CHAPTER 213

TONY’S POV

My thoughts race with frustration and confusion. Aria seems genuinely touched by my grand gestures, but she still resists any intimacy. It's maddening. I’ve pulled out all the stops, yet she remains distant, her warmth never crossing the threshold into desire. What am I missing? Why isn’t she falling for me completely?

I call Harry, desperate for advice. He suggests a bold, almost reckless move; drugs.

“Harry, isn’t that too much?”

“She is delaying our plan, so we have no other options.”

Furthermore, Harry suggests that we give Aria something to lower her inhibitions, then seize the moment to propose once we've crossed that intimate barrier. It’s a risky plan, but the idea takes root in my mind. I just need to secure the right substance.

Harry and I rack our brains for a source. Neither of us has connections in that shadowy world. Then, a thought strikes me—Tommy. He’s the one who made my previous scandals disappear. If he could handle that, surely he can handle this. I rea