Ethan's POV
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
I had felt it the moment Aria collapsed.
The moment the entire banquet hall went silent.
The moment my father caught her before she hit the floor.
A pain unlike anything I had ever experienced spread through my chest.
At first, I thought it was guilt.
Regret.
Fear.
But this was different.
This felt physical.
As if invisible claws were tearing through the bond that had connected me to Aria for years.
Sophia touched my arm.
"Ethan?"
I pulled away.
Immediately.
The contact made my skin crawl.
My attention remained fixed on the doors leading outside.
Where my father had taken Aria.
Alone.
Again.
Something dark twisted inside me.
Jealousy.
Possessiveness.
Fear.
I hated it.
Because for the first time in my life, I didn't
