ARIA'S POV
I woke up slowly, the silk sheets soft beneath my skin, the sunlight lazy as it filtered through the penthouse windows.
For a moment, I forgot where I was. For a moment, I thought I was back in my cramped apartment with peeling wallpaper and Mikey's cartoons blaring from the living room. But then I turned and saw the skyline.
And remembered: Julian Styles. The contract. The kiss.
God, the kiss.
I loved it
All this is just a contract I told myself, but I knew I was falling faster than I thought.
It had stayed with me all night, tucked beneath my ribs like a secret I wasn’t ready to unpack. The way he touched me like I mattered. The way his lips felt like a promise. And yet, this wasn’t real. Not fully. Not yet.
I slid out of bed and wrapped myself in a robe. When I opene
