Aria’s POVI barely started searching through my dresses when the doorbell rang. Nervous it might be Lucian again, I slowly walked to the door and called through it this time.“Who is it?”“It’s Jasper. Were you expecting someone else?”“I’m here, too, Aria. I’ll let him in,” Cathy said. “If you wan
Lucian’s POVAs the family gather was at my place, I had to make sure that Sheila was previously occupied and unaware of the event occurring. Giving her my credit card and no budget, I believed myself free from her for the evening.I even had Ben organize a few loyal guards here and there to ensure
I nodded my head at him in thanks. He forced a smile for a moment, though it fell quickly.“Oh, there’s Jasper,” someone nearby said.My entire body tensed at once. Turning, I expected to see Aria on his arm. Instead, Jasper sauntered into the house all on his own with his usual excessive swagger.“
Lucian’s POVAria’s presence stunned not just me, but seemingly all of the family. Everyone in the room was looking at her.In the past, Aria had never cared much for being in the limelight. She’d shied away from my side at public events, preferring to always enter slightly behind me.Yet here she w
Finding Jasper in this room had been a blessing. He was one of the few friendly faces who I knew would support me around here.Most of Lucian’s family didn’t think much of me at all, believing I never deserved him. Did they still think that, I wondered? Some of the glances sent my way were more pity
Aria’s POVIn response to Julia’s question, I gave her a sad, small smile. That seemed to be enough for her, as her brow immediately pulled together.“Oh, Aria. No.”“I’m sorry,” I told her. Glancing at Harold, I added, “Truly. But I am serious about this. I imagine things will be properly resolved
Lucian’s POVJasper’s words didn’t surprise me overmuch, but they did unearth some lingering annoyance that I thought I had buried deep down inside of me.“So you are dating her,” I grumbled.“Is that what I said?” Jasper asked, his tone utterly irritating with how smug it sounded.I didn’t have tim
“Get out of my face, Jasper.”He shrugged. “Don’t say no one told you the truth. Someday you’ll realize it for yourself, but by then it will be too late. It’s too late now.” Jasper motioned toward Aria. “She doesn’t want you, cousin. And she never will again.”The hole in my chest pulsed, causing me
Over the next few days, I didn’t see Lucian at all. Presumably he saw the kids after I took them to spend time with their grandparents. Harold was out of the hospital and eager to see the kids.With the kids there, I returned to Cathy’s and started packing up my clothes and that of the kids. Cathy w
Aria’s POV“Lucian…”I could tell he was hanging on my every word, nervously anticipating my answer.I hated that I was about to break him. But surely he would understand.“I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t marry you.” Before he could say anything, and he clearly wanted by how quickly he opened his mouth
Aria’s POVWe all waited with bated breath to see how Harold would handle the medicine. Perhaps I had been too late in providing it? The heart monitor was still beating too quickly. Harold was moaning in pain. The nearby Healers seemed ready to help him along with his passing. Piper and I physically
Aria’s POVAt the hospital, Lucian gave me a final squeeze. “Please help him,” he said.“I’ll do my best,” I promised. Then, breaking away from him, leaving him with Julia in the waiting room, I rushed to the emergency room to see what was going on.Fortunately, one of the nurses lent me a hair-tie
“But the food hasn’t arrived yet,” he said.I couldn’t wait. Feeling like I was going to pass out, I needed out of here.I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m sorry,” I said.Turning, I hurried away from the table, from the dining room, from the restaurant. I threw the door open and ran outside.Wh
Aria’s POVSilas’s words haunted me long after the phone conversation, and that, combined with my discussion with Cathy and Piper convinced me to at least hear Lucian out. Because of this, when he called me to talk, and asked me to go out on a date with him, I decided to say yes.Now, after dressing
Aria’s POVHow was it, even after all this time, after all this distance, after all the hurt that sat piled up between us – I still so easily fell back into Lucian’s web.I wanted to be stronger, to be harder, and keep up the walls with him, yet every time we’d been around each other, he seemed to s
Aria’s POVMaybe I shouldn’t have been surprised that Lucian finally pieced this together, but the reality of it still hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know why I thought he would never find out. There was no reason he wouldn’t, especially with Jasper and Lucian’s own parents already in on the s
Lucian’s POV“It’s not possible,” I said.Mom