Chapter 4

Aria did not answer him immediately, not because she did not have something to say, but because every possible answer felt like it would lead to something she was not ready to deal with, and the silence that followed his question was not empty or uncertain but filled with too many thoughts moving at once, because what he asked was not simple, it was not something she could brush off with the same ease she had used earlier, and the more she stayed quiet, the more she could feel the weight of his attention through the line, steady and waiting in a way that made it clear he was not going to move on from it easily.

She tightened her grip on the steering wheel slightly as she stared ahead, forcing herself to stay grounded in the moment instead of letting her mind drift too far into everything that question carried, because the problem was not just that he was asking, the problem was that he sounded like he actually wanted to know, and that made it harder to respond without opening something she had already closed off.

“You don’t,” she finally said, keeping her voice calm and steady even though she knew the answer did not fully match the question, because she was not about to explain anything beyond what she absolutely had to, and even that felt like more than she wanted to give.

There was a brief pause on the other end, not long enough to feel like hesitation but just enough to make it clear that he was processing what she said, and then he spoke again, his tone slightly different this time, more focused in a way that made it clear he was not satisfied with that answer.

“That’s not what I asked,” he said, and the way he said it carried a level of certainty that made it obvious he was not going to let the conversation stay on the surface.

Aria let out a slow breath, leaning back slightly in her seat as she tried to decide how far she was willing to go with this, because the moment had already moved beyond something simple, and continuing it meant making choices she had been avoiding since the second she saw him again.

“It feels like that because you think you’ve seen me before,” she said, keeping her tone light enough to make it sound like a reasonable explanation, even though she knew it was not enough to fully answer what he was asking.

“That’s not it,” he replied almost immediately, and this time there was no pause between her words and his, like he already knew that answer was not right before she even finished saying it.

Aria’s fingers tightened slightly again, because that was exactly the problem, he was not letting it go, and the more he pushed, the harder it became to keep things where she wanted them.

“Then what is it,” she asked, knowing she should not have, knowing that question only gave him more space to continue, but something about the way he was pushing made it hard not to respond.

There was a slight shift in the sound on the other end, like he had moved, like he was no longer standing in the same place he had been when the call started, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter but more direct.

“It feels like you’re lying,” he said.

The words settled between them in a way that made everything else feel still for a second, and Aria felt the impact of it immediately, not because she was surprised by it, but because he said it so simply, like it was just a fact he had already decided on.

She let out a small breath, not enough to sound like a reaction but enough to steady herself before she responded, because this was the moment where she either kept control or lost it completely.

“You don’t know me,” she said, keeping her voice even, “so you don’t get to decide that.”

“I know when something doesn’t add up,” he replied, and there was no hesitation in his tone, no doubt, just a quiet certainty that made it clear he was not guessing.

Aria looked down at her phone for a second before looking ahead again, because the conversation had already gone further than she wanted, and continuing it was only making it worse, but ending it now would not stop him, it would only push him to find another way to get the answers he was looking for.

“It’s late,” she said instead, shifting the direction slightly, “and I have work in the morning.”

“You always deflect when you don’t want to answer something,” he said, and the moment the words left his mouth, something in her chest tightened in a way that caught her off guard, because that was not something he should know anymore, not after everything that had happened, not after all the time that had passed.

For a second, she said nothing, because that one sentence carried more than everything else he had said so far, and the realization that he still noticed things like that made the situation feel different in a way she had not prepared for.

“That’s not something you would know,” she replied, and this time her tone was slightly sharper, not enough to sound emotional but enough to make the shift clear.

Another pause followed, slightly longer this time, and when he spoke again, his voice had changed just enough for her to notice it.

“Then maybe I know more than you think,” he said.

Aria felt that settle in a way she did not like, because if that was true, then this was not just about a feeling or a guess, it meant he had already started putting things together in a way that could lead somewhere she did not want him to go.

“That’s not possible,” she said, but even as she said it, she knew it was not something she could guarantee.

“Then prove it,” he replied, and now there was something else in his tone, something more deliberate, like he was no longer just asking questions but pushing for something specific.

Aria frowned slightly, even though he could not see it, because she did not like where this was going.

“Prove what,” she asked.

“That I’m wrong,” he said, and this time there was no space between his words, no pause, no hesitation, just a clear challenge that made the direction of the conversation impossible to ignore.

She leaned back further into her seat, her mind running through what that could mean, because there were too many ways this could go and none of them felt simple anymore.

“How exactly do you expect me to do that,” she asked, even though part of her already knew what he was about to say.

“Meet me,” he said.

The word landed harder than everything else he had said so far, because it changed everything immediately, turning this from a conversation she could control into something that would pull her directly back into his space again.

“No,” she replied quickly, before she could think about it too much, because agreeing to that was not an option, not now, not like this.

“Why not,” he asked, and this time there was a slight edge in his voice, not enough to sound angry but enough to show that he was not expecting that answer.

“Because there’s no reason to,” she said, keeping it simple, even though she knew that was not enough.

“There is,” he replied, “you just don’t want to admit it.”

Aria closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, because this was exactly what she had tried to avoid, and now she was already in it deeper than she wanted to be.

“You’re making this into something it’s not,” she said.

“Then come and prove that,” he replied immediately, like he had been waiting for that answer.

She shook her head slightly, even though he could not see it, because the more he pushed, the clearer it became that he was not going to let this go easily.

“I’m not meeting you,” she said again, more firmly this time.

There was silence on the other end for a second, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter but more certain than before.

“You will,” he said.

Aria frowned again, because that was not a request anymore, it was a statement.

“No, I won’t,” she replied.

“You work with Carter Holdings,” he said, and just hearing that again made something in her chest tighten, “and I have a meeting with them in less than twelve hours.”

The words hit immediately, because she already knew where this was going before he even finished.

“So you don’t have to agree,” he continued, “because I’ll see you anyway.”

Aria sat there in silence for a second, the reality of that settling in fully now, because this was no longer something she could avoid or delay, it was already happening whether she wanted it to or not.

“You’re assuming I’ll be there,” she said, even though she knew how unlikely it was that she could avoid it without raising questions at work.

“I don’t assume,” he replied calmly, “I confirm.”

And that was it, that was the moment everything shifted into something real, because now it was not just about a message or a call or an unexpected meeting.

Now it was about something that was already set to happen, and this time…

She wouldn’t be able to walk away.