When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

"Marian, I forgot to bring a towel—it's on the balcony."

Marian rolled her eyes dramatically at the empty air, but obediently went to the balcony to fetch the towel for him. It was another ten minutes before His Lordship finally emerged. She couldn't fathom why a guy who just smelled like sweat needed so long to shower.

She opened her ride-hailing app, intending to book a premium car for safety, only to find that there wasn't a single available ride nearby!

Drying his damp hair, Aaron raised an eyebrow and asked, fully aware of the situation, "What's wrong?"

"No cars!" Marian felt utterly defeated, even contemplating whether to strangle Aaron.

"Oh? So what should we do?" he asked, looking all innocent and throwing the problem right back at her. Then he added, "There aren't any hotels within three kilometers, either."

Marian exhaled heavily and lowered her voice. "Is there a guest room I could stay in?"

"Mm, yes. The one next door. I'll show you."

Compared to the master bedroom, the guest room was much smaller, but at least it had fresh bedding and looked clean. Yet when Marian spotted female skincare products in the guest bathroom, she hesitated again.

"Me staying here… will that cause trouble for you?"

Aaron was baffled. Trouble? Like she was going to harass him or something?

"…I mean, in case your girlfriend or fiancée misunderstands. That wouldn't be good."

Marian's gaze dropped to the floor. She assumed that he and Yao Ning were likely engaged by now, or at least dating. Girls could be so possessive—she was the same. If she discovered her boyfriend had spent the night in a villa with another woman, she couldn't imagine how she'd feel.

"You're overthinking. I don't have a girlfriend or a fiancée," came Aaron's mildly cool voice from above her head.

Now it was Marian's turn to feel surprised. So he went to the U.S. and failed to win Yao Ning's heart? Wow, guess he wasn't so capable after all…

"Why that face? Surprised I'm single?" Aaron leaned against the guest room desk, looking disheveled, languid, and a bit sultry—completely unlike his usual self.

Marian didn't want to continue this topic. Who cared about his private life? As soon as the YuTou project ended, they'd be strangers again and never cross paths.

She thought for a moment, then spoke softly. "Mr. Aaron, I'd say we're even now. You helped me with work, and I helped you in your personal life. From now on, we owe each other nothing."

Aaron's eyes dimmed, his dark lashes hiding the chill beneath them. He murmured, "Even?"

Marian added, "I know you've felt guilty about what happened back in college. When I first saw you again, I was a bit resentful. But after spending time together these days, I think you've changed quite a bit—you seem like a good person."

She nodded, acknowledging Aaron's character. "So, I forgive you. Let's leave it at that. Set yourself free."

At those words, the room fell silent. It was so quiet, she could almost hear both their heartbeats.

A wave of sourness welled in Aaron's chest. He wanted to say something but had no words, wanted to contradict her yet found she was speaking truths. In the end, he let out a soft sigh and told her, "Get some rest."

That night, Aaron—who normally slept quite well—found himself suffering from rare insomnia.

Perhaps it was indeed "daytime thoughts leading to nighttime dreams." Right before sleeping, they'd spoken about college, and that night he truly dreamed he was back on campus.

He only discovered in graduate school how much damage his careless words in junior year had caused Marian. By then, he was in the U.S. He'd thought several times about apologizing, but she'd erased every way of contacting her. At one point, he even considered flying back to Xicheng to apologize in person, but realized that after graduation, almost no one knew where she lived.

He understood at least part of the reason: Marian came from a struggling family, had a reserved personality, and really only counted on Zoe as a true friend. So it made sense no one else knew how to reach her.

Delayed again and again, time slipped away until earlier this year when he happened upon her by chance. Naturally, he handed the project to her, arranged for her to station at YuTou, occasionally sending Yi Ming to check on her—little things he could do. Logically, when Marian said she forgave him, he should have felt relieved. But…he didn't. Instead, some indescribable emotions stirred inside.

Early the next morning, Marian came downstairs to find Aaron, fully dressed, already sitting at the dining table enjoying breakfast. When he saw her, he greeted her and placed a serving of breakfast in front of her.

"Feeling all better?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine now."

Marian nodded and tasted the fried egg. Huh, surprisingly well done. She never could have imagined that one day she'd get to eat breakfast personally prepared by the richest heir in Xicheng. She mused about how she might brag about this to their client, acting nonchalant.

"What's with the goofy grin so early in the morning?" Aaron asked in his usual chilly tone, instantly dousing her daydreams in cold water.

After finishing breakfast, Aaron headed to the villa's garage, picking out a random luxury car to take Marian to YuTou. She hadn't slept well that night, feeling uneasy in a strange bed, so she seized the chance to doze off in the car. By the time she woke, the vehicle was already parked in YuTou Tower's underground garage.

"Shoot, I'm late!" she exclaimed, frantically rummaging through her purse for her phone. Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of her, pointing at her mouth.

Oh no—did she drool in her sleep? Social suicide!

Reflexively, Marian wiped the corner of her mouth only to find nothing there. Realizing she'd been tricked, she shot Aaron a fierce glare.

He countered calmly, "I was just telling you not to panic; we have plenty of time."

Says the jerk who planned this. she thought angrily.

"Bye. I'm heading upstairs." Marian slammed the door and dashed toward the elevator without waiting for him, jabbing the "close" button nonstop until she started ascending.

Aaron, unhurried, continued on to the first floor to buy coffee.

Once the massive parking garage fell silent again, a furious face appeared from behind a car—Liang Meiqi's. She couldn't believe her eyes: Marian had just exited Aaron's car first thing in the morning. That meant they must have spent the night together. Impossible! This shouldn't be happening. Even if he wanted a casual fling, she was younger, prettier—why wouldn't he choose her?

The only explanation was that Marian used some petty trick to seduce Aaron. Ugh, what a fake woman! Just you wait—I'll make sure everyone sees Marian's true colors!