CH 20
The night wasn’t supposed to be this silent.
It wasn’t supposed to feel like destiny was holding its breath.
Aria opened her eyes slowly, the first thing she noticed wasn’t the light—it was Ethan’s hand, strong and warm, covering hers.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It wasn’t a dream.
It wasn’t an illusion.
Ethan was really there, sitting before her—wounded, bleeding, exhausted… yet every inch of him radiated protection.
“Ethan…” she whispered, voice trembling.
His eyes held the same intensity she had fallen for—fear, love, and a weight of guilt that words could never explain.
“Don’t move, sweetheart,” he said softly, but his voice carried an iron edge.
“You’ve been through too much tonight.”
Aria’s gaze locked onto him, studying every line of his bruised face, the blood-stain
