Aria’s POV
The rest of the day passed in a haze of tension and uncertainty. As I sat with Tabitha, I couldn’t shake the weight of Demitri’s words from earlier, or the lingering feel of his kiss on my cheek.
Whoever this man was—this monster who had ripped me from everything I knew—there was something beneath the surface, something I didn’t want to acknowledge but couldn’t quite ignore.
Dinner felt strained. Tabitha sat across from me, pouring her usual mix of sharp observations and reluctant encouragement into the air between us. The ornate dining room was dimly lit, with shadows flickering from the golden chandelier above. Demitri sat at the head of the table, his intense gaze resting on me more often than not.
“Stop fidgeting,” Tabitha said, her voice firm but not unkind.
“I’m not f
