Chapter 124: Chapter 123: Return to the Estate
ARIA’S POV - Friday Morning, 6:47 AM
Aria was still half-submerged in sleep when her phone rang.
She fumbled for it blindly, her eyes barely opening, her mind still foggy with dreams she couldn’t quite remember. Her hand found the phone on her nightstand, and she brought it to her ear without even checking who was calling.
"Hello?" Her voice came out rough, thick with sleep.
"Aria. Good morning."
Damien.
She sat up so fast the room spun, sleep evaporating like morning mist.
"Damien? What....it’s not even seven...."
"I know. I’m sorry for waking you, but I need you to get ready. My driver will be waiting for you downstairs in thirty minutes."
She blinked, trying to make sense of his words through the fog still clinging to her brain. "Wait, what? Your driver? Why?"
"He’s going to bring you to the estate."
The estate.
The word hit her like cold water, fully waking her, making her heart start to pound.
"What?" The word came out sharper than intended. "Damien, I don’t understand....."
"Thirty minutes, Aria. Get ready. Marcus will bring you here." His voice softened slightly. "I’ll explain everything when you arrive. Just....trust me."
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Aria stared at her phone for exactly three seconds, her mind racing.
The estate. He wanted her at the estate. The place she hadn’t set foot in since that terrible night in the greenhouse. The place where everything had shattered. Where he’d caught her with dirt on her hands and betrayal written across her face. Where he’d looked at her with such devastation that she’d wanted to die.
Why was he asking her to go back there now?
She didn’t have time to analyze it.
She threw off her covers and launched herself out of bed, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to get to the bathroom.
Thirty minutes. She had thirty minutes to shower, get dressed, make herself presentable, and get downstairs.
She turned the shower on as hot as it would go and stepped under the spray, her mind spinning.
What was he planning? Why the estate instead of the office? Why so early in the morning?
Just trust me, he’d said.
And she did. God help her, she trusted him completely now. After yesterday....after his confession about his mother, after his forgiveness, after the way he’d held her and told her he loved her....she trusted him with everything she had.
So if he wanted her at the estate, she’d go to the estate.
She washed quickly, efficiently, her hands shaking slightly from nerves and anticipation. When she got out, she dried off in record time and stared at her closet, trying to decide what to wear.
Not her work uniform. This wasn’t a work visit.
Not anything too fancy. She didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard.
She settled on dark jeans and a soft cream sweater....casual but nice, comfortable but put-together. She pulled her damp hair into a simple ponytail, applied minimal makeup, grabbed her bag and her phone.
Twenty-three minutes. She’d made it in twenty-three minutes.
She rushed out of her bedroom and nearly collided with her mother in the hallway.
Mei grabbed her shoulders, her eyes wide with concern. "Aria? What’s going on? Where are you running to at this hour?"
"I’m fine, Mama. I’m just...." She took a breath, trying to slow down, trying to appear calm even though her heart was racing. "Damien called. He wants me to come to the estate. His driver is picking me up."
"The estate?" Mei’s expression shifted, became unreadable. "You haven’t been there since...."
"I know." Aria squeezed her mother’s hands. "I know, Mama. But he asked me to come, and I trust him. Whatever he’s planned, I trust that it’s...that it’s what we need."
Mei studied her face for a long moment, those sharp eyes missing nothing as always.
"You’re sure about this? About going back there?"
"I’m sure about him. And if this is what he needs....if going back there is part of moving forward...then I’m ready."
Mei pulled her into a tight hug. "Then go. But Aria? That place holds a lot of painful memories for both of you. Don’t let them overwhelm you. Stay present. Stay focused on the fact that you’re different people now than you were then."
"I will. I promise."
Aria kissed her mother’s cheek and fled down the stairs, grabbing her coat on the way out.
*******
7:01 AM - Outside the Apartment Building
The car was already there when Aria stepped outside.
A sleek black BMW with tinted windows, idling at the curb like it had been waiting for her. Which, she supposed, it had been.
As she approached, the driver’s door opened and a man stepped out.
Aria’s breath caught.
Marcus.
She knew him. Had known him since her first days at the estate when she was still pretending to be Sarah Mitchell, just another maid. Marcus was head of security....tall and broad-shouldered with close-cropped dark hair and a face that gave nothing away. He was the kind of man who noticed everything, who seemed to see through lies just by looking at you.
He’d been there that night in the greenhouse. Had been the one Damien called to escort her off the property after he’d caught her stealing. Had witnessed her complete devastation as she’d been removed from the estate with nothing but her bag and her shame.
And he knew everything. Knew about the fake identity, the theft, Everything.
So when he looked at her now, she didn’t know what to expect.
What she got was a small, genuine smile.
"Good morning, Miss Chen."
The use of her real name....not Sarah, but Chen....made her throat tighten.
"Good morning, Marcus."
He moved to open the rear passenger door, his movements efficient and professional. "Mr. Blackwood asked me to pick you up personally. Said he wanted someone you’d recognize. Someone you’d feel comfortable with."
The thoughtfulness of that gesture made her chest ache.
She slid into the backseat, and Marcus closed the door gently before returning to the driver’s seat.
