Semua Bab Dark Temptations: Falling For My Ex: Bab 41 - Bab 50

I looked at him, feeling the weight of the question pressing on me. "What about Lana, Michael?" I asked, my voice tinged with both uncertainty and a trace of bitterness. "Is she still part of this picture?"His expression faltered, guilt flickering in his eyes. He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lana... She's in the past. I know I told you things about her, and I was wrong to string you along like that." He paused, his gaze never leaving mine. "I ended things with her. She was never what I needed, Arya. She was a distraction. A way to avoid what I really wanted... you."I didn’t say anything at first. The words hung in the air, but I couldn’t shake the doubt that still lingered. After everything—the hurt, the lies, the confusion—could I just trust him? Could I really believe that Lana was truly out of the picture?"How do I know she won’t just pop back into your life?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my chest tight. "How can I be sure this time will be differe

"You really hurt me, and you never gave me the chance to vent," I sighed."Everything we would do together, and I thought it was special between us, you would do it with her."Michael's expression shifted, the confidence he usually wore like armor cracking under the weight of my words. He leaned back, his hand slipping away from mine, and for a moment, he looked like he didn’t know what to say—like he wasn’t the same composed man who could charm a room full of investors.“Arya,” he began, his voice strained, “I know I hurt you. I know I screwed up. And no excuse I give you will ever be enough.”I shook my head, my chest tightening with the emotions I’d bottled up for so long. “Do you even understand what it felt like, Michael? To watch you with her doing the things we did? The inside jokes, the pet names, the little rituals that I thought were ours.” My voice wavered, but I pressed on. “It made me feel… replaceable.”His eyes darkened with guilt. “You were never replaceable, Arya. Nev

After Michael dropped me off, I practically sprinted up to Yasmeen's apartment, my heart still racing from the tension of the night. As soon as I walked in, she was already waiting, wine glass in hand and an eager grin on her face."Okay, spill!" Yasmeen demanded, practically bouncing on the couch. "How was the date with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding?"I rolled my eyes, kicking off my heels. "First of all, it wasn’t a date.""Right," she smirked. "And I’m the Queen of England. Now talk!"I plopped down beside her, grabbing the wine glass she offered. "Fine. It was... good. Actually, really good."Her eyes widened. "Good? Details, babe. Did he kiss you? Did he—""No!" I cut her off, laughing. "But... there was definitely tension. Like, a lot of tension."Yasmeen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Define tension. Like, 'I want to rip your clothes off' tension?"I sipped the wine, my cheeks heating up. "He literally said if he had no morals, he’d—" I paused, lowering my voice, "take me right there o

After the pool, I decided to take a stroll in the park by myself. Yas and Raine went for ice cream while I opted for a smoothie. The park was peaceful, the soft rustling of leaves blending with the distant chatter of families and joggers. I sipped my smoothie slowly, letting the cool drink ease some of the tension that had been brewing inside me for weeks.I needed this walk—time to clear my head, to breathe, to be alone.But, of course, life had other plans.As I rounded a bend near the fountain, I stopped abruptly. Standing just a few feet away, leaning casually against a tree, was Damon.My heart clenched. His eyes met mine, and for a split second, the world seemed to tilt off its axis. That familiar smirk—the one that once made my knees weak—curved on his lips. To be fair, he looked surprised to see me there.I quickly turned away, my pulse quickening. Not today. Not now. I wasn’t ready to face him. Not after everything."Arya," he called out, his voice smooth and confident, as i

"Knowing Damon's mom, this isn't a simple gathering," I announced, pacing around the room Yasmeen and I shared. I could already feel the pressure building in my chest. "We’re going to have to dress up. Like, really dress up."Yasmeen looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow. "Define ‘really dress up.’ Are we talking cocktail dresses, or full-blown I’m-about-to-meet-royalty attire?"I flopped onto the bed, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Somewhere between those two, but closer to the royalty side. She doesn’t do casual, and if she says ‘gathering,’ it probably means half the city’s elite will be there."Yasmeen rolled her eyes. "Of course. Because why not turn a simple get-together into a gala?" She stood up and started rummaging through the closet. "Well, lucky for you, I’ve got some backup dresses. We’re going to make sure you look so good, Damon will regret every single decision he's made."I smirked. "Not the goal, but... I won’t complain if that happens."Yasmeen tossed a sleek