Aria’s POV
The silence in the car was suffocating. Ryan’s hands were tight on the steering wheel, his jaw locked in a hard line. He hadn't said a word since I told him about the call.
"What was that?" he finally asked, his voice low and dangerous.
I stared out the window at the blurred city lights. My heart was still hammering against my ribs, echoing Livia’s voice.
"I have to go back," I said. My voice was surprisingly steady.
"Aria, no." Ryan pulled the car over to the curb sharply, turning to face me. "Think for one second. This is exactly how men like Max keep control. They sense you slipping away, so they pull you back in before you can think clearly. It’s a lure. You’re walking right back into the cage."
I looked at him then. Ryan’s eyes were full of a desperate kind of concer
