Chapter 427
When Owen opened his eyes again , he found himself staring at Aria’s sleeping face , just inches away .
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For a second , he forgot where he was , then realized – he’d actually spent the night in her bed . A huge , dorky smile spread across his face as he watched
her .
He lay there for a while , completely at peace , until he suddenly jolted . ‘ Wait , wasn’t I supposed to go to work ? ‘
Moving as quietly as he could , he slipped out of bed and peeked outside .
The sun was already high , definitely not six AM . ‘ Damn , I overslept . ‘
He crept out of the room , closing the door behind him as gently as possible .
Halfway down the hall , he heard another door open and froze . Turning , he locked eyes with a very sleepy Derek – Owen’s heart nearly stopped .
Things between him and Aria were still fragile , and the last thing he needed was for Derek to catch on and start asking questions .
If Ania got annoyed , she might just end things right here .
Derek blinked at him , then mumbled , “ Owen ? Morning .”
Owen put on a casual smile . “ Morning .”
Derek wandered into the kitchen , poured himself a glass of water , and shuffled back toward his room , still half – asleep . “ I’m going back to bed . ”
“ Sure , ” Owen said .
Derek paused , suddenly realizing something was off . “ Wait , isn’t this Aria’s place ? Why did I just see you coming out of her room ? ”
He rubbed his eyes , suddenly wide awake .
Owen didn’t even blink . “ I came over to make breakfast and wake her up . She wasn’t hungry , so she went back to bed . Want something to eat ? ”
Derek shook his head . “ Nah , I’m not hungry . I just want to sleep . ”
Owen gave him a friendly smile . “ Alright , I’ll get going . Get some more rest . ”
Derek didn’t seem suspicious at all . “ Yeah , yeah , see you . ”
As the door shut behind him , Owen let out a huge sigh of relief .
Elsewhere , Amanda had been trying and failing to reach Fryderyk , so she marched straight into the police station .
The moment she spotted him in uniform , her heart did a little flip .
She told herself , ‘ Okay , calm down . He’s got someone he likes now . Just … be cool . ‘ Then she headed over . “ Fryderyk ! Why haven’t you answered my messages ? ”
Every head in the office turned at once .
Fryderyk glanced up . “ I’ve been busy . ”
Amanda huffed . “ It’s not like I’m asking you to hang out . I need you to protect me . ”
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23:48 Sun , 22 Jun —
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He looked up , deadpan . “ If you’re worried about your safety , hire a bodyguard . Or , here’s a thought , don’t throw a wine tasting . ”
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Amanda protested , “ I’ve been planning this for months ! The invitations are out . I can’t just cancel . And bodyguards aren’t as good as you . Ever since you admitted you liked Aria , I haven’t messaged you once ! I’m not chasing you , I really do need your help . ”
Across the room , someone dropped a file . Whispered conversations sprang up instantly , but in the small office , every word was easy to hear .
“ No way , Fryderyk likes Aria ? ”
“ Honestly , it’s kind of shocking … but not really . He’s always looking out for her , always helping .”
Fryderyk , who had recently been put in charge of Aria’s case , said nothing .
Amanda set an invitation on his desk . “ I promise I’ll get Aria to come . Friday . You have to be there . Bye ! ”
“ Fryderyk , you should go , ” someone called out after she left . “ We barely get time off in this place . Seize your chance – go after Aria ! ”
“ Yeah , you’ll need to work hard for that one . She’s not easy . ”
Fryderyk kept his head down . “ I don’t like Aria . ”
“ Sure , sure . But you’ll come to the tasting , right ? Aria’s going to be there . ”
Meanwhile , on her phone were a few messages .
Aria : [ Not coming . ]
Amanda : [ Please , Aria ! If you come , Fryderyk will show up too ! I really , really need his help – it’s urgent ! ]
Amanda kept spamming messages , and Aria seriously regretted ever accepting her friend request .
With a sigh , she gave in : [ Fine ]
Amanda : [ Great ! I’ll send you the invitation . ]
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