As he pulled away from the curb, Aria found herself watching him in the rearview mirror.
"Marcus? Can I ask you something?"
His eyes met hers in the mirror. "Of course, Miss Chen."
"How...." She struggled to find the right words. "How has he been? Since everything happened?"
Marcus was quiet for a moment, navigating through the early morning traffic that was just beginning to build.
"Honestly, Miss Chen?" He sighed. "He’s been lost. Angry at first. Then just....empty. Like something vital had been taken from him and he didn’t know how to function without it."
The description made tears prick at her eyes.
"But," Marcus continued, his voice softening, "this past week, since you came back, since he decided to forgive you....I’ve seen glimpses of the man he used to be. Before the pain. Before the anger. He’s been different and better."
"I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he stays that way," Aria said fiercely. "To prove that forgiving me wasn’t a mistake. That I’m worth the risk he’s taking."
In the mirror, Marcus’s expression gentled. "We all know you are, Miss Chen. We all saw how much you loved him, even when you were lying about everything else. That kind of love...it’s not something you can fake."
The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence, Aria watching the city gradually give way to the more exclusive neighborhoods on the outskirts, then finally to the tree-lined private road that led to the Blackwood estate.
When the massive iron gates came into view, her heart started pounding.
She hadn’t been here in over a month. Hadn’t driven up this road, through these gates, past these perfectly manicured lawns since the night Damien had caught her in the greenhouse and her entire world had collapsed.
The estate rose before them....three stories of classic architecture and old money, the early morning sun making the windows gleam. It was beautiful and imposing and filled with memories both precious and painful.
Marcus pulled up to the front entrance and came around to open her door.
"Mr. Blackwood is in his study, Miss Chen. Second floor, west wing."
"I remember." How could she forget? She’d walked that corridor countless times.
"Welcome back," Marcus said quietly. And there was genuine warmth in his voice, genuine gladness that she was here.
It made her want to cry.
Instead, she thanked him and turned toward the entrance, her heart in her throat.
*****
7:24 AM - The Estate
Aria stood at the massive front doors for a moment, her hand on the ornate handle, gathering her courage.
This was it. She was back. Back at the place where she’d lived a lie. Where she’d fallen in love. Where she’d made the worst mistake of her life.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The entrance hall was exactly as she remembered....soaring ceilings, marble floors that gleamed in the morning light, the grand staircase sweeping upward toward the second floor. Everything was pristine, perfect, maintained to impossible standards by the staff she’d once been part of.
"Aria?"
She turned, and her breath caught.
Lucy.
Her friend. Her companion during those months when she’d lived here as Sarah. The woman who’d covered for her, who’d suspected something was wrong but had never pushed, who’d become the closest thing to a friend Aria had in this place.
They stared at each other for a moment across the entrance hall.
Then they were both moving, meeting in the middle, wrapping their arms around each other as tears spilled over.
"You’re back," Lucy sobbed against her shoulder. "Oh god, you’re really back."
"I’m back," Aria whispered, holding her tight. "I’m so sorry, Lucy. I’m so sorry I lied to you, that I used a fake name, that I...."
"Stop." Lucy pulled back, gripping her shoulders, her face wet with tears. "We all knew something was going on. We all knew you weren’t just a regular maid. And when we found out what really happened...." Her voice cracked. "Your mother was dying, Aria. You were desperate. We understood."
"Miss Chen."
They both turned.
Mrs. Chen stood at the base of the stairs, her expression carefully composed, but her eyes....her eyes were red-rimmed, bright with emotion.
The head housekeeper who’d hired her. Who’d supervised her work. Who’d been there that terrible night when Damien had her escorted off the property.
"Mrs. Chen," Aria said quietly, stepping forward. "I’m so sorry for...."
"Don’t." Mrs. Chen’s voice was firm but not unkind. "Don’t apologize. We’re just...." Her composure cracked slightly. "We’re just glad you’re back. Glad he found his way back to you. He hasn’t been the same since you left."
"I know. I’m going to do everything I can to...."
"You already have, child." Mrs. Chen’s expression softened. "If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be standing here right now. Now go. He’s waiting for you in his study. And he’s been pacing for the past hour, which means he’s anxious."
Lucy squeezed her hand. "Go. And Aria? We’re all rooting for you two."
Aria nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat, and headed for the stairs.
****8
7:31 AM - Second Floor Corridor
Every step down the familiar corridor felt surreal.
Aria’s feet knew this path by heart. How many times had she walked it? Carrying fresh linens to his room. Delivering meals to his study. Sneaking glances into his private spaces and trying not to get caught staring.
But this was different. She wasn’t Sarah the maid anymore. She was Aria Chen, the woman Damien Blackwood loved. The woman he’d forgiven. The woman he’d asked to come back.
She reached his study door and paused, her hand raised to knock.
Behind this door was the man who’d seen through all her lies. Who’d caught her in the worst moment of her life. Who’d let her go even when it destroyed him. Who’d chosen to forgive her when he had every right to walk away forever.
The man she loved more than breathing.
She knocked.
"Come in."
His voice....that deep, commanding voice that made something in her core respond before her brain could catch up.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside.
