CHAPTER SIX

ARIA’S POV

I wish I had been sober enough yesterday. I desperately want to remember every detail of what caused my body to ache this much — especially the delicious soreness between my legs.

Every shift of my thighs sent a reminder of last night. Of strong hands, a deep voice murmuring my name, and a man who didn’t leave me hanging.

I wasn’t a virgin, but I had been celibate for almost a year. I stopped letting Ryan touch me after the first few times we were together.

He was… mid at best. Quick to finish, slow to care. He always left me frustrated, staring at the ceiling while he rolled over satisfied.

I’d finish myself off later with my imagination and videos of sexy men who actually knew what they were doing.

Last night was nothing like that.

Even through the haze of whiskey, fragments kept flashing: cold gray eyes turning dark with hunger, a hard body pressing me into the mattress, the way he had touched me like he wanted to ruin me for anyone else.

I shivered at the memory, my cheeks heating. I didn’t even know his full name. Dominic. That was all I remembered. And yet he had made me feel more in one night than Ryan had in months.

I pulled the silk robe tighter around my body and entered the passcode to my penthouse elevator. The ride up felt longer than usual.

My head throbbed from the hangover, but it was nothing compared to the storm of emotions swirling inside me. Humiliation from the engagement party. Anger at Ryan. Confusion about the stranger I had given myself to so recklessly. And underneath it all, a strange sense of freedom.

The elevator doors opened directly into my penthouse. The moment I stepped inside, I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart slammed against my ribcage.

Ryan.

He was sitting on my cream-colored sofa like he owned the place, legs spread, one arm draped lazily over the backrest.

His eyes were bloodshot, hair messy, and he looked like he hadn’t slept. How the hell did he get in? I had changed the passcode last week after our last fight — I was sure of it.

“Hi, cookie,” he said, his voice deceptively soft. “You seem to have missed your way home after yesterday’s adventure.”

The pet name I once found sweet now made my skin crawl. I stayed near the elevator, keys clutched tightly in my hand. My body instinctively wanted to run, but my feet felt rooted to the marble floor.

“How did you get in here, Ryan?” My voice came out steadier than I felt.

He smiled — that polished, practiced smile that used to make me overlook the red flags. “Does it matter? We’ve been together long enough. I still have my ways.”

I swallowed hard. This was the side of him I had ignored for too long. The one that always found a way to control the narrative. The one that made me feel small even when I tried to stand tall.

“You need to leave,” I said, taking a small step forward. “We’re done. I made that very clear last night in front of everyone.”

Ryan’s expression darkened. He stood slowly, unfolding his tall frame. Even tired and disheveled, he still carried that restless energy that once seemed charming. Now it just felt threatening.

“You embarrassed me, Aria. In front of investors. In front of people who matter to my career.” He took a step closer. “Do you have any idea what that does to my image? The Ashford connections I’ve been cultivating? All of it at risk because you decided to throw a tantrum.”

“A tantrum?” I laughed bitterly, the sound echoing in the open space of my penthouse. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, highlighting the expensive furniture I had chosen when I still believed in our future.

“I heard you, Ryan. With Vanessa. Talking about how I was just a stepping stone. How my family name was useful but I wasn’t.”

For a split second, surprise flickered across his face. Then it hardened into anger. “You were spying on me?”

“I was looking for my fiancé,” I shot back. “Instead I found you fucking your assistant minutes before our engagement announcement.”

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing a few steps. “It didn’t mean anything. You know how these things are. Stress relief. Vanessa knows her place. You… you were supposed to be my future. The stable image. The Cole name still carries weight even after what happened to your family.”

The mention of my family’s mysterious death stung. He always knew exactly where to twist the knife.

“I don’t want this anymore,” I whispered, my voice cracking despite my efforts to stay strong. “I deserve better than being someone’s image booster.”

Ryan stopped pacing and looked at me.

 His eyes traveled over my disheveled hair, the robe that clearly wasn’t from last night’s party dress, the faint marks on my neck I hadn’t bothered to hide.

“You slept with someone.” It wasn’t a question. His tone turned ugly. “After leaving the party, you went and spread your legs for some random man? While I was dealing with the mess you created?”

The words hurt more than they should have. Shame burned in my chest, but I lifted my chin. “That’s none of your business. We’re over.”

He moved faster than I expected, grabbing my wrist. Not hard enough to bruise, but tight enough to scare me.

“It is my business when it affects my reputation. You’re going to fix this, Aria. You’ll come back to me publicly. We’ll say it was cold feet. You’ll smile beside me at events. And you’ll sign whatever needs signing for the company merger.”

I tried to pull away, heart racing. “Let go of me.”

For a moment, something dangerous flashed in his eyes — that obsessive need for control my therapist had warned me about. Then he released me, stepping back with a forced smile.

“Think about it, cookie. You don’t want to be alone again. Not after everything you’ve lost. I’m the only one who’s been there for you.”

Tears pricked at my eyes. His words hit my vulnerabilities, the loneliness since my family’s death, the fear of starting over.

For years I had been indecisive, too trusting, letting people guide my path. Was I doing it again?

“I want you out,” I said, voice trembling but firm. “Change the locks if I have to. We’re finished.”

Ryan stared at me for a long moment, then chuckled darkly. “This isn’t over, Aria. You’ll come crawling back when you realize no one else wants the broken heiress with no family backing.”

He walked toward the elevator, pausing beside me. Leaning in close, he whispered, “And when I find out who you fucked last night, I’ll make sure he regrets touching what’s mine.”

The doors closed behind him, leaving me alone in the penthouse that suddenly felt too big and too empty.

I sank onto the couch, legs shaking. My body still ached from Dominic’s touch. But now fear mixed with the afterglow. What had I done? And how was I going to face the consequences?