Chapter 272
They got too excited and ended up shouting without realizing it .
Aria turned her head to look .
Locking eyes unexpectedly , the two hurriedly rolled up the windows and urged the driver , “ Go ! Go ! ”
The car sped away .
Aria’s
‘ s gaze followed the departing car . After a moment , a puzzled look crossed her face .
Aria wondered , ‘ Why are they running away ? ‘
Owen stiffly turned back around .
Aria arched her brows , her usual sharpness softened . Her delicate features retained their cool , distant air .
There was no anger , no frown , not even a hint of irritation .
Owen hesitated , carefully choosing his words as he tentatively explained , “ They were just messing around . It won’t happen again , so , don’t take it to heart , okay ? ”
“ They weren’t messing around , ” Aria said .
Her voice was clear and flat , devoid of emotion , as if she were simply stating an ordinary fact .
His heart clenched suddenly , skipping a beat . His breath caught , and his pupils widened . For a moment , he couldn’t think straight . Owen stammered , “ You … don’t mind ? ”
Aria noticed Owen’s slightly flustered expression but didn’t dwell on it . “ The volunteers usually call me Ms. Saxon , but I’m not much older than them . It was fine for them to call me Aria . ”
Aria looked away and turned inside .
Owen felt the tension in his chest ease as his heart finally settled . To his surprise , he wasn’t disappointed or upset – just deeply relieved .
‘ Thank goodness she misunderstood ,’ he thought .
Aria didn’t have any romantic feelings for him , so Owen kept his own well hidden . He couldn’t risk giving her a chance to turn him down .
Now that Aria’s heart was sealed off , if she ever found out …
Given her personality , Owen probably wouldn’t even get the chance to get close to her .
Aria walked at a steady pace , but her thoughts grew increasingly tangled.
‘ There’s nothing wrong with being called ‘ Aria ‘ ,’ she thought . “ So why did he say I shouldn’t mind ? ”
Aria thought , ‘ Go for Aria ? ‘
‘ So that’s why the young interns told him to go for me . They thought Owen had feelings for me . ‘
Not all the volunteers were around when she gave her explanation .
Once they returned and learned the truth from others , they probably wouldn’t misunderstand again .
But Owen’s expression looked a little off .
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$ 11.00 Thu , 12 Jun ODB
272
Aria Instinctively stopped and turned around . “ Owen , are you … ”
The world suddenly went dark as a solid wall of muscle crashed into her .
The momentum sent her stumbling back . She instinctively planted one foot behind her , barely catching her balance .
Aria looked up , meeting Owen’s eyes – wide with surprise and a hint of confusion .
Owen swallowed hard and asked , “ Why did you stop all of a sudden ? ”
It was a flat , emotionless question – calm and still .
Aria studied his face .
His brows were finely arched , lashes downcast , his gaze deep and unreadable – betraying little emotion . Perhaps it was the exhaustion of the past few days , but his cheeks looked more hollow than usual .
‘ Nothing seems amiss , ‘ she thought .
Under her gaze , Owen’s heart was pounding wildly – not from attraction , but from sheer panic and alarm .
Lost in thought , Owen didn’t notice Aria’s sudden stop . By the time he realized , his momentum carried him forward before he could stop , and he collided right into her .
Aria wondered to herself , ‘ Owen , are you … into me ? ‘
He knew exactly what she was about to say .
Aria frowned in confusion , thought for a moment , then asked directly , “ Back at the medical station , they asked if we were dating . ”
Owen’s eyes flashed with surprise and he frowned slightly . “ Unbelievable ! How could such a rumor spread ? ”
His expression was serious and his tone sincere . “ I’m sorry . Rumors like this could damage your reputation . I’ll clarify things . ”
Aria wanted to ask him if he liked her , but held herself back . Instead , she said casually , “ It’s fine . I’ve cleared things up . ”
“ That’s good then , ” Owen said , the corners of his eyes lifting slightly as he averted his gaze .