Chapter 171

Aria Bennett sank into the plush mattress of her hotel bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her fingertips absently traced the smooth surface of her phone screen.

Damian Cross's confession in the hallway—"I've fallen for you"—had stolen her breath. She wasn't immune to his charm. But the scars from her last relationship still lingered, and with her career on the rise, romance felt like an untimely complication.

Her phone vibrated.

[Damian Cross: Made it back to your room?]

A smile tugged at her lips.

[Aria Bennett: Just got in. Heading to bed. You should rest too.]

[Damian Cross: Goodnight.]

The simple exchange eased the tension in her shoulders. Damian always knew when to advance and when to retreat, never pressuring her. Perhaps someday... She shook her head and set the phone aside.

Across the hall, Damian stood by the window, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. He exhaled a wry laugh. That had been too close—he'd nearly lost control. But there was no hurry. He could wait.

At dawn, Aria set out for her morning run and found Damian already waiting by the inn's entrance. They exchanged quiet greetings, both carefully avoiding last night's unspoken tension.

"Morning."

The sunlight seemed warmer as they returned to find Nolan Reed glowering in the lobby.

"Aria, I brought you breakfast," he said stiffly.

She arched a brow. "Thanks, but we got enough for everyone."

Nolan's jaw tightened.

The director's timely arrival broke the awkward silence. "Day off today! I'm taking you somewhere special."

Caleb Monroe eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't another one of your traps, is it?"

"Scout's honor!" The director lowered his voice conspiratorially. "There's a jade auction nearby. Want to test your luck?"

Serena Blake's eyes lit up. Gambling on raw jade? This was her forte. Her fingers brushed the jade bracelet on her wrist—her secret advantage.

Aria considered the opportunity. She needed quality jade for crafting talismans.

"Let's take a look," she murmured.

Damian and Nolan answered simultaneously: "Agreed."

The director beamed. "It's settled then!"

The livestream exploded with comments:

[An auction?! Director's outdone himself!]

[Bet Aria's gonna work her magic again!]

[Serena always gets lucky—she'll score big for sure!]

An hour later, the group arrived at the auction house. A staff member greeted them enthusiastically: "This section displays cut stones, while that area has raw jade lots..."

Wesley Hart cracked his knuckles. "I'm getting my wife a premium piece!"

Serena plotted silently. She'd outshine them all with multiple high-value finds.

Then Aria froze.

Her gaze locked onto a well-dressed group entering the venue. The leading man spotted her and stiffened.

"Aria?"

All warmth drained from her expression.

"What a coincidence... ex-boyfriend."