Mag-log inAriana’s POV“W-what do you mean?”My voice barely escaped my throat. The air felt thin, like the room had shrunk around us.Leo stiffened beside me, jaw tightening. “Ariana, don’t listen to him.”The men at the door stood tense, watching everything with military stillness. The storm hissed against the windows. My pulse hammered so loudly it felt like it was echoing off the walls.I swallowed hard. “Ethan… what are you talking about?”Static crackled on the line—just long enough for dread to crawl up my spine.Then Ethan spoke again, quieter this time, the fear in his voice chilling.“Ariana… someone is lying to you.”Leo let out a sharp exhale. “He’s manipulating you. You know what he does—”“Leo, stop,” I whispered, eyes fixed on the phone like it might bite.Ethan’s voice returned, strained.“Ariana, listen carefully. You need to step away from him.”My breath caught. “From… who?”Silence.A heavy, awful silence.Leo’s hand brushed my elbow, trying to pull me slightly behind him. I
Ariana’s POVThe knock came again—sharp, impatient, echoing through the penthouse like a warning shot.I froze. Leo stepped in front of me without thinking, his arm brushing mine, tense like a wire pulled too tight.“Ariana,” he whispered, barely moving his lips, “don’t answer that yet.”My heartbeat hammered against my ribs. The storm outside pressed against the glass like it wanted to come in, wind howling, rain slashing sideways. Everything felt too loud—my pulse, the thunder, the shallow rise and fall of Leo’s breath.Another knock. This one harder.“Ariana Navarro,” the voice repeated, deeper this time. “Open the door. Now.”Leo muttered under his breath, “That doesn’t sound like hotel staff.”“No,” I said, trying to swallow the dryness in my throat. “It doesn’t.”I took a step back, my heel brushing against the edge of the rug. Leo positioned himself fully in front of me now, shoulders square, soaked clothes clinging to him from earlier. He looked like he was ready to fight whoe
Ariana’s POVThe moment Ethan disappeared behind the door, the penthouse felt wrong—too huge, too hollow, too loud with the sounds I didn’t want to hear. The storm outside slammed against the windows, a restless tapping that matched the uneven beat in my chest.“Ariana… tell me what you need.”Leo’s voice came from behind me—soft, careful, almost guilty. But I didn’t turn around. My eyes stayed glued to the door Ethan slammed, the faint vibration still shivering through the frame.“Ariana,” Leo said again, footsteps squishing softly on the puddles he’d dragged inside. “I didn’t come here to make things worse. I came because—”“Because what?” My voice cracked. I faced him slowly, each word a little heavier than the last. “Because you think you know what’s best for me?”Leo looked like the storm had swallowed him. His clothes were soaked, hair dripping, chest rising and falling like he’d sprinted across half the city just to stand here. But his eyes—steady, intent—held mine like he was
Ethan’s POVThe moment the door slammed behind me, the sound ricocheted down the hallway—sharp, metallic, final.My breath burned in my chest as I strode toward the elevator, every step echoing like a curse against the marble floor.I didn’t want to look back.I didn’t want to see her reaching for me again.But her voice—her voice was all I heard.“Don’t make me choose.”The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped inside. The walls felt too close, the air too thin. My hand hovered over the panel, but I didn’t press anything.A throbbing pulsed at the base of my skull. I braced my hands against the cool metal railing, grounding myself, forcing the anger out of my breath before it consumed me.My reflection on the mirrored wall stared back—jaw clenched, eyes too dark, shoulders rigid with a tension I couldn’t hide.“A midnight visit,” I muttered under my breath. “In my penthouse.”The door inched forward, about to close—But a hand slammed against the panel.The elevat
The silence in the penthouse was unbearable. Even the city outside—its muted hum of horns, laughter, and occasional shouts drifting up from the street below—seemed too far away, too detached, as though mocking the storm that brewed inside me. I paced across the living room, barefoot on the cool marble floors. My skin prickled with the remnants of the argument I’d had with Ethan hours ago, his words replaying in a loop inside my head. “You think love alone can keep you safe? Ariana, the world I live in will devour you if you keep searching for truths that are better left buried.” That voice, clipped and cold, still lingered in the air like smoke. Yet beneath it, I had seen it—the flicker in his eyes, the hesitation that betrayed the iron walls he constantly built. I wrapped my arms around myself as if I could shield my heart from breaking any further. But the truth was, I was tired. Tired of running after answers. Tired of c
The house felt too big that morning. I woke to silence—not the peaceful kind, but the kind that made your chest tighten. The sheets beside me were still warm, so Ethan must have slipped out of bed not too long ago. I could still smell his cologne faintly on the pillow, that sharp, clean scent that used to comfort me. Now it only reminded me of how close he was and yet how far he felt. I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, listening to the hum of the air-conditioning and the faint sounds of the city outside. Cars honking in the distance, a dog barking somewhere beyond the gates. Normal life kept moving, while inside me everything had slowed to a crawl. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I wrapped the silk robe tighter around my body. My skin felt cold, though the sun was already spilling light through the tall windows. Downstairs, the staff moved quietly, like they knew something was wrong but didn’t dare speak it. Every







