Chapter 170

Aria's POV I watched as Elena stepped out of the private dining room, her gaze landing directly on me. She arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow, her lips curving into something between a smile and a smirk. "Mrs. Carter, what a coincidence to see you here," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. Beside me, Lillian nearly rolled her eyes at Elena's deliberate use of my maiden name rather than my married title. I snapped back to reality at the sound of Elena's voice, nodding politely despite the tension coiling in my stomach. "Quite a coincidence indeed," I replied, then glanced at Aiden standing tall beside me. The words left my mouth before I could stop them. "Do you need to give Elena a ride home?" Lillian's eyes widened in disbelief as she shot me a look that screamed, "Are you insane?" Her expression clearly asking if I'd lost my mind, offering to let my husband drive another woman home. I regretted the words instantly, but they hung in the air between us. I'd said them in