Chapter 908

Aaron’s fingers tightened slightly around the glass of milk, his dark gaze flickering faintly. Lena, sensing the tension, held her breath. She was already regretting her words, thinking of an excuse to explain further, when Aaron spoke.

“Alright,” he said simply. He agreed.

Lena exhaled in relief, quickly reaching out to take the milk with both hands, like a child trying to behave. “Thank you, Uncle.” She wasn’t sure if she was thanking him for letting her go so easily or for thoughtfully preparing the milk.

Holding the glass, she retreated to her room as quickly as possible. Aaron stood in place, watching her until she disappeared from view, his gaze dropping only when she was out of sight.

Now that he had agreed, Lena began packing her belongings. She didn’t have much—she’d always been someone with few material desires. When she first moved in, it was with the intention of staying temporarily, so her things were limited to what she had brought with her.

It didn’t take long before her luggage was packed. Looking around the room one last time, she whispered to herself, “Goodbye.”

If it weren’t for the fear of making Aaron feel bad, she’d have left right then and there. But another night wouldn’t hurt. She decided to leave early in the morning before he woke up, sparing both of them the awkwardness of a farewell.

With her plan in place, Lena got into bed and drank the milk he had prepared. She closed her eyes, determined to fall asleep quickly to wake up early. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, sleep evaded her.

The more she tried to quiet her mind, the more chaotic her thoughts became. Images of Aaron leaning in earlier flashed in her mind unbidden. She could still feel the phantom trace of his presence and the faint scent of him lingering in her nose.

Frustrated, she yanked the blanket over her head. Just then, she heard the sound of a car engine. Aaron hadn’t driven back earlier, so it must have been someone else arriving.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she got up and peeked out through the curtains. Down below, she saw Aaron with his longtime friend, James. The two had been close since their school days, practically childhood friends.

Chapter 90s

“What do you want at this hour?” James called from the driver’s seat, speaking loudly through the open car window.

Lena couldn’t hear Aaron’s response, but she saw him walk over to James’s side and knock on the driver’s door. James began grumbling. “If you’re not going to let me drive, and you’re so scared of my driving, why did you call me here in the first place?”

Despite his annoyance at Aaron’s mistrust, James got out of the car obediently and moved to the passenger side. However, just as he opened the door, Aaron said, “Sit in the back.”

“What the…” James was furious. “This is my car, and I can’t even sit in the front seat?”

Aaron adjusted his posture and didn’t dignify the protest with a response.

James leaned against the passenger door, pointing at Aaron with mock outrage. “I get it now. You’re saving this seat for some girl, aren’t you?”

Aaron’s answer came in the form of the engine revving loudly. James understood the message: get in the car now, or he’d leave him behind.

“Damn it! You’re impossible,” James muttered, slamming the passenger door shut and begrudgingly climbing into the back seat.

Lena watched the entire exchange from her window, holding her breath until the car finally drove off. Only then did she relax.

As she turned back toward her bed, her gaze fell on the neatly packed suitcase. A thought struck her—it might be better to leave now. If Aaron woke up early, they’d run into each other, and she’d have to endure another awkward interaction.

With her mind made up, Lena quickly changed clothes, grabbed her suitcase, and made her way downstairs. She drove off quietly, the relief of escaping making her oblivious to the car parked just down the street.

The window of the parked car was slightly open, and Aaron’s face appeared in the shadows, half-hidden and cold as ice.

“You dragged me out here in the middle of the night just to sit in the car and breathe exhaust fumes?” James snapped, his frustration boiling over.

As he finished his rant, Aaron slammed his foot on the accelerator. The car shot forward, the sudden force nearly sending James flying out of his seat.

“Damn it! You’re insane!” James yelled, holding on for dear life.