LOGINAria’s POVI was already accustomed to his shenanigans, the way Julian would wake me with gentle touches and the way he'd study my face while I slept like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. So when the evening sun hit my face, and I felt fingers brushing hair away from my eyes, I wasn't startled."Hey, baby." His lips pressed against my forehead, warm and soft. "You're awake."I stretched, my body deliciously sore in all the right places, and let out a yawn that probably wasn't attractive, but I was too comfortable to care. "How long was I asleep?""Not too long. Maybe an hour?" He handed me my phone, and something in his expression made my stomach tighten. "Your phone's been ringing nonstop. You should probably check it."I pressed the power button, the screen lighting up with a barrage of notifications. My heart sank when I saw who'd been calling.The security post. Five missed calls."Who is it?" Julian asked, his brow furrowing. "You look terrified.""It's the mansion's securi
Aria’s POVHe barged through the front door like a hurricane, all fury and devastation wrapped in human form. I'd been waiting in the foyer after picking him up from Fred's apartment, the silence during the drive so thick I could have choked on it."Hey." I tried for gentle and non-threatening. "I made breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast, nothing fancy, but…"He walked past me like I was invisible. Like I hadn't just driven across the city to rescue him from whatever hell he'd discovered. His face was a mask of anguish, with red-rimmed eyes, a jaw tight enough to shatter, and hands clenched into fists at his sides."Damien?" I followed him toward the stairs. "What happened? What did you find?"He didn't answer. Just kept climbing, his footsteps heavy and deliberate, like each step required monumental effort."Damien, talk to me. Whatever it is, we can…"The bedroom door slammed in my face with enough force to rattle the frame.Then I heard it. A sound I'd never heard from him before: raw, b
Aria’s POVHe barged through the front door like a hurricane, all fury and devastation wrapped in human form. I'd been waiting in the foyer after picking him up from Fred's apartment, the silence during the drive so thick I could have choked on it."Hey." I tried for gentle and non-threatening. "I made breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast, nothing fancy, but…"He walked past me like I was invisible. Like I hadn't just driven across the city to rescue him from whatever hell he'd discovered. His face was a mask of anguish, with red-rimmed eyes, a jaw tight enough to shatter, and hands clenched into fists at his sides."Damien?" I followed him toward the stairs. "What happened? What did you find?"He didn't answer. Just kept climbing, his footsteps heavy and deliberate, like each step required monumental effort."Damien, talk to me. Whatever it is, we can…"The bedroom door slammed in my face with enough force to rattle the frame.Then I heard it. A sound I'd never heard from him before: raw, b
Damien’s POVI woke up on the floor with a crick in my neck that felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my spine.My eyes cracked open slowly, adjusting to the early morning light filtering through the study windows. Everything hurt: my back, my shoulders, my pride. Why the hell was I on the floor?Then I felt it. Warmth. Softness. The distinct scent of vanilla and something floral that had haunted my dreams for years.I turned my head slightly and froze.Aria was pressed against me, her back to my chest, my arm somehow draped over her waist, our legs tangled together like we'd done this a thousand times before. We were practically spooning. On the floor of my dead father's study. Like some kind of tragic rom-com where the characters were too stupid to realise they'd fallen asleep together.Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.My brain immediately went into crisis mode. How did this happen? When did this happen? More importantly, how did I extract myself without waking her up an
Damien’s POVI woke up on the floor with a crick in my neck that felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my spine.My eyes cracked open slowly, adjusting to the early morning light filtering through the study windows. Everything hurt: my back, my shoulders, my pride. Why the hell was I on the floor?Then I felt it. Warmth. Softness. The distinct scent of vanilla and something floral that had haunted my dreams for years.I turned my head slightly and froze.Aria was pressed against me, her back to my chest, my arm somehow draped over her waist, our legs tangled together like we'd done this a thousand times before. We were practically spooning. On the floor of my dead father's study. Like some kind of tragic rom-com where the characters were too stupid to realise they'd fallen asleep together.Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.My brain immediately went into crisis mode. How did this happen? When did this happen? More importantly, how did I extract myself without waking her up an
Aria’s POVNostalgia hit me like a freight train the moment I stepped into the mansion.The entire space that had once been abandoned and dusty, a mausoleum of memories I'd tried desperately to forget, now gleamed with new life. The furniture sparkled as if freshly unwrapped, the hardwood floors shone like mirrors, and the air carried that distinct scent of professional cleaning services: lemon polish mixed with fresh linen and something floral I couldn't quite place.It was beautiful. Pristine. Perfect.And it made my chest ache with a longing I didn't want to name.My feet carried me deeper into the foyer, my eyes adjusting to the late morning light filtering through the tall windows. That's when I saw the portrait wall. Mr Robert's stern but kind face stared down at me from the largest frame, his eyes seeming to follow my movement with that knowing look he'd always had. The look that said he saw right through every lie, every pretence, every carefully constructed wall.But it wasn'







