Chapter 11 You don't have to apologise
2140 Words
Aria’s POV
I rushed downstairs again, my breathing still uneven from everything that had happened upstairs. This time, the guards near the entrance stepped aside immediately after receiving Liam’s order. Neither of them tried to stop me again.
I did not even look at them as I hurried past. The cold evening air hit my face the moment I stepped outside. For one second, I stopped at the top of the stairs. My eyes moved across the long driveway automatically. Empty. My chest tightened again.
Dad had told me to leave my personal car behind after the marriage. “You’re married to a billionaire now,” he had said proudly that day. “Why would you still need that old car?” But that was before. Before I understood what marrying Liam truly meant.
Sophia had smiled sweetly and said she liked my car. I still remembered how tightly my fingers wrapped around the keys that day. Because Ethan bought that car for me. Not because it was expensive. But because he had spent months saving for it.
I did not want to leave it behind. But nobody listened to me. And now I was not even allowed to touch Liam’s things. Including his cars. Something bitter rose inside my chest immediately.
I quickly walked toward the estate gate instead while pulling out my phone. My hands shook while trying to book a cab. One cancelled. Another ignored the location. Another said the driver was too far away.
Every passing minute made my panic worse.
I kept glancing toward the road outside the estate repeatedly. “Please…” I whispered while refreshing the app again. By the time I finally got a cab, almost forty minutes had already passed.
The ride felt endless. Traffic lights, slow cars, people crossing the road carelessly. Everything irritated me. My knee bounced nonstop during the ride while my fingers stayed locked tightly together on my lap.
“Can you please go faster?” I asked suddenly. The driver looked at me through the mirror. “There’s traffic ahead, madam.” I pressed my lips together hard and looked away.
My chest felt painfully tight. By the time the cab finally stopped in front of St. Mary’s Hospital, almost one hour had passed. I pushed the door open quickly and rushed out immediately. ,The bright hospital lights hurt my eyes.
Doctors walked past quickly. Nurses moved in different directions. The strong smell of medicine filled the air. My heart pounded harder as I hurried toward the reception desk. “The woman from the stabbing case last night,” I said breathlessly. “Nicole… where is she?”
The nurse checked the computer briefly. “She was transferred to the ICU after surgery.” My stomach dropped instantly. “ICU…?” “She’s out of danger for now,” the nurse added gently. “Third floor.”
Relief hit me weakly, but it still did not fully settle inside my chest. Not yet. I turned immediately and rushed toward the elevator. My fingers would not stop trembling.
When the elevator doors finally opened on the third floor, I hurried out quickly.The ICU hallway was quiet.Too quiet. Cold white lights stretched across the long corridor.
Then suddenly, my steps slowed. Ethan was already there. He stood near the ICU doors speaking quietly with a doctor. The moment he looked up and saw me, he stopped talking completely.
“Aria…” Relief crossed his face immediately. Then worry. Then something deeper. Pain. My chest tightened unexpectedly. I stopped walking for one second before forcing myself forward again. Ethan walked toward me quickly. “You came.” I nodded faintly.
“How is she?” My voice came out smaller than I expected. Ethan noticed immediately how carefully I kept a small distance between us. Like I was afraid to stand too close. Something changed in his expression for a second. Something painful.
“She’s okay now,” he said softly. “The surgery ended not too long ago.” I released a shaky breath.
My shoulders dropped slightly for the first time since the phone call. “She lost a lot of blood,” Ethan continued carefully while watching my face. “But the doctors said she’s stable now.”
I lowered my head immediately. One hand pressed weakly against my chest. “Thank God…” Ethan stepped a little closer instinctively. “You should sit down first. You look pale.” “I’m fine.” But even I could hear how weak my voice sounded.
His eyes stayed on my face quietly. My swollen eyes. The tears I probably did not wipe properly. The way my fingers still shook slightly. “You’ve been crying,” he said softly. I looked away immediately. “I was scared.” His expression softened further.
“She’s going to be okay.” For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The silence between us felt strange now. Careful. Fragile. I suddenly became aware of how close he was standing. Too close.
My chest tightened again. At the far end of the hallway, I felt something.
Like someone was watching us. I turned slightly toward the corridor instinctively. But there was nobody there. Maybe it was just my imagination.
Ethan spoke again before I could think further.
“I already called Chloe’s mother.” I looked back at him immediately. “You did?” He nodded once.
“She was panicking on the phone, but she’ll arrive tomorrow morning.” Relief crossed my face again.
“Thank you…” Ethan shook his head softly. “You don’t need to thank me.” His voice remained gentle. “Chloe is my friend too.” The guilt inside my chest suddenly returned again. Bigger this time.
For several seconds, I struggled to speak. Then finally. “I’m sorry, Ethan.” He frowned slightly. “For what?” I slowly forced myself to look him in the eye. “For hurting you.” The words came out quietly.
Painfully. Ethan stared at me for a moment before exhaling softly.
“Oh, come on, Aria…” A sad smile touched his lips briefly. “It wasn’t your fault.” My fingers curled tightly beside me. “Chloe explained everything to me.” Ethan stepped closer slowly. Close enough for me to recognize the familiar scent I once found comforting.
“You don’t have to apologize.” His voice became softer. “I know you.” Something painful twisted inside my chest immediately. Before I could react properly, Ethan pulled me gently into a hug. My body froze instantly. For one brief second, the warmth almost broke something inside me.
Safe. Familiar. Painfully familiar. Then reality crashed back into my head immediately. Liam. The mansion. The marriage. Slowly, I pulled away after only a few seconds. The movement was small. But Ethan felt it immediately.
Something flickered across his eyes briefly. Hurt. Still, he forced a small smile. “It’s okay,” he whispered softly. I lowered my eyes again, unable to look at him properly. Somewhere behind us, the strange feeling of being watched returned again.
And this time, it felt heavier.
- Writer
