CH 14
The hallway was silent now, but the silence was thicker than any storm Aria had ever known. Her chest pressed against Ethan’s, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt, trying to steady herself even as her heart threatened to burst from her ribs. Every instinct screamed at her to run, yet she couldn’t—couldn’t move an inch away from him.
Ethan’s eyes were sharp, scanning the doorway and the faint shadows beyond it. His jaw was tight, his fingers flexing at her waist, ready for anything. The words he had whispered moments ago still lingered in her mind: “She’s back. And she wants you too.”
Aria swallowed hard, trembling. “Ethan… who is she really? Why… why now?” Her voice cracked with a mixture of fear and desperation.
Ethan’s hands tightened around her, pulling her just a lit
