Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO-Chapter 510: It didn’t hold humor, but mockery.

Arwen looked into his desperate gaze.

"Maybe I am," she said, her voice as soft as a whisper. "Maybe I have fallen in love with you—deeper than you can imagine. Or maybe … I have just started falling."

Aiden searched her gaze, trying to understand what she meant.

"I don't know yet, Aiden. I can't explain it properly," she said, her voice trembling with honesty. "I never felt anything like this for anyone before. There are moments when my heart screams what it feels for you. It screams how deeply you have gotten inside me."

She paused, her brows pulling together, struggling to find the right words.

"But then … it feels too soon. Too soon to be called something as strong as love." She looked down, a shaky breath escaping her lips. "Aiden, I don't believe in love at first sight. And I don't believe a deep emotion like love can happen this quickly."

There was silence between them. Not uncomfortable —but heavy and thoughtful.

"I don't want to say I love you and not mean it the way it should be meant. I respect you far too much for that," she added, her voice barely above a whisper. "But what I feel for you … it's real." She reached out to hold his hand and let her fingers brush against his ring. "When I gave you this, I meant it. My thoughts and intentions were real. It might be growing … but it's real."

"I know it might be frustrating for you, but —"

Before she could finish, Aiden pressed a finger gently against her lips, silencing her.

"Shh … I understand," he said, his voice steady and comforting, grounding her nervous heart.

She blinked up at him, unsure, but he only smiled.

Her words overwhelmed him —not with disappointment, but with quiet awe. Although he wanted her to accept the love between them, he also understood where she was coming from.

Love was a process —dynamic and evolving.

While his evolved years after year, hers resumed only after they met again. So, he couldn't blame her. He could only understand her.

"You do?" she asked, her voice small.

Aiden nodded. "Yes, I do." He reached up, brushing her hair behind her ear with all the gentleness in the words. "I am already content that you have feelings for me deepening in your heart. I can wait for it to deepen to the fullest. Even if it takes forever, I will."

Tears shimmered in her eyes, but it wasn't out of sadness.

She stared at him for a moment before chuckling out to snap out of the heaviness of the moment. Brushing away the tear that was yet to roll down, she said, "It won't take forever. The things between us never take that long. So, don't worry, I will not make you wait forever."

He smiled and nodded. "I believe whatever you say."

"Just like that?"

Humming, Aiden nodded once again, "Just like that."

They both smiled at each other and she rose on her tip-toes pressing her lips against his cheeks, soft and gentle. "I am falling for you, husband. Faster and harder than you can realize."

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They completed dinner soon after, chatting casually about little things here and there.

Most of the time, Arwen did all the speaking. While Aiden kept his gaze on her, quietly studying her face, trying to read what lay behind her expression.

Reading Arwen had never been hard for him. She was transparent in ways most people weren't. But tonight —it felt too easy.

She was smiling, laughing, and effortlessly light —just the way he always wanted her to be.

And yet —not quite well fitting in.

"Moon," he suddenly said, cutting off her laughter.

She looked up from her plate, curious.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment, serious and searching.

"Are you trying to hide something from me?" he asked quietly, his eyes narrowing just a little, carefully scanning her face for a flicker of what he was looking for.

But Arwen's expression gave nothing.

She simply blinked, surprised by his question. Her brows knitted slightly in confusion.

"Huh? Hiding something," she repeated before letting out a small, confused chuckle. "Why do you think so? I mean, I just told you everything on my mind. Why would I hide anything from you?"

Aiden's expression remained firm as if he wasn't simply joking about it. He didn't return her smile. His gaze only revealed the hint of the worry with which he had rushed back earlier.

"I am not talking about what we discussed earlier," he said, and as if understanding him, Arwen nodded.

"Okay," she hummed softly. "Then what are you talking about? I truly have no clue."

There was a short pause before he laid out plainly.

"I am talking about the news going around … that the Quinns are adopting an heiress."

Arwen froze.

It was subtle, barely there —but Aiden noticed.

This was exactly what he was looking for. A reaction from her. One that she had been hiding within … ignoring even. Or maybe simply acting to ignore it.

Her hand stopped mid-movement, and her shoulders stiffened for a heartbeat before relaxing again.

She recovered quickly, so smoothly that anyone else might have missed the change. But not Aiden.

Arwen resumed twirling her fork into the spaghetti with elegant precision, lifting it to her lips as if nothing had happened. She chewed thoughtfully, buying time. Then she looked up and offered him a soft, distant smile.

Nodding, she said, "I have read it. And even though it isn't announced, I know who they are adopting?"

Aiden frowned.

And she smiled, continuing. "The day we went to pick our outfit at Aurora Designs, I met my cousin, and I got to know about this. Although I doubted this for a moment, I had long prepared myself for hearing this. So, when they had officially announced, I wasn't much surprised."

She laughed but her laughter didn't hold any humor. If anything, it held mockery.