Aria slammed the door behind her as she stumbled into the bedroom, her heart thudding like a war drum against her ribs. The sharp click of the lock echoed in the silence, but it didn’t feel safe, it felt suffocating.
She clutched her chest, gasping, trembling.
Damian’s words rang in her ears like a curse.
“You disgust me, Aria. Don’t you dare pretend you’re doing this for me. You’re only trying to cover up your affair with Marco.”
That look in his eyes. The way his hand had tightened around her arm, like she meant nothing. Like her pain didn’t matter.
Aria collapsed to her knees by the bed, tears pouring freely now, staining her cheeks as she hugged herself tightly.
How did it come to this?
She had thought maybe, just maybe, he would believe her. That he’d see Lyla’s act. But instea
