Chapter 199 There’s something I need to tell you
Aria’s POV
I froze, completely caught off guard by his question.
I set down my fork slowly, staring directly into those intense dark gray eyes through the screen. Instead of answering right away, I countered with my own question.
"Would you ever lie to me? Betray me?"
"No." Damian’s answer came without a single heartbeat of hesitation. Absolute. Unshakeable. "That day will never come."
Something warm bloomed in my chest.
I smiled then—a real smile, the kind that felt like spring thaw after a brutal winter. Full of trust. Full of surrender.
"Then I won’t either."
My answer was just as decisive. "My ruthlessness—my vindictiveness—I only save that for people who betray me. Who hurt me."
I paused, letting my voice soften. "But you? You’re the person I’ll stand beside no matter what happens. Through everything."
This wasn’t some romantic declaration meant to sound pretty. This was the truth. Hard-earned. Battle-tested. A promise I meant with every fiber of my being.
---
Damian’s POV
Her words hit me like a physical force.
*You’re the person I’ll stand beside no matter what happens.*
Something inside my chest filled completely. Overflowed.
A warmth I couldn’t name—profound, settling, utterly grounding—spread through every part of me.
I opened my mouth to tell her exactly what that meant to me, but my gaze snagged on the bowl in front of her.
"You’re not eating that anymore," I said, the words coming out rougher than I intended.
"Aria," I said carefully, "you can’t keep eating this kind of junk."
She looked up at me through her lashes, and then—
She pressed her palms together like she was praying, tilting her head with the most ridiculously endearing pout I’d ever seen.
"Just this once, I swear! Junk food is delicious sometimes, okay? Please, Your Majesty, Alpha King Sir—have mercy on your poor mate just this one time?"
My resolve crumbled instantly.
The sight of her acting cute—for me, *because* of me—did something devastating to my self-control.
My chest rose and fell as I exhaled slowly, defeated.
"Fine. But only *occasionally*."
Even as I said it, my eyes drifted back to that bowl of oily noodles. My frown didn’t completely disappear.
"When I get back," I muttered, half to her, half to myself, "I’m making sure you eat properly. Real food. Nutritious food. I need to make up for all the meals you’ve been skipping."
Aria swallowed a mouthful of noodles, then looked up at me. The glow from her screen lit up her face, made her green eyes sparkle.
"Then you’d better come home soon," she said softly. "So you can feed me all that good nutrition."
She hesitated, then added even more quietly, "Nothing tastes right when you’re not here."
That did it.
Those words—simple, unguarded, laced with a dependency she rarely showed—hit me harder than any outright confession of love.
My heart clenched. Heat spread through my body like wildfire, coiling low in my gut.
"Soon," I promised, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. Almost hoarse. "As soon as I’m done here, I’m getting on a plane. I’ll be back before you know it."
"Okay. But don’t overwork yourself either." She twirled her chopsticks absently through the noodles, her expression soft. Trusting. "I’ll be waiting."
Those last three words—*I’ll be waiting*—were spoken so gently, so sweetly, that my body reacted instantly.
Arousal hit me hard and fast.
*’Pathetic,’* my wolf drawled in my head, smug as hell. *’She says three words and you’re already—’*
*’Oh, shut up,’* I shot back. *’Like you’re not dying to get back there and Mark her properly. Who’s the one with separation anxiety again?’*
Silence.
I smirked.
---
Aria finished her ramen quickly, scraping the last bits from the bowl.
"I’m gonna wash this and do my Pilates," she said, standing up with the empty bowl in hand. "You should get some rest too."
"Yeah," I murmured, even though I had zero intention of hanging up.
She smiled at me one more time—soft, tired, beautiful—then walked out of frame toward the kitchen.
I heard the sound of running water. The clink of dishes.
I leaned back in my chair, phone still propped up on the desk, just listening to her move around.
A knock sounded at my door.
"Come in," I called, keeping my voice low.
Rick stepped inside, tablet in hand, his expression professionally neutral.
"Your Majesty," he said quietly, closing the door behind him. "Update on the media situation."
I nodded but didn’t look away from my phone screen.
Rick glanced at it briefly, then tactfully pretended not to notice I was still on a call.
"We’ve scrubbed all the negative posts about Ms. Smith from the major platforms," he reported. "Took down the tabloid articles. Issued copyright strikes against anyone reposting defamatory content."
"Good."
"We also had the our PR department issue a statement." He swiped his tablet, pulling up the post. "Carefully worded. We praised Ms. Smith’s business acumen and leadership without revealing her identity as Luna Queen. Positioned her as a respected ally of the Crown."
I scanned the statement quickly.
*Blackwood Crown Enterprises has been a long-time partner of Smith Holdings. We have the utmost confidence in Ms. Aria Smith’s leadership and integrity. Recent media speculation is unfounded and does not reflect the facts.*
Short. Vague enough not to raise questions. But unmistakably a show of support.
"Perfect," I said. "Make sure everyone on the PR team gets a month’s bonus. And a week of paid leave."
Rick’s eyebrows lifted slightly. "Your Majesty, that’s quite generous—"
"They earned it. They moved fast and didn’t ask questions." I met his gaze. "Reward that."
"Understood." He made a note on his tablet. "Anything else?"
"That’s all for tonight," I said. "Get some rest."
Rick bowed slightly and left.
I turned back to my phone，my wolf murmured.*You should tell her Vanessa’s here,* low and insistent. *Before she hears it from someone else.*
"You’re right," I muttered under my breath. "I’ll need to tell Aria — before someone mentions it and she thinks I’m hiding something."
Then Aria returned a moment later, changed into an oversized T-shirt that hung off one shoulder, ready for her Pilates.She looked soft.
She picked up her phone, then blinked, surprised to find the call still running. "You haven’t hung up yet?"
"Aria." I set the phone aside. "There’s something I need to tell you."