Todos los capítulos de Twisted Obsession: The Billionaires Virgin Bride: Capítulo 21 - Capítulo 30

ARIA  Three days pass in a blur of wedding preparations, work meetings, and the strange domesticity of living with Dante.He leaves early for the office...usually before I wake up. Returns late, often after nine. But when we’re together, there’s a new awareness between us. A tension that’s both exciting and terrifying.We haven’t slept together since that first night. Haven’t even kissed since the photo shoot.It’s like we’re both afraid that one touch will shatter whatever fragile understanding we’ve reached.On Thursday evening, Lily appeared at my office with several garment bags.“For tomorrow night,” she explains. “Mr. Ashford asked me to have these sent over. T

ARIA“Champagne,” Dante says, taking two flutes from a passing waiter. He hands me one. “Drink.”I do, grateful for something to occupy my shaking hands.“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t have engaged with them. I should have just walked away...”“Don’t apologize.” His voice was firm. “You stood up for yourself. That’s exactly what you should have done.”“But the scene...”“It was necessary. And long overdue, from the sound of it.” He turns me to face him, his hands on my shoulders. “Your parents are toxic, Aria. They’ve made you believe you’re less than Vivienne your entire life. But you’re not. You’re extraordinary. And it’s past time someone told them that.”Tears prick my eyes, but I blink them back. “Thank you. For defending me.”“Always.” He brushes his thumb across my cheek. “I told you...you’re mine to protect now. That includes from your own family.”A photographer’s flash goes off nearby, capturing the moment. Dante and Aria, intimate and intense in the middle of the ga

ARIAThe confession hangs between us, raw and honest.“Dante—”His phone rings. He glances at it, and his expression hardens. “I have to take this. It’s Viktor.”He answers, speaking in clipped tones. I watched his face change, going from concerned to furious.“When?” A pause. “How did they get past security?” Another pause. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”He hangs up and starts moving, grabbing his jacket, his watch, his phone.“What happened?”“Someone broke into your apartment. Last night, while we were at the gala,” His voice is tight with controlled rage. “They vandalized everything. Spray-painted threats on the walls. Destroyed your belongings.”My stomach drops. “What kind of threats?”“The kind that suggests you should have stayed with Marcus. That Ashfords bleed just like everyone else.” He’s checking his gun—I didn’t even know he had a gun—before sliding it into a concealed holster. “Viktor’s team is there now. The NYPD is involved. But Aria, this is serious.”“Who would

ARIA“It means you’re becoming just like them! Marcus used me for advancement. Vivienne used me for satisfaction. Michael used me for money. And you...” My voice breaks. “You’re using me as an excuse to indulge your worst impulses. To be as cruel and destructive as you want while calling it protection.”The words land like physical blows. I see him flinch, see the pain flash across his face.“That’s not fair,” he says quietly.“Isn’t it? Be honest, Dante. You’re enjoying this. The power. The control. The ability to destroy anyone who crosses you.” I met his eyes. “You don’t want revenge for me. You want revenge for yourself. For Christina, for your father, for every time you’ve ever been hurt or betrayed. And I’m just the excuse you needed to fin

ARIA“Good. You need to talk to him anyway. And Aria?” Paige hugs me tight. “Life’s too short to run from the people you love. Even when they’re scary and complicated, they sometimes make terrible decisions. Trust me on this.”Katya is waiting outside...she’s been there the whole time, I realize, silently keeping watch.“Mount Sinai,” I tell her. “Please hurry.”The drive takes fifteen minutes. I spent the time trying to figure out what to say to Dante. How to explain that I’m not running away, just terrified of what loving him means.How to tell him that I see him...all of him...and I’m choosing to stay anyway.If it’s not too late.The hospital is quiet at night. I navigate to Isabelle’s room with a sense of dread.Dante is there, sitting beside his mother’s bed, holding her hand.He looks up when I enter, and the expression on his face nearly undoes me.Hope. Fear. Pain.All of it right there, completely unguarded.“You came,” he says quietly.“She asked for me.” I move closer. “Ho