MasukAria’s POVThe phone felt heavy in my hand, the screen glowing like a countdown clock.*“The papers are ready for your signature. Does she know yet?”*The "she" was me. There was no doubt about that. The papers? Those could be anything. A divorce. A property transfer. An annulment. But standing there in the middle of my kitchen, surrounded by Livia’s things, I realized I was done playing nice. I was done being the woman who waited for Max to decide my fate.I set Livia's phone back exactly where she had left it. I adjusted it to the same angle, making sure the light hit it the same way.I headed upstairs, not long after, I heard the front door open again... And Livia's voice."I think I left my phone Inside." I heard her say to Max.I waited a few minutes to confirm that they had left before I went into Max's study.It was a place I rarely entered without an invitation. It was the heart of his power, a room built of dark wood, leather, and obviously secrets. The door was locked, but
Aria's pov“You’re joking.”The words came out before I could stop them. My voice sounded small against the heavy silence of the restaurant.Max didn't look up from his drink. He didn't even blink. “Do I look like I’m joking?”He said it with such calm, flat logic that for a second, I felt like the crazy one. Like wanting a private home with my husband was an unreasonable demand.“Max, she’s the wedding planner,” I said, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “The wedding is over. Why would she move into our home?”“I already told you,” he replied, finally meeting my eyes. His gaze was like ice. “I’m helping her with her business. It’s practical. The penthouse has more than enough room.”Across the table, Noah’s glass hit the wood with a sharp *thud*.“This is insane,” Noah said. His voice was low, vibrating with a protective edge that made my skin prickle. He wasn't looking at Max; he was looking at me. At how I was shrinking into my chair.“Noah, please,” Maeve interrupted, her voice
Aria's povThe wedding ended like it had never really begun, no moment to hold on to, no feeling to replay. Days passed, then more, and I stopped keeping track because nothing about it felt like a beginning. Max had changed, he still showed up, still handled business like nothing had shifted, still spoke with that same calm, controlled tone that made people listen without question, but when it came to me… there was distance. He no longer touched me the way he used to. No hand settling at the small of my back, no quiet pull into his space, no kisses that lingered long enough to mean something. Sometimes there was nothing at all. We slept in the same bed, but it felt like we were worlds apart. I told myself it was the stress, the wedding, Maeve, everything that came with it, but deep down I knew better. Something had changed and he hadn’t said a word about it. Maeve left almost immediately, back to her city, back to whatever life she had built while the rest of us were still trying to
Aria's povThe ceremony was almost over. Max stood beside me, composed as ever, his hand steady in mine. All I had to do was finish this. Just one more step.Ryan blended into the crowd, but I knew his gaze never left me. I promised myself I'd avoid him as much as possible.“Wait!”A familiar voice cut through the music. When I turned, I saw Maeve standing at the entrance like she owned the place. A small smile resting on her lips like she hadn’t spent the last two years being the one person I refused to think about.Max’s hand tightened slightly around mine. “Who is that?”Before I could answer, Maeve was already walking towards us. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said lightly, though her eyes said otherwise.“You are,” Max replied flatly.She smiled like that didn’t matter.“I’ll be quick." Her gaze moved to me.“I just thought it would be… appropriate,” she continued, turning slightly to address the room, “to introduce myself.” At that moment, I knew she wasn't here for me. S
Aria's pov“This is the day.”I stared at my reflection, unmoving, as hands worked around me, adjusting fabric, fixing details, perfecting something that already looked flawless.The dress fit like it was made for me.Maybe it was.Soft ivory. Clean lines. No excessive designs. Elegant in a way that didn’t beg for attention, but held it anyway.“Turn a little,” Livia said from behind me.I did.Her fingers moved easily, smoothing the last crease along my waist like she had every right to touch me, to adjust me, to prepare me. Like this wasn’t the first time.“You look perfect,” she added.I met her eyes in the mirror. I didn't feel perfect. I'd been trying so hard not to think, but nothing stopped it. Not for days now.***“I miss you." The message sat on my screen, staring back at me. I should have ignored it, deleted it, or blocked him. But I didn't.Instead, I replied.“What do you want, Ryan?”His came almost immediately.“You."I locked my phone and set it aside like it hadn’t j
Aria's pov I moved quietly through the penthouse after Max left the room, the door clicking shut behind him like a line being drawn. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at nothing in particular, listening to the silence settle around me. It felt different.Not comforting. Just… heavy.I walked toward the window slowly, the city stretched out in front of me, calm, controlled, exactly the way I liked it. Everything in its place. Everything predictable.Unlike me.My fingers lifted to my neck without thinking, brushing lightly over the spot Max had noticed. I froze there for a second, then let my hand fall.I lied to him…and I didn’t even hesitate.I let out a slow breath, folding my arms across myself as I leaned slightly against the glass. Ryan’s face flashed in my mind. The way he looked at me. The way he spoke like nothing about last night was accidental.And the worst part?I couldn’t call it a mistake.My eyes closed briefly. I could still feel the echo of it. Not just what
Aria’s POVI walked down the grand staircase with my hand still tucked under Cassian's elbow. It felt like a haunting repetition of the night at the gala. The last time I had walked this path, I was a girl with a stolen mark and a misguided cousin. Today, I was a woman with a restored mark and a
Aria’s POV The world didn't come back all at once. It returned in small, jagged pieces. I could smell medicinal herbs, a distant storm, and a throbbing ache in my temple that felt like a pulse. My eyes were heavy, glued shut by a fever that had dried the very breath from my lungs.When I finall
Cassian’s POVSleep finally claimed me, but it wasn't relieving. It was a trap.In the dream, the estate was silent. The air smelled of rain and something sweet, Aria’s scent. She was standing by the window, her back to me, the moonlight catching the silver threads and beads adorned in her hair
Noah’s POV"I’ll kill Julian."The words left my lips as a vow, my voice echoing against the cold stone of the hallway. The moment the threat left my mouth, the estate’s power grid came back to life. A maid, Betty, stumbled out from the power room entrance, her skin the color of ash. She was s







