Chapter 457

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457
His voice was deep and rich , tinged with a husky edge – like fine aged wine . Utterly captivating ,
Owen remained seated , her arms wrapped snugly around his waist . Aria only needed to lower her eyes to see him .
The collar of his T – shirt rested just below his collarbone as he tilted his head back , revealing his prominent Adam’s apple , which bobbed as he swallowed .
‘ He’s definitely trying to seduce me , ‘ Aria thought , her heart skipping a beat .
With Owen’s striking looks right before her , Aria found it impossible not to be tempted .
She brushed aside his tousled locks , tipped up his chin with her fingertip , then leaned down to kiss his forehead . “ It’s too early to decide it , ” she teased .
Owen only said those words when the mood felt right – he simply wanted her to grow accustomed to his closeness , not because he truly expected her to sleep with him .
They’d just gotten together . It was definitely too soon to sleep together .
Her kiss on his forehead was more than enough for him .
Just as Owen’s lips curved into a smile , Aria’s next words came .
“ It’s not even dark yet , ” she said .
He froze , shock flashing in his eyes . “ Wait , you mean I can stay with you tonight ? ”
Aria rubbed his chin and grinned . “ You really are a feast for the eyes , handsome . It’d be a shame to shut you out . ”
She had to admit Owen was successfully seducing her . If Lily and Pearl weren’t home , she’d be kissing those lips right now .
Owen noticed her gaze lingering on his lips , his hand around her waist forming a loose fist . “ So … ”
He whispered , “ Should I freshen up and wait for you tonight ? ”
“ Deal , ” Aria said .
The moment she agreed , Owen’s mind was a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts .
Part of him was still lost in the vivid memory of kissing her in the car , while another part reminded him of the promise he’d made to take things slow . Yet there he was , shamelessly making a suggestive remark , practically inviting her to “ stay for the night . ”
A chaotic storm of thoughts crashed through his mind – reason battling with desire , lustful and innocent thoughts flashing one after another . ‘ What a mess , ‘ he thought , completely thrown into turmoil .
After all that overthinking , Owen finally decided , ‘ Enough overthinking . I’ll just go with the flow .’
Aria couldn’t help but smile at Owen’s relaxed expression , finding it both amusing and a little exasperating . “ Alright , I’m heading out . See you tonight . ”
“ See you tonight , ” Owen replied with a grin .
As soon as Aria left , Owen put the dishes away and tidied up the kitchen . After finishing , he took a shower . This time , he spent ten minutes longer than usual , lost in thought .
After showering , Owen tidied the room and changed all the sheets and bedding . He worked up such a sweat that he had to shower again .
Pearl’s academic foundation was weak , so she needed to systematically learn everything from scratch .
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09:44 Tue , 24 Jun
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To help Pearl prepare for the SAT in two years , Lily arranged a rather intensive study schedule . Fortunately , Pearl was bright and highly motivated , so she managed to keep up with the pace .
Two hours later , Lily closed the book and said , “ That’s it for today . You have class tomorrow , so just stick to the study plan i made for you . It’s fine if you don’t pay attention in class . ”
Given Pearl’s current situation , she could barely understand any of the high school freshman material .
“ Okay . ” Pearl nodded .
As Lily and Pearl came out of the living room , they saw Aria standing at the doorway .
The delivery man said politely , “ Ms. Saxon , Mr. Todd instructed me to deliver these custom acupuncture needles , along with the herbals and tools you requested .”
Aria smiled and said , “ Thank you . ”
The delivery man set down the packages and left .
Lily walked over and asked , “ Aria , what did you get ? ”
Aria set the box aside . “ These are for Pearl’s face treatment , ” she said .
Pearl froze , her eyes wide with shock .
Aria looked at her with gentle eyes and said , “ The scars can be lightened . ”
Treating burn scars was a lengthy process . First , she had to improve blood circulation to so and regeneration .
e scar tissue , then use medication to aid in scar repair
Aria’s scar was on her back , making it impossible for her to perform acupuncture on herself . While she was with the Solemnity Guild , she was too preoccupied with training and missions to have time for any treatment . It wasn’t until after she left Solemnity Guild that she began applying medicine , which was why her recovery had been slow .
AD
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