Aria remained on the cold marble floor long after the front door slammed shut, signaling Damian’s exit. Her breath came in short, shaky gasps, her chest rising and falling with each sob that tore through her throat. The sting in her neck from his grip was nothing compared to the weight in her heart.
She pressed her trembling fingers to the bruises forming along her skin, feeling the outline of his anger burned into her. The humiliation, the fear, the pain, they all tangled inside her like a storm she couldn’t escape from. She had been foolish to think there might be a sliver of peace in this marriage. Foolish to think Damian could change.
She blinked hard, trying to push back more tears, but they rolled down regardless, hot and bitter. Her thoughts spiraled back to Marco, to the kiss, th
