Aria's POV
I kept knocking back drink after drink, each shot of tequila burning down my throat, but doing little to dull the thoughts swirling in my head.
"So, anyway, I was saying…" Davis's words blurred together, his voice like static in a fog.
I nodded absently, my fingers tracing the condensation on my glass.
Funny, isn't it?
I came here to drown my sorrows, yet the more I drank, the clearer those forbidden thoughts became—
What is Kane doing right now?
Did he go back to the office?
Has he heard what happened today?
Is he comforting Gabriella?
"Damn it…" I cursed under my breath and downed another shot.
The tequila hit me hard, burning through my veins, but even that couldn't drive Kane's image out of my mind.
"Aria?" Davis leaned in, his brows knit with concern. "Are you okay?"
I pressed my fingers into my temples, trying to ease the pounding headache. I
Aria's POVI kept knocking back drink after drink, each shot of tequila burning down my throat, but doing little to dull the thoughts swirling in my head."So, anyway, I was saying…"Davis's words blurred together, his voice like static in a fog.I nodded absently, my fingers tracing the condensation on my glass.Funny, isn't it?I came here to drown my sorrows, yet the more I drank, the clearer those forbidden thoughts became—What is Kane doing right now?Did he go back to the office?Has he heard what happened today?Is he comforting Gabriella?"Damn it…"I cursed under my breath and downed another shot.The tequila hit me hard, burning through my veins, but even that couldn't drive Kane's image out of my mind."Aria?"Davis leaned in, his brows knit with concern. "Are you okay?"I pressed my fingers into my temples, trying to ease the pounding headache. I
Aria's POVCold water slid down my scalp and into the collar of my shirt. I clenched my jaw so tightly it ached, hands pressed flat against my thighs.Not a flinch, not a word.Images flashed across my mind—grabbing Gabriella's meticulously curled hair and yanking it out by the roots, smashing her smug little face into her desk, hurling the cup she'd used to drench me straight through that picture frame she loved so much.But I did none of that.I just stood there, silent and still—like a statue soaked in rain.Gabriella stood in front of me, her chest heaving, her manicured nails digging into her palms so hard they might draw blood.She was trying—desperately—to keep from doing something even more unhinged.We stared at each other in a strange, fragile standoff.I knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted me to snap. She wanted a reaction—tears, screaming, a violent breakdown.She wanted to drag me down to her level so she could point and say, "See? I told you she's crazy. A slut. A w
Aria's POVBy 2 p.m., the office was gradually returning to life as everyone trickled back from lunch.I stood outside Gabriella's door, taking three deep breaths.This is just work, I reminded myself. Stay calm. Don't let personal emotions bleed through.Knock knock knock.My knuckles tapped the wood, and I instinctively straightened my spine."Come in."Gabriella was lounging in her leather chair like nothing had ever happened, a porcelain coffee cup swirling lazily in her fingers.The raging woman from this morning was nowhere to be seen.The shattered decor from our earlier confrontation had been replaced or cleaned away—like the entire scene had been erased."Here," I said, placing the translated documents neatly on the edge of her desk, careful to avoid touching the framed photo of her wrapped around Kane's arm.I had no intention of lingering. I turned to leave."Wait."Her sugary voice slithered through the room like a serpent, halting me mid-step."I should check your work,"
Aria's POVThe moment I pushed open Gabriella's office door, I was nearly suffocated by the thick cloud of perfume that hit me like a wall.The entire room looked like something straight out of a princess's fantasy.Rose-gold wallpaper, lace curtains, and a crystal chandelier clashed violently with the sleek, modern aesthetic of the rest of the company.On her desk sat a rhinestone-encrusted photo frame—inside, she was clinging to Kane's arm, smiling at the camera like she'd already won.My hands clenched at my sides.To have a private office like this in a company like ATTA—and free reign to use Kane's team as her own—said everything about her status in his life.And after the cold way he treated me earlier, the realization stung more than I wanted to admit."Miss Jepson," I said, forcing a polite smile, "how can I help you?"Gabriella lounged lazily in her leather chair, tapping her manicured fingers on the desk.Her eyes roamed over me slowly, appraising, like she was evaluating a
Aria's POVThe next morning. I blinked awake, still dazed and disoriented.Wait... the bed?I was certain I'd fallen asleep on the living room couch while cracking walnuts. Did I sleepwalk?I turned instinctively to the other side of the bed—empty.My hand brushed the sheets. Cold. Neatly smoothed.Something in my chest sank. And then, just as quickly, I shook it off with a bitter laugh.What was I expecting? That unpredictable man to carry me here like some doting lover?Ring ring ring—The sudden shrill of my phone snapped me out of it. I reached for it on the nightstand.Kane.Seriously? Did he plant surveillance on me? How else would he know the exact second I woke up?"Get to the office. Now."His voice was clipped, cold. He didn't wait for a reply—just hung up.I stared at the dark screen for a few seconds, the silence ringing louder than the call itself.This—this was who we were. The truth of it.No matter how long we spent alone in hospital rooms, or how intimately tangled we
Aria's POVThe moment we stepped back into the estate, I hadn't even kicked off my shoes when my back slammed against the cold entryway cabinet.Kane's arms braced on either side of me, caging me in.There was no room to run, no space to breathe."Put me down!" I turned my face away, not wanting him to see the redness in my eyes.His long fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him."You were crying?" His thumb gently brushed my tear-stained cheek. "What, are you mad? Did I say something wrong?""Of course not." I forced a brittle smile. "You're never wrong."That seemed to hit a nerve. His brow twitched, just barely, but then he schooled his features into that familiar mask of indifference."You're mad because I didn't keep my promise?"What promise? I blinked, confused."Huh?"He leaned in suddenly, his breath warm against my ear."This morning—I said I'd feed you, remember?" he murmured.My face went up in flames.This bastard!"I don't—""Don't be mad," he interrupted, v