkward, Aria thought, her cheeks burning.
Aria awkwardly shuffled to the sofa and sat down stiffly. The image of what she had just seen burst back into <i>her </i>mind.
10.08 Sat 14 Jur
Sat 14 Jun.-
<b>Chapter </b><b>319 </b>
<b>A </b><b>body </b><b>so </b><b>different </b><b>from </b><b>a </b><b>woman’s</b><b>—</b><b>every </b><b>inch </b><b>radiating </b><b>raw </b><b>power</b>, <b>sculpted </b><b>to </b><b>perfection</b>. <b>She </b>couldn’t <b>help </b><b>but </b><b>admire </b><b>it</b>.
<b>Realizing </b>her <b>thoughts </b>were drifting into dangerous territory<b>, </b><b>Aria </b>lightly tapped her forehead and gradually regained <b>her </b><bposure</b>.
<b>Thank </b>goodness he still had his pants <b>on</b><b>–</b>at least she didn’t see anything she shouldn’t have,
Five <b>minutes </b><bter, </b>Owen cautiously emerged from his room.
Aria heard <b>footsteps</b><b>, </b>and her heart leapt into her throat.
Aria thought<b>, </b><b>‘</b><b>I </b>just saw all of him. Oh god, do I have to take responsibility for this?‘
The light switch clicked as Owen turned it on.
<b>As </b>the lights flicked on, Aria instinctively snapped her eyes shut<b>, </b>then slowly blinked them open a momentter.
Owen stood there with his phone in hand, his hair still slightly disheveled.
Owen stood <b>a </b>few paces away, his face etched with apology. He said softly, “Sorry, I had my phone on silent mode. I was changing and missed <b>your </b>message.”
Aria looked up, her eyes locking with his, a flicker of doubt in her gaze.
‘Didn’t he hear the doorbell either?‘ Aria thought.
Owen seemed to read her mind and exined calmly, “I did hear the doorbell–I just wanted to finish getting changed before opening the door.”
Aria thought to herself, ‘That was clearly a dig at me for barging in too hastily.‘
Realizing his slip, Owen quickly added, “My bad for leaving the bedroom door open. Sorry.”
He met her gaze, his face growing even more apologetic.
AD
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