Chapter3
1088 Words
Aria’s foot pressed hard on the gas pedal as she sped through the streets, her hands shaking against the wheel. Her breath came in uneven bursts, and her heart pounded so loud it roared in her ears.
They set me up.
They want to turn him against me.
The memory sent a new wave of fear washing over her. She could still hear Emily's mocking laughter, Sophia's snide voice, the shame of what they'd done to her. But Luca had to believe her. He had to be able to see past their lies.
Didn't he?
The house grew into sight, and Aria hardly parked when she yanked open the car door and rushed in, her heels clicking on the marble floor.
"Luca!" she cried, her voice panting, urgent.
She spotted him in the shadowy living room, standing next to the fireplace, his head down as he gazed at his phone. The light of the screen cast an eerie glow on his hard features, his jaw clenched so hard she feared it might break.
Something was amiss.
Terribly amiss.
"Luca…" she inched forward hesitantly. "I have to speak to you."
His head came up.
And the expression in his eyes made her stomach lurch.
Cold. Distant. Revolted.
"Talk?" he echoed, his tone unnervingly serene.
Aria swallowed hard, nodding. "Whatever you saw, it's not what you think—"
Luca laughed, the sound cutting sharp like a knife through skin. "Not what I think?" He advanced a step, his hand clenching tighter around his phone. "Do you think I'm blind? Dumb?"
Her breath caught. "No, I—"
"You were in a hotel room," he cut her off, his voice low and dangerous. "With another man." His piercing gaze burned into hers. "Did you think I wouldn’t find out?"
A lump formed in her throat. "I thought it was you."
He laughed harshly, raking a hand through his hair. "You thought it was me?" His tone was thick with incredulity. "So what, Aria? You were so desperate to throw yourself at me that you didn't even check?" His eyes grew dark. "Or did it not matter who it was as long as they were willing?"
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. "It wasn’t like that!" she pleaded. "I got a message! It said it was from you, asking me to meet you at Crimsonveil Bar. When I got there, someone attacked me—"
"Attacked?" His lip curled. "You expect me to believe that?"
She breathed in deeply, struggling against the growing panic. "Luca, I swear on my life, I fought him off! Ask the staff—ask anyone! Emily and Sophia were there, watching! They set me up!"
Luca's jaw clenched, his fingers forming a fist. "How convenient."
"Convenient?" she repeated, her head shaking in dismay. "You know me. You know I would never do this to you!"
"I thought I knew you," he muttered, stepping closer until they were inches apart. His voice dropped lower, more venomous. "Turns out, I was wrong."
Her chest tightened.
Before she could say another word, footsteps echoed from behind her.
"She’s really going to stand here and lie to your face, Luca?"
Aria whipped around just in time to see Sophia striding in, arms crossed, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"How pathetic," Sophia sneered. "You got caught, and now you're playing the victim?"
Aria's fists were clenched. "You know this was a setup."
Sophia gasped, her hand rising to cover her chest in feigned offense. "A setup? Oh please, Aria. I think we all saw exactly what happened."
"I was attacked—"
"Sure," Sophia interrupted, rolling her eyes. "That's why you looked so cozy under that man, huh?"
Aria's nails pierced her palms. "You b***h—"
"Aria," another voice called sweetly.
Emily.
Aria's blood turned cold as she turned to watch Emily limp into the room, holding her leg as if she had just survived some grand adventure.
"You actually hurt me," Emily whispered, her voice tiny and shaking.
"What?" Aria scowled.
Emily sniffled theatrically. "You hit me so hard I lost my footing. I think I sprained my ankle." She grimaced, as if standing was too much to bear.
Aria’s eyes widened. "You’re lying."
But Luca’s entire demeanor changed. His shoulders stiffened, his sharp gaze flickering to Emily’s ‘injury,’ and in the blink of an eye, he was at her side.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone softer, gentler.
Emily nodded weakly, looking up at him through teary lashes. "I think so. It just hurts a little."
Aria felt her stomach lurch.
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
"Luca," she choked out, taking a step toward him. "She’s faking it—"
"Enough!"
The single word lashed through the air like a whip, freezing her in place.
Luca turned to her, his expression void of any warmth. "I don’t want to hear another word."
Aria blinked. "You believe them?" Her voice cracked, disbelief bleeding into every syllable.
His gaze hardened. "I believe what I saw."
Tears burned down her cheeks. "Luca, please—"
"Get out of my sight."
Her breath hitched.
She stared at him, waiting—praying—for any sign of hesitation. Any glimpse of the Luca she knew. The man who had once held her, whispered sweet promises against her skin, made her feel like she was his entire world.
But he wasn’t there anymore.
This man before her was someone else. Someone cruel. Someone who saw her as nothing more than a stain in his life.
A w***e, as they wished him to.
Her lips quivered, but nothing came out.
Because there was nothing more to say.
Luca had made up his mind already.
And he had chosen to detest her.
The chill night air nipped at Aria's skin as she staggered down the desolate street, her eyes stinging with tears. The streetlights swayed, casting ghostly shadows across the pavement, but she did not see. Her heart felt shattered, her chest seared, and her whole world had just fallen to pieces around her.
She wrapped her arms across her body, attempting to stem the shattered sobs ripping through her throat.
He struck me.
The sting of Luca's slap still felt on her cheek, but the ache in her heart was by far worse.
He didn't believe her.
He chose Emily. Sophia. Their lies.
A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, wrenching a gasp out of her lips. She froze, her hands instinctively going to her stomach.
No… please, no.
- Writer
