All Chapters of Her Face, My Wife's Shadow : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Aria's POV I ran towards the direction of my room, tears streaming down my face. I could hear Mila’s voice echoing down the hallway, calling my name, her voice rising with panic, but I couldn't stop. I burst into my room and threw the bolt, the heavy click of the lock. A few seconds later, the door rattled under Mila’s frantic knocking. "Aria! Please, open the door." I ignored her. My legs carried me, almost against my will, to the vanity. I leaned heavily on the marble top and forced myself to look. I traced the curve of my jaw and the line of my lips with trembling fingers. "No," I whispered, the word hitching in my throat. "I can never be her." I was in my room, about to eat my food when I heard a woman's voice shouting Isabella's name. Out of curiosity, I left the room without even peeping through the window to see how the situation was. That was my first mistake. If not, I couldn't dare to show my face. If Mr Sterling had allowed us to leave with Ethan and Mark back to th

Aria’s POV Panic clawed at my chest as I raised my hand, pressing my palm against my heart, trying to steady its beats. If Alexander arrived before I could vanish, the doors of this gilded cage would lock forever. I hadn't prepared for him to return so soon. As I stood there, trembling, the old woman I had defended earlier took my hand. Her eyes were bright with surprise and profound relief. "My child," she whispered. "I believe that bad things don't happen to good people. When I heard the news of your death years ago, I was heartbroken. You were always so kind and lovely." I froze. Her words were at odds with everything I had heard. If Isabella was the monster, Alexander’s mother had claimed, why did this woman look at me like I was a saint? Was Isabella a master of disguise, or was Mr Sterling telling the truth? "Excuse me, ma'am," I murmured, pulling away. I couldn't deal with her gratitude – not when I was wearing a dead woman’s face like a mask. I hurried back to the room

Aria's POV I watched Alexander’s expression shift; the panic and relief from a moment ago disappeared, replaced by something colder, sharp enough to freeze the air between us. "Aria", his voice was dangerous. “I won’t repeat myself. Get in the car." I straightened myself, forcing boldness into my trembling spine. "And I won't repeat myself either." I pointed towards the road. “I'm going to the airport to book the next flight out of this hellish country." Yes! This was my only chance to escape from this man. If the police arrived, there would be witnesses, and there's nothing he can do. Alexander didn't argue. He moved like a flash. One second I was standing on the ground; the next second, my feet left the ground. Oh no! I didn't see this coming. He had thrown me over his shoulder as though I weighed nothing. I kicked wildly, my legs slicing through the air while my fists pounded against his back. “Hey, Alexander, let me go!” A chuckle escaped his lips. "Alexander, huh? His vo

Aria's POV I shook my head, taking another step back. “No! He's not.” “You don't get to decide that and rewrite my life like an author, just because it suits you.” “Do you think I’d twist everything to suit myself?” He asked quietly. “I think you're desperate,” I shot back. “Desperate enough to even make a stranger your wife…. something she never asked for.” He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face before stepping closer. Instinctively, I retreated until my back hit the wall. “Aria,” my name was low on his lips. “Look at me.” “I am looking at you.” “No,” he closed the remaining distance between us but he didn't touch me. His presence pressed in, not force but by gravity. As if the space itself insisted I belonged to him. “Look, I brought you here,” he continued, “because this is the only place the truth can reach you.” “I don't need the truth,” I said, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I want my life back by leaving this country.” Alexander’s hand lifte

Aria's POV If I had told Mila the truth, she might start believing I was Isabella too, and I wasn't ready to lose the only person who saw me for who I really was. She nodded slowly. “That’s good.” “We need to play it cool until we get out of here. So… what's the next plan now?” I drew a steady breath, bracing myself for her reaction. “We are staying here for a month.” “What?” Mila shouted, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Then we go back to New York.” Mila stood up, standing face-to-face with me. “Aria, please, just admit you are joking about this.” “Mila, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this mess,” I said, reaching for her hands. “If you want to go back now, I’ll find a way to get you on a plane. I feel so guilty that you're stuck here because of me. I can handle this alone.” “No, Aria." Her voice softened as she squeezed my hands back. “I know Mr Sterling asked me to stay here with you, but I was so happy I wasn't leaving your side.” “So it was also my decision too.