로그인ARIELLA I exhaled. “Okay.” “I’ll see you later,” he said. “Don’t be late for dinner,” I responded. “I want a promise.” A small smile slipped into his voice. “Okay. I promise.” “I love you.” I couldn't help myself. “I love you too.” The call ended and I stayed there for a moment longer, star
ARIELLA The truth was… maybe I did. Maybe I had seen them before. Maybe I had grown up around them. But I didn’t actually know who had died. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Maybe.” Leon frowned again. “Then why didn’t you go to the funeral?” I hesitated. “I guess I should have,” I admitted
ARIELLA After breakfast, I tried to keep the morning as normal as possible. For Leon, and most importantly…For myself. “Mom,” Leon said, looking up at me, “should we go and prepare my study room? You told me that I could help.” “Of course,” I said. But before we walked out, I turned toward Marg
ARIELLA I held his gaze. “I can’t survive without you,” I said again. “You won’t have to,” he replied quietly. “I’m going to be okay. I’ll come back. I have to. You and Leon are waiting for me. I won’t break that promise.” He lifted my chin gently so I had no choice but to look at him. “I just
ARIELLA I woke up to feel light kisses on my face. I opened my eyes to find Asher hovering over me, pressing soft kisses against my skin. I let out a small laugh as he brushed his lips against mine before straightening. He was already dressed. Tie in place. Hair perfectly styled. Everything about
ARIELLA When Asher is finally, fully seated inside me, the bed groans beneath our combined weight. He pulls back out just as slowly, and the friction is enough to make my head swim. He’s doing this on purpose; I can see the intent in his eyes. He’s paying me back for every stolen glance and silen
“Ariella, listen to me,” Luca said, his tone light but sincere. “Seriously, I’m not even mad at you. I mean—okay—maybe I’m a little upset that the two of you decided to do the deed while I was next door.” I groaned, embarrassment washing over me all over again. He laughed, clearly trying to ease th
I nearly felt like dying with mortification. On one side, there was the embarrassment—what we had just done, what Luca realized I had done, we had done. But on the other side, it was Asher’s life. The life I had put at risk. Just because I wanted to sleep with him. Because I wanted to get pregnant.
I froze. “I… I just heard it,” I stumbled. “Maybe Mom told me. Or someone else. I don’t know...” He didn’t respond. Didn’t agree. Didn’t argue. Just watched me like he was working out a puzzle. I hated that look—it meant he knew something was off. I could have kicked myself. I rushed to change th
Because beneath the sadness in Dad's face, beneath the anger, beneath the heavy emotion… was something worse. Disappointment. That was what broke me. I had wanted a reaction—but not this one. I didn’t know what to do with this. So I stood there, frozen, unable to move, just watching him as he wal







