_Aria’s POV_
I slept badly that night.
Ryan had given me a guest room on the upper floor of the house. It was small but clean. The bed was soft. A thick blanket covered me. There was even a small lamp on the wooden bedside table. Everything looked calm and safe.
But my mind was not.
Ryan and Darius had taken another room down the hall. I knew they were close, yet I still felt alone. The walls felt too quiet. The shadows felt too long.
I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Every time I closed my eyes, my chest tightened. I turned to my side. Then to the other. Sleep would not come easily.
My thoughts kept going back to Lucien. His cold eyes. His calm voice. The way he smiled when he thought he owned me. My skin crawled at the memory.
When I finally drifted into sleep, it was no
