Aria could sense the heated gaze from the man beside her and she did not have to lift her head to find out who was responsible for it. She knew that her trick had added fuel to Noah's desire and Aria was sure he would take revenge with added interest. She could only pray for the dinner, which seemed to be pacing swiftly for her liking, to drag for long.

In the blink of an eye, the dinner ended and Oliver returned to his room, leaving Aria alone with Noah in the dining hall. Noah did not move from his place, his eyes fixed on the girl beside him. His intense gaze made Aria fidgety and when she could tolerate it no longer, she stood up suddenly. Noah raised his eyebrows at her, throwing questions at her silently.

"I'll clear the table," Aria muttered, immediately picking up her plate. Before she could reach for the other plates, Noah's hand stopped her. She had no idea when he had stood up, for now, he was leaning beside her, his chest touching her right arm. He held her hand and Aria looked up at him.

"Aria, you do not have to do this. We have servants, remember." He stated, his lips quirking up slightly seeing her nervous gaze.

"Huh?" She mumbled, her mind turning into a mush when she felt Noah's thumb run softly on her palm. She could feel the heat of his body and the effect of it was so strong that she shuddered in her place. Noah did not miss this little reaction and his heart leaped in joy.

"Aria, drop the plate. The servants will take care of it." Without waiting for her response, he took the plate from her and placed it on the table. Aria was too lost to notice what was even happening and she allowed him to do as he pleased. "Come with me, darling." He coaxed her and gently lifted her in his arms. The sudden movement brought Aria out of her reverie and she squealed.

"Noah, what are you doing?" She wound her hands around his neck to prevent herself from falling. "Put me down." Noah gave her a look and without a word, started walking towards their room. With every step he took, Aria's nervousness rose and her heart thundered in her chest.

Although the distance between the dining hall and the room was quite short, to Noah, it seemed to stretch forever. Unlike Aria who was wishing for it to go on. Finally, to Noah's relief and Aria's horror, they reached their room and Noah closed the door behind him. Giving a moment for Aria to stabilize her, he released her and locked the door, allowing no room for her to escape.

Aria had just a few seconds for her escape. But she did not seize the chance and stood rooted to her place. It was as though her legs were weighed down by leads, not allowing her to take even one step back.

Noah turned back and what Aria saw made her gasp. There was a raging desire in his eyes and he was on the edge of losing control. The moment she saw his state, something snapped in her and she took a step back, urging the man to take one step towards her. Nobody said a word, the silence in the room was unnerving. The atmosphere became tense at once and Aria could feel goosebumps rise on her skin due to Noah's ardent gaze.

Seeing the man inching towards her, Aria's mind sent her a signal. The next moment, she turned on heels and bolted away from him, towards the bed, trying to avoid the man. However, this action of hers ignited a fire in him and he chased after her.

Aria did not have many options to run to in the first place, in Noah's room except for the bathroom. But the direction in which she had taken off was opposite to it and she could only groan in despair at her luck. However, she still had the chance to make it and that was only if she crossed the bed without being caught by Noah.

Not wasting another moment, she jumped on the bed, wriggling her way through the sheets. 'Yes, Aria. You can do it. You can do it.' Although Aria knew she could not escape from Noah forever, she could not help find the chase a thrill. Her heart was already looking forward to what would happen once Noah captured her. But she was sure of one thing, Noah would never do anything that would hurt her or force her to do anything against her wishes.

Her feet had barely touched the ground when Noah pulled her back by her arms, gently and Aria fell flat on the bed, with a yelp. She did not even have the chance to move as the man immediately hovered above her, trapping her completely in his embrace. He locked her legs in between his, sending her a sweet, victorious smile in the meanwhile.

"Had your share of fun, sweetheart?" He queried, pushing back her hair that had fallen over her face. Aria did not speak a word, pleading with him through her eyes to leave her. However, the man just ignored her pleas and pecked her lightly. "Aria, do you trust me?" He questioned her and pushed himself closer to her.historical

Aria nodded her head without any hesitation. There was no reluctance and doubts in her eyes, only unconditional trust and sincerity. Her obvious answer touched Noah and a genuine smile made its way on his face. However, he was still not satisfied. He wanted to hear her proclaim it rather than convincing him through signals. "Words, darling, words. I need words. Do you trust me?"

This time, Aria did as she was asked and she answered him with all her honesty. "I do, Noah. I trust you with all my heart and soul." Her answered greatly pleased the man and he rewarded her with a peck.

"Then, do you believe that I will not do anything to you that might hurt you?"

"Absolutely," Aria replied with confidence. "I am certain about you. Hurting me would be the last thing on your mind." After she answered him, she could feel the guilt enveloping her heart. Although he was not hurting her, nor did he ever hurt her, she was sure that the gruesome truth about her and the secret she was hiding would hurt him in the future. Just the thought of it frightened her and she prayed for him to forgive her.

Seeing her slipping into thoughts, Noah blew his breath on her lips trying to bring her back. "Sweetheart, I am sad." He stated, licking his lips slowly. His hoarse voice brought Aria out of her reverie and she raised an eyebrow at him. "My darling girl's focus is somewhere else when I am right in front of her. How can I not be sad?" He pouted like a cute kid and Aria could not help but roll her eyes at his mischievous antics.

"But that's okay." Noah continued, not allowing Aria to speak. "I know exactly what to do to bring my Aria back to me." Not giving her any time to comprehend his words, he kissed her, taking her breath away.

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