Chapter 319

319
With just those words , Aria hastily made her exit .
Back home , sure enough , the noise had ceased .
Navoron Restaurant delivered the meal . Lily arranged the dishes , Gael went to fetch Mono , while Aria called Owen , only to hear a cold , 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 – black , save for a faint glimmer coming 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 V- 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 went completely blank 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 , 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’ve come 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 her mind .
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A body so different from a woman’s — every inch radiating raw power , sculpted to perfection . She couldn’t help but admire it .
Realizing her thoughts were drifting into dangerous territory , Aria lightly tapped her forehead and gradually regained her composure .
Thank goodness he still had his pants on – at least she didn’t see anything she shouldn’t have ,
Five minutes later, Owen cautiously emerged from his room .
Aria heard footsteps , and her heart leapt into her throat .
Aria thought , ‘ I just saw all of him . Oh god , do I have to take responsibility for this ? ‘
The light switch clicked as Owen turned it on .
As the lights flicked on , Aria instinctively snapped her eyes shut , then slowly blinked them open a moment later .
Owen stood there with his phone in hand , his hair still slightly disheveled .
Owen stood a few paces away , his face etched with apology . He said softly , “ Sorry , I had my phone on silent mode . I was changing and missed your 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 explained 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.
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