ONCE UPON A TIME

Chapter 5

Aria’s POV:

He was perfect. Every little thing about him fascinated me, and our conversation seemed endless. There was something about Xander—his voice, the way he listened, the subtle humor—that made breaking the rules for him feel not only justified but necessary. I could tell he was worth the risk. We had been talking on the balcony for a while when a sudden cold wind blew past, making me shiver. He noticed right away.

“Do you want to go inside?” he asked, his voice low, tinged with concern.

“I would love to, but it’s a bit noisy inside,” I replied, hugging my arms around myself. “I doubt we’d be able to continue our conversation with all that racket.”

He smiled knowingly. “I have a bar upstairs. Are you interested?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” I answered, matching his grin.

We locked arms and he led me up the narrow spiral staircase to the private bar above. The quiet up there was a welcome relief, and the soft lighting made the room feel intimate.

“Drink?” he asked, pouring us both a glass of Bombay Sapphire gin.

“Gin,” I said without hesitation.

The smooth, slightly botanical taste filled my mouth as I took a sip, savoring the moment. This was luxury—something rare in my time.

“So,” he started, setting his glass down and turning to me, “we’ve been talking for over an hour, and I don’t know a single thing about you.”

I arched an eyebrow. “What do you want to know?”

“For starters, your last name.”

“Oda. Aria Oda.”

His eyes widened slightly. “As in Nobunaga Oda?”

I nodded, watching the recognition in his eyes.

“I guess the family love for guns is hereditary, huh?”

“You know about that?”

“You could say I’m a little samurai myself,” he teased with a grin.

I giggled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Time Skip

“What was your childhood like?” he asked quietly.

“Both my parents adored me,” I said thoughtfully. “My mom wanted me to be a ballerina, but I took after my dad and studied guns instead.”

“Daddy’s girl, huh? I like that. Well, I’m an orphan, but my adopted parents raised me well. I’m grateful for them every day. My love for guns comes from my mom—she was a Marine.”

“Are you in a relationship?” I asked, cutting straight to the point.

“No beating around the bush?” he chuckled.

“Hey, I gotta know what I’m up against.”

“No,” I said firmly.

“Good, so that means I have a chance.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I have a chance?”

Our faces drew closer until I could smell the gin on his breath. The moment was electric—charged and raw. But before anything more could happen, the door opened and his butler stepped in.

“Sir, the party has ended and the guests are leaving,” Jared said, his tone polite but firm.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to go,” I said, grabbing my bag reluctantly.

“We did drink quite a bit. Why not stay here?” he offered.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather not be on the cover of some magazine as ‘the Japanese beauty who seduced the dream husband of many young ladies,’” I teased.

He smiled. “I’ll call you a driver.”

“I’m fine, honestly,” I said, already moving toward the door.

He walked me to my car, the night air crisp and cool around us.

“Drive safe,” he said softly.

I nodded, sliding behind the wheel and pulling away from the curb, my mind swirling.

Xander’s POV:

Ed Sheeran’s song “The Bar is the Place to Find a Lover” never felt more accurate. I watched her car disappear down the street, the taillights fading like a trail of fireflies.

I turned around to see Jared smirking behind me.

“See you found the one, sir?” he asked with a knowing look.

“Maybe,” I said, my voice low.

“Did you get her number?”

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. “I knew I was missing something.”

“Would you like me to investigate her?”

“No, that would probably freak her out,” I said with a small smile. “Besides, I’m sure we’ll run into each other soon enough.”

I went upstairs, took a long shower to wash away the night’s nerves, and crawled into bed. Aria’s face stayed with me—the way her eyes sparkled, the sound of her laugh, that sly smile.

She accompanied me in my dreams, a calming presence that made the world seem a little less chaotic. For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful—like maybe, just maybe, life was about to get a little brighter. Was this what finding your soulmate felt like?

Aria’s POV:

My first meeting with Xander was everything I would hoped for and more. He was charming, intelligent, and somehow made me feel seen in a way no one else had. I couldn’t wait to tell Zoe all about it. She’d be thrilled—maybe even a little jealous.

I parked in my building’s garage and took the elevator to my apartment, my heart still fluttering from the night. People passing by gave me curious looks—some whispered, some just stared—but at that moment, I did not care. Not one bit.

I was starting to think Xander might actually like me. And that was worth every risk, every rule I’d broken to be here.