Aria pov
"Go talk to her," I said firmly. "Before someone else does."
"You're right." He straightened his tie, suddenly looking less like a confident CEO and more like a nervous man about to approach a woman he actually liked. "Wish me luck?"
"You don't need it," I assured him. "Just be yourself. The real you, not the corporate shark version."
"Noted." He nodded to Damien, his tone lighter now, teasing rather than challenging. "Blackwood. Try not to spontaneously combust from jealousy. Your lady was never in any danger—I'm very much spoken for. Well, trying to be, anyway."
He walked away then, heading directly toward where Olivia stood near the bar. I watched as he approached her, saw the way she lit up when she noticed him, the way her cheeks flushed pink even from this distance. Lucas said something that made her laugh, a genuine, delighted sound that carried across the room. His entire body language had changed—open, warm, attentive in a way he hadn't been with us.
