Aria's POV The gala was scheduled for eight, but by four in the afternoon, I was already being whisked away to the club for preparations. From the moment I arrived at five, I was engulfed in a whirlwind of beauty treatments before moving on to hair and makeup. Never in my life had I experienced anything like this. Even for my wedding with Liam, I'd simply had a team come to the house. This exclusive club had everything imaginable, and for me—apparently their VIP guest—they'd closed to all other clients for the afternoon. I was surrounded by people rushing around, all I needed to do was lift a hand or foot when instructed. If I hadn't been so shy, they would've even dressed me themselves. The gown they selected was deceptively simple: a V-neck with delicate pleating that managed to be

