The bitter truth
**Aria’s POV** Noah had returned with fresh sheets but I knew he just wanted to make sure I was alive. Now he was still standing by the window, his silhouette a dark, immovable edge against the gray morning light. He hadn't looked at me in an hour, and the air between us felt like ice about to crack. "You’re hiding something," I said, my voice finally cutting through the quiet. I sat up, the sheets rustling. "You saved my life, Noah, but you look like you’re mourning it. Tell me what happened at the office." Noah didn't turn. His hands were clenched at his sides, the dried blood on his knuckles a dark reminder of a violence I hadn't witnessed. "It doesn't matter. You’re awake. That’s all that it is." "I’m not a project, Noah. I’m not a piece of Vaelor property you just had to save. Wh
- Writer
