Aria POV

　　A Few Weeks Later

　　I walked into the room where Everlyn was getting ready for her wedding.

　　"Hey, you." I greeted as I entered. Everlyn turned to look at me and smiled.

　　"Aria." 

　　"How are you feeling?" I asked, taking in her beautiful wedding gown and veil. "You look stunning, by the way."

　　She blushed a little, then said, "I'm excited, nervous, and a little bit sad. I can't believe it's finally here. The day I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl."

　　"It's going to be perfect," I assured her, putting my hand on her arm. "You'll see. All the planning and preparation will be worth it."

　　"I know it will," she replied, but then her face fell a bit.

　　"What is it?" I asked, concerned. 

　　"Are you alright?" she asked me.

　　I nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright," I replied, holding her hand.

　　"Are you sure?" she held my hand tight. 

　　"Yeah, I'm alright. We haven't been together for weeks and I think I have started to not miss Dominic. And I want to take this time and resume my career as a personal image consultant."

　　"That's good Aria. You need that." Everlyn smiled as she held my hand tightly.

　　I smiled back feeling warm on the inside. It hasn't been easy moving on from my past relationship with Dominic after I found out about his affair, and a lot of sleepless nights, but I had found the strength in my self-worth and in what I was passionate about. I had come to terms that everything was going to be alright.

　　Just then we heard that it was time for the bride to come out. I knew it was my cue to leave and join the other guests.

　　"I'll be there cheering you on," I said, hugging her. "You'll do amazing, I just know it."

　　She gave her a grateful smile, then I turned to walk out of the room. I could hear the wedding music playing in the distance, and I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. I was determined to make this day special for Everlyn, no matter what.

　　As the bride and groom were saying their vows, a man suddenly sat beside me. I glanced at him and noticed he was good-looking. He turned towards me, smiled at me, and surprisingly, I smiled back.

　　After the wedding, we were seated at the reception. He turned to me to strike up a conversation.

　　"Hey, I'm Isaac. Enjoying the wedding?" he introduced himself, looking into my eyes.

　　I nodded. "Yeah, I am." 

　　He looked at me as if he was waiting for me to introduce myself as well.

　　"I'm Aria." I introduced myself, looking into his dashing blue eyes.

　　"Are you also enjoying the wedding?"

　　"It's wild in here." He replied with a smirk, his eyes holding a hint of mischief.

　　"Wild's an understatement. So, how do you know the happy couple?" I asked, curious about his connection to Evelyn.

　　"Evelyn's my sister-in-law. We go way back. How 'bout you?" Isaac's tone was casual, but his eyes showed genuine interest.

　　"Oh, just Evelyn's buddy. Small world, huh?" I said, flashing a playful smile.

　　"Small indeed. So, Aria, crash weddings often?" He chuckled, revealing a laid-back attitude.

　　"Nah, not my usual scene. But for this one, I had to show up. Evelyn's a client, you see. You?" I inquired, wondering if he shared my sentiments about weddings.

　　"Same here. Not a wedding guy, but family's worth it." Isaac grinned, his charisma shining through.

　　"Totally worth it," I smirked, sharing a moment of agreement. "Well, Isaac, it's been a slice."

　　"You too, Aria. Catch you later, maybe?" Isaac suggested, leaving the door open for a future encounter.

　　"Count on it. By the way, Isaac, you're not too bad with words or looks. Your charm is quite captivating. Are you always this irresistible?" I teased, a playful glint in my eye.

　　Isaac chuckled, looking straight into my eyes, "Well, Aria, you're not so bad yourself. Maybe we should find a more private spot to continue our banter?"

　　I smirked, my face flushed, "Sounds like a plan, Isaac. Lead the way."

　　Isaac led me to a quiet spot away from the party buzz, a cosy hotel nearby. 

　　He kindly took care of the arrangements, paying for the room. It felt weird that I was entering a hotel room with a stranger that I just met at Everlyn's wedding, but I felt since he was her brother in law, then he wouldn't be bad.

　　Besides, I was a single lady who just come out from a painful relationship where my fiance was cheating on me because I couldn't give him a child to inherit his father's wealth.

　　We sat down on the couch, our bodies close but not quite touching. Isaac looked at me, his eyes full of questions. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. 

　　"I'm glad we could get away from the crowd," I said, my voice shaking slightly. 

　　He then got up and went to pour us a glass of expensive wine, handing one to me. He sat down near the window, the city lights providing a mesmerizing view.

　　As I sipped my wine, I took in the view. It was breathtaking, and it helped me feel more at ease. I felt a sense of freedom at this moment, like I could finally be myself and not worry about what others thought of me. It was liberating.

　　"Have you ever felt like you had to put on a mask for the world?" I asked Isaac, curious to know more about his perspective on life.

　　"Absolutely," he said, nodding his head. "I think we all do to some extent. We all have an image we want to project to the world, but sometimes it's exhausting to keep that up. I think it's important to find people and places where we can take off the mask and just be ourselves. Like this moment, right now. I feel like we can be real with each other."

　　His words resonated with me deeply. I had never met someone who seemed to understand me so well, and it was a relief to know that I could be honest with him. I looked at him, and I knew that I wanted to get to know him better.

　　"You're right," I said, a smile forming on my lips. 

　　"So, what's your idea of a perfect date?" I grinned, tossing a playful challenge, 

　　Isaac smirked, meeting the challenge head-on, "Well, it starts with a quiet spot like this."

　　I laughed, my tone teasing, "And then?"

　　Isaac replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "And then, we dive into some grown-up talk."

　　I chuckled, my tone still playful, "Well, Isaac, you've got my attention now. Let's see how grown-up this talk of yours can get."

　　"A penis for the night looks fitting in a pretty lady like you." His words sounded strange, yet they carried a strangely delightful sensation, sending a pleasant chill down my spine.

　　"Wuoooo... You are one cocky son of bitch for sure, Isaac." I responded with an agreeing thought playing in my mind, "Well, it's just for one night."

　　"And you are a goddess worthy of worship." He said with what felt like genuine fervor in his deep and soothing voice. "Draw me close; let me worship you, my immaculate goddess."