LOGINAria’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately looked at Damian. He was still staring at the screen, completely captivated, but he nodded his head instantly.Aria looked back at the doctor and nodded too. "Yes. Please."Dr. Nee moved the wand slightly, adjusting the angle on the screen. She smiled."Congratulations," Dr. Nee announced warmly. "You are having a little girl."Aria gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. A massive wave of pure joy washed over her. A girl.She turned her head to look at Damian.Damian was still staring at the monitor. He slowly reached out his hand, resting it on the edge of the examination bed. Aria saw his large hand shaking violently. He couldn't speak. He couldn't form a single word. He just stared at the blurry image of his daughter, entirely overwhelmed by a love so massive it broke through every wall he had ever built.The doctor finished the exam, wiped the gel off Aria’s stomach, and handed them a small, glossy strip of ultrasound photos.The rid
The private clinic was completely silent as Aria walked down the pristine white hallway.She held a small clipboard against her chest. Today was her routine checkup for her fifth month of pregnancy. Just like he had done for every single appointment over the past thirty days, Damian walked slightly behind her, keeping a respectful distance.They reached the door to the private examination room.Damian stopped. He planted his feet in the hallway, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark suit. He didn't say a word. He just waited for her to go inside so he could stand guard by the door, exactly as he always did. It was his penance.Aria placed her hand on the doorknob. She pushed the heavy door open, but she didn't walk in immediately.She stood in the doorway for a long second, her fingers gripping the metal handle tightly. She took a slow, deep breath, and turned her head to look at him."Damian," Aria said softly.He looked up, his dark eyes instantly locking onto her face.
Damian turned back to Aria. He looked at the pink dress in his hand and then looked at her face. He immediately noticed her rigid posture."Are you alright?" Damian asked, his dark eyebrows pulling together.Aria didn't look at him. She looked at the floor, blinking hard to keep the sudden tears away. She felt completely moody and irritated."I am fine," Aria said stiffly. "I'm just hungry. Can we go eat? I want Chinese food."Damian looked at her carefully, his sharp eyes taking in her sudden shift in mood, but he did not push her. He just nodded. "Of course. Let's go."Matteo drove them to an exclusive Chinese restaurant downtown. They sat in a private booth. Aria ate a massive plate of dumplings and noodles in near silence. The food was incredible, but her mood remained entirely off.By the time they returned to the penthouse, the sun had set.Aria walked into the living room and collapsed onto the large sofa. The low heels she had worn were a terrible mistake. Her feet were throbb
An hour later, they stepped out of the private elevator into the underground parking garage.It was the very first time Aria had left the building in a month. She had put on a nice maternity dress and a pair of low heels, desperate to just feel like a normal person out in the real world.Matteo was standing next to a heavily armored black SUV. He opened the back door. Aria climbed inside, and Damian slid in right next to her. As Matteo pulled out of the garage and into the bright city traffic, Aria looked out the tinted window. She noticed two separate black cars pull out of an alleyway and fall into a perfect line right behind them.Sebastian’s men were trailing them. They maintained a respectful distance, blending into the surrounding cars, but they were there. Damian was taking absolutely zero chances.They drove to a high-end baby boutique in the center of the city. Matteo parked directly in front of the store. Damian helped her out of the car, keeping his broad body close to hers
Aria walked slowly down the quiet hallway of the penthouse.It was mid-morning. The sunlight poured through the large windows in the living room, warming the hardwood floors. Damian was missing again. Over the past few days, he had been disappearing for hours at a time. Aria had just assumed he was locked in the study, taking corporate calls and managing Cross Industries.A faint, rhythmic tapping sound echoed from the far end of the hall.Aria paused. She looked toward the sound. It was coming from one of the large guest bedrooms at the very end of the corridor. The heavy wooden door was pushed open just a few inches.She walked over quietly. She placed her hand flat against the wood and gently pushed the door open.Aria froze in the doorway.She blinked, her mind struggling to process the room in front of her. The dark, modern aesthetic of the penthouse had been completely stripped away. The walls were painted a soft, soothing pastel pink. A thick white rug covered the floor. In the
The hunt for the Ghost was still going on, and Damian was taking absolutely no chances.He had not stepped foot outside the penthouse in a month. He was running Cross Industries entirely from his laptop in the study, just so he would not have to leave her side.He was even handling visitors here. Aria remembered when Alfredo Cross had walked through the front doors last week. The cold, intimidating architect of Damian's life had sat in the living room while Damian explained the situation. When Damian had firmly stated that Aria was carrying his child, Alfredo had turned his sharp eyes toward her stomach.For the very first time since she had known him, Alfredo Cross had smiled. It was small, but it was a genuine smile. He was going to be a grandfather. It was a completely surreal moment.Aria turned the corner and walked into the kitchen.Damian was standing at the stove. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and grey sweatpants. His dark hair was slightly messy. He was carefully flipp
The transition from the rotting, wet silence of the Lake House to the steel-and-glass scream of New York City was jarring. It felt as though Aria had been plucked from one circle of hell and dropped into another—one that was far more expensive and infinitely more dangerous.Aria sat in the back of t
"And I prefer dining with men who have palates," Damian said coldly. "Cabernet."Marcus narrowed his eyes at Damian. "You’re in a mood tonight, Cross.""I am always in a mood," Damian said. "Desmond tells me you’re looking to expand into Asian markets. Aggressively.""Thorne Capital is up forty perc
The morning after the pool party, the silence in the breakfast room of the Obsidian Penthouse was not peaceful. It was the silence of a courtroom after the sentence had already been passed.Aria sat at the far end of the sleek table, her packed suitcase already waiting by the elevator. Her hands wer
“Okay,” she whispered. “One dance.”Liam smiled. He took her hand gently. His palm was dry and warm. He led her to the floor. He was a polite dancer. He kept a respectful distance. He didn’t stare at her chest or try to pull her closer. He asked her about her studies. He listened when she answered.







