Chapter 5 Don't Fall

Aria's POV

His parents were hell-bent on us going for the honeymoon. It will be just for show, making sure we portray our love and take many pictures.

It was morning already, I found myself waiting for my husband in the living room. I don't want to expect too much from this trip, it was all for show. I need to guard my heart very strongly.

I don't know how I was going to make him walk again. But that seems to be his desperate wish and my ambition was also my desperate wish. If I succeed in it, that means we'll divorce immediately after I play my own part.

This makes me wonder if his parents were going to accept it. Either way, it wasn't my headache to worry about.

My thoughts wandered around my courses, then I heard the sound of the wheel ramp rolling down the stairs.

I stood up immediately, as Jameson came forward. Our luggage was outside already, ready for the trip to Italy.

"Hi. Good morning." I greeted, smiling brightly as I walked closer to him. I expected the same smile in return, at least, we've established business partners relationship last night.

But that wasn't the case, he gave a few instructions to the maids, before one of them rolled him out.

I gawked. Did I just disappear?

Well, I can accept all his cocky attitudes as long as he was ready to foot the bills of my school. My classes were online, but I'll have to travel down to Europe for surgical practices.

I followed behind them to the car garage. When he was beside me, I couldn't help but voice out the sarcastic words that came to my mind.

"I see you're practicing your 'ignore-the-person' skills again. Keep up the good work though." I said, before turning to him with a sly smile.

Yet, he revealed no reaction.

His bodyguards helped to prepare his wheelchair inside the Mercedes-benz sprinter.

The tension in the air shifted the moment the knock came at the gate. I furrowed my brows, unsure of who could be interrupting us this early.

Moments later, a tall woman with striking features stepped through the entrance, her dark shades glinting in the sunlight. Her hair was a cascade of perfect curls, bouncing behind her as she strutted forward like she owned the place.

She exuded confidence-too much of it, if you asked me.

I glanced at Jameson, curious about his reaction. His hands gripped the armrests of his wheelchair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. I didn't miss the sharp inhale he took, as though steadying himself for a storm.

Who was this woman?

As she got closer, she took off her sunglasses and smiled, her eyes locking on mine with unsettling intensity.

"Hi," she greeted, her voice smooth but laced with something I couldn't quite place.

"I'm Clara." She stretched her hand toward me in a friendly gesture. I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Still, I didn't want to appear rude, so I shook her hand.

"I'm Aria," I replied, trying to keep my tone polite.

"Aria," she repeated slowly, as if tasting the name. "What a nice name."

"Clara, what the hell are you doing here?" Jameson's voice sliced through the moment, cold and laced with menace.

I blinked, startled by his sharp tone.

Clara didn't seem fazed. Instead, she turned her attention to him, the corners of her lips lifting in what could only be described as a mocking smirk.

"I heard about your marriage, so I thought I should come by and see for myself. And maybe clarify a few things you seem to have forgotten."

His jaw tightened, his face hardening. "Fvck off."

I flinched at his bluntness, unable to stop the surprised "Huh?" that escaped my lips. Clara's eyes flicked to me briefly, her smirk widening.

"It seems your wife isn't as eager to kick me out as you are, Jameson." She turned to me, her tone deliberately friendly. "By the way, I'm his ex-girlfriend."

I froze, processing her words. His ex? This felt like the kind of messy drama I wanted no part of.

"Oh," I stammered awkwardly, scratching the back of my neck. "I didn't realize..."

"Clara, leave. Now." Jameson growled again, but Clara wasn't done.

She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the polished floor, her eyes never leaving his face.

"I don't cheat, Jameson," she said, her voice sharper now, carrying a bitterness that cut through the air.

"I never did. You were the one sneaking around, lying, cheating. But no, you couldn't stand the idea that I might have moved on, so you destroyed us." His expression didn't change, but the air around him seemed to vibrate with tension.

"You think I care about your version of the story?" he spat out. Clara laughed, a sound that was more bitter than amused.

"Care? No, you don't care about anything but yourself. And now, you've dragged someone else into your mess. Poor Aria. She has no idea what she's gotten herself into."

That stung. I wasn't sure why, but I felt an overwhelming urge to defend him-even if he didn't deserve it. "Actually, I-"

"Stay out of this. It's none of your business!" Jameson barked at me, his glare snapping.

The sharpness of his tone startled me into silence. My lips clamped shut as Clara's gaze flicked between us, her smirk returning.

"Good luck," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "You're going to need it."

With that, she turned and walked out, her departure just as dramatic as her arrival.

The silence that followed was suffocating. I turned to Jameson, unsure what to say or do. But he spoke first, his voice low and cutting.

"You have no idea what you've signed up for, do you?" he said, his eyes dark and cold as they met mine.

"This isn't some fairy tale, Aria. Don't fall in love with me, because I'm not going to pretend to care about your feelings."

The words hit me like a slap. I swallowed hard, willing myself not to react.

He doesn't mean it, I told myself firmly. He's just upset. Seeing Clara again must have brought up old wounds.

"I didn't say I expected anything from you or I was going to love you," I said quietly, keeping my voice as even as possible.

"Good," he said, turning his wheelchair away from me. "Let's keep it that way."

His cold dismissal stung more than I wanted to admit. But I forced myself to stay calm. If there was one thing I had learned about Jameson in the short time I had known him, it was that his bark was worse than his bite.

Or at least, I hoped it was.

Taking a deep breath, I followed him to the car. This trip was already off to a terrible start, but I told myself I could handle it.

After all, I had promised myself one thing: I wouldn't let Jameson or his bitterness break me.

'For how long?' my subconscious asked me, but I shoved that question off my mind.