Aria’s POVI sat by the window, cradling a cup of coffee in my hands, the warmth seeping through my fingers. Dinner was done, and I had the place to myself—a rare moment of peace. Yet, as I stared into my coffee, my mind wandered back to that day at the zoo.It had been weeks since Victor, Jasmine,
Aria’s POVWhen I opened the door, the world seemed to tilt for a second. Standing on the porch was Troy—but not the Troy I remembered.He looked nothing like the clean-cut, confident guy who used to make Jessica laugh until she cried. This Troy was disheveled, worn out, and desperate. His once neat
Aria’s POV“I’m not leaving until I talk to Jessica,” Troy growled, stepping forward. His voice was cold, hard—so unlike the easygoing man I once knew. He was practically seething now, the tension rolling off him in waves. I planted my hand on the door, gripping it so tightly my fingers began to hu
Aria’s POVI managed to wriggle free, my heart beating like crazy. But Troy’s body was now wedged in the doorway, and he was too strong for me to just push him out. “Please, Troy,” I pleaded, forcing my voice to remain steady. “Let’s talk about this another time.”He ignored my request, his voice r
Aria’s POVI leaned against the door, my heart still racing, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. Troy’s desperate, rage-filled threats echoed in my mind, but it was the mystery of those men who’d intervened that kept me on edge. Who were they, and why had they come to my rescu
Aria’s POV“Uh, Jess…” I hesitated before continuing. “There’s something you should know… Troy was here a while ago, asking to see you and ranting about some deal gone wrong.” I sort of held my breath, waiting for her reaction. “Wait, he came here?” Jessica whispered in a barely audible voice, her
Aria’s POVAs Jessica’s sobs finally quieted, her breathing became more steady. It was well past midnight now, and the room felt heavy with everything she had just shared. I felt a pang of guilt—she had come home so happy, so full of excitement from her date with Fabian, and now here she was, dealin
Victor’s POVI paced back and forth in my large office, thinking about Aria and Jasmine. The glass of wine in my hand had long since become a crutch, and I swirled the dark liquid, watching it catch the light as I tried to drown out my worries. But the wine wasn’t doing its job.Sleep had evaded me