Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO

Back in the car, Arwen turned to look at Aiden, her brows furrowing slightly in confusion as though she couldn't quite understand what was wrong.

"What happened to you?" she asked, not able to take his sullen expression anymore. "You have barely spoken a word since we left the party. Did something upset you?"

However, he didn't respond. His hand simply rested on the steering wheel, manoeuvring it with practised precision.

She gave him the time, waiting for him to speak, but even after several seconds, he didn't make the slightest effort to answer her. She pursed her lips.

"Husband, you —"

Just then, the car came to an abrupt halt, making her gasp. She turned toward the road, but finding it lazily empty, she didn't understand the reason for stopping.

Glancing back at Aiden, she opened her mouth to ask, but before she could, he turned to face her. His eyes held a deep, simmering resentment —one that almost felt too familiar.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice low yet sharp enough to cut through the stillness.

Her brows knitted tighter. "What are you talking about? What did I do?" She wasn't pretending —she truly had no idea.

Aiden stared at her for a moment, as though searching her face for something. Then, with rudeness that made her flinch, he looked away and slammed his fist against the steering wheel.

"Aiden!"

Arwen's hands shot forward on instinct, grabbing his to stop him from hurting himself again. "Are you crazy? What are you doing?"

She examined his knuckles with concern. He had hit it hard —so hard that she feared it might bruise —but he didn't even flinch, his jaws clenching instead.

"You —" She wanted to rebuke him, but when she saw how angry he looked —not at her, but at himself —she couldn't bring herself to scold him. "Don't ever hurt yourself like this. It's not a solution, you know."

Aiden didn't hum or respond. He simply turned his face toward the window, his shoulders tense, still holding back whatever storm raged inside him.

Arwen couldn't stand the distance he was forcing between them. She reached up, cupping his face firmly, turning it toward her.

When he resisted, she spoke with quiet authority. "Aiden, look at me. Now."

This time, he gave in.

When their eyes met, she saw it —the same resentment, the same anguish — as if he was brutally blaming himself for something.

Her brows furrowed, and she asked, "Will you please tell me what this is all about?" With one look, she could tell that he didn't want to, so she pressed. "Although I really want the power to read your mind, I truly can't. So, tell me, husband, what's bothering you? Please."

He looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, before he finally said, "You … didn't have to sign those papers."

Realization dawned upon her, and she froze.

"That was unfair to you," he continued, his voice rough. "And you don't have to endure anyone's unfair treatment. You don't deserve it."

Her chest warmed and ached all at once. He wasn't angry because he was treated wrong —but because she was pushed into a corner. He was upset on her behalf, feeling the pain that was yet to creep up her soul.

A slow smile faintly curled the corner of her lips as she bit her lower lip gently, just to withhold the tear that was at the edge of her eyes, ready to roll down. "You think I was unfairly treated?" she asked, and just when he was about to say yes, she shook her head, denying it straight away. "No, I wasn't. Because you were there," she said firmly.

"Remember what you told me when I asked you how you would treat me if I had no family, no backer, nothing at all." Her smile deepened, and she reminded him, "Your response was what made everyone see that no matter what I lose, I would never be subject to unfair treatment as long as you are there with me. So, trust me, I wasn't all cornered there."

He didn't speak; his eyes simply stared at her as if confirming her words.

Arwen let him. She slowly explained, "Those few papers didn't matter to me at all," she said, her voice low but serious. "I might have officially signed them today, but in my heart, I have long severed my ties with my family … with the woman who gave birth to me. So, signing my name on those papers didn't break my heart. Instead, it freed me completely —from something I no longer wanted to stay tied to."

"So," she paused only to caress his face with love. "Don't blame yourself for anything that happened today. If anything, praise yourself. Because if not for you on my side, I wouldn't have been this confident. With you, I know I would never be alone. So, no one else matters."

Although she put it that way, he felt bad for her. "You will always have me," he said, and she nodded to him with more certainty than what he held.

"I know. I will always have you."

They stared at each other for a long moment. No words spoken between them, yet it felt like they were sharing a lot in that small moment of silence.

That moment of serenity only broke when Arwen heard her phone ringing. She blinked and turned to look for her phone.

Aiden also moved to start the car again. As the car started, Arwen saw Alice's name flashing on the screen.

She debated the idea of taking the call. But just when the call was about to die down, she moved the icon to answer it.

"Queen Sister," came Alice's excited voice.

Arwen didn't need to ask to know that the job she had given her a few days ago was a success. And just as she expected, she heard the girl add next.

"I did it."

"Great!" Arwen said, adding, "I will come tomorrow for it then."