ログインArianna The sun was bright that morning. Too bright. Warm. Like it knew something had changed. The light poured across the island, reflecting off the ocean and slipping through the glass doors behind me. It warmed my skin, but it didn’t calm the storm inside me. The air moved restlessly, brushing past me again and again, lifting strands of my hair and throwing them across my face. I sighed softly, pushing them back for what felt like the tenth time. “Stay still,” a voice said behind me. Before I could react, I felt his hand. Cool. Gentle. Resting over mine. It stilled me instantly. “Here,” Aiden said quietly. “Let me.” I didn’t argue. I just let go of the scrunchie in my hand and allowed him take over. I felt his fingers move through my hair—careful, slow, like he was trying to memorize it. “Mr. Aiden,” I said softly, “have you ever tied a woman’s hair before?” “No,” he answered. There was a small pause before he added, “But when it comes to you
Arianna That night came slowly.The kind of night that didn’t feel like it belonged to the same world anymore.I couldn’t sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Liam walking away. Heard his voice. Felt the weight of that document still in my hands even though I had left it on the table.And underneath all of it… Aiden’s words from earlier.Collateral.Survival.Not safe.I sat up on the bed finally, exhaling softly.I slipped out of the room without thinking too much.I found him outside.Aiden was on the porch, leaning back slightly in a chair, looking out at the ocean like he wasn’t tired at all. Like his mind didn’t know how to rest.He noticed me immediately.“You should be sleeping,” he said.“So should you.”A small pause.Then, “I couldn't sleep.”I walked closer but didn’t sit.“I need to ask you something.”His eyes shifted to me.That alone made me nervous.“Go on.”I hesitated.Then I asked anyway.“Was any of it real?”He frowned slightly.“What part?”“All of it,” I s
Arianna I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My brother sat across from me like he hadn’t just dropped something that shattered everything I thought I understood about my life. His voice was steady, too steady, like he had rehearsed every word before coming here. Two of the most dangerous criminal organizations were on our trail. And I was part of the target. My fingers curled tightly against the edge of the couch. “No,” I said immediately, shaking my head. Liam didn’t flinch. “It’s already in motion, Arianna.” “That doesn’t make it real,” I snapped. Aiden stood a few steps behind me, silent, watching everything like he was reading something only he understood. I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t afford to. Liam exhaled slowly and leaned forward. “They’ve been watching you longer than you think.” A cold feeling spread through my chest. “I’ve done nothing,” I said, my voice lower now. “It’s not about what you’ve done,” he replied. That made me pause. Ai
AriannaThe ocean was too calm. That was what kept bothering me.It stretched endlessly in front of the porch, blue and quiet like it had nothing to hide. I sat there with my knees pulled slightly to my chest, watching the waves move in slow patterns I couldn’t match with my thoughts.Aiden had gone back inside earlier.I didn’t follow him.I wasn’t ready to.Everything still felt too heavy in my chest. His words kept coming back in pieces.Someone is looking for you.You’re not safe in the city.I hated how easily he said it. Like it was normal. Like it didn’t change everything.I wasn't used to begin his world. Have I faced danger before? Yes.But not this kind. This one felt real and scary. It made the hair on my back stand on edge.I wanted something simple, effortlessly but it didn't seem to be that way. It was upsetting and quite depressing.I let out a slow breath and leaned back slightly on the chair.Maybe I was overthinking.Maybe it was just another one of his ways to cont
Arianna Aiden’s words didn’t leave my head. You’re not safe in the city right now. He had whispered into my ear, almost inaudible. I kept looking at him after that, waiting for him to say something else, something that would make it sound less heavy. Less real. But he didn’t. The car moved slowly after we left the runway. The island was quiet in a way that felt strange. No horns, no noise, just wind brushing through tall trees and the sound of tires on smooth road. It should have felt peaceful. But it didn't. Aiden's words had scared me a bit. Aiden sat beside me like he always knew where everything was. Like nothing ever surprised him. “What do you mean I’m not safe?” I finally asked. He didn’t look at me immediately. “That’s not something I can explain in a moving car.” “That sounds like an excuse.” He exhaled lightly. “It’s not.” I turned slightly in my seat to face him better. “Then stop talking in circles.” His eyes shifted to me then. Calm. To
AidenThe moment the hostess tapped on the partition, I shut my eyes briefly and exhaled in frustration.Bad timing.Very bad timing.I rested my head back for a second, trying to gather myself. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have stopped. Not yet. Not when I had finally crossed that invisible line she had kept between us for so long.But reality had a way of interrupting at the worst moments.I glanced at Arianna.She wasn’t looking at me.Her gaze was distant, unfocused, like her mind had slipped somewhere far away from this space… from me.And I knew that look.She was thinking again.Too much.Probably about everything.My jaw tightened slightly.I didn’t like that look on her face.Not because she was thinking—but because I knew where her thoughts could take her. Back into doubt. Back into uncertainty. Back into that guarded version of herself that kept me at arm’s length.“Arianna.”Her name rolled off my tongue softer than I intended.“Come on.”I stood, stretching my hand out
Aiden’s POVThis little, pretty lady was obviously trying to get on my nerves by mentioning that young child from the Pearson family. From her tone, I couldn’t tell if she was joking or if she was being serious, but either way, she had succeeded. Her words lingered in the air longer than they shoul
Arianna’s words stuck in her throat, making her unable to respond to his question, so they sat in silence. It wasn’t a comfortable silence, but one that pressed heavily against her chest, amplifying the tension that already filled the car. He seemed pretty angry at her statement. “Did I say somet
I was almost grinning, a ridiculous reaction considering the tension coiling between us inside the car. The low hum of the engine filled the silence, broken only by the sound of my own breathing. The word he had used echoed in my head, loud and mortifying, and my heart thudded as heat crept up my n
The silence following their entrance into the car was almost suffocating. It pressed against their ears, thick and heavy, making the words Aiden had promised—“we have some things to talk about”—feel almost meaningless. The tension between them was palpable, a living thing curling around their shoul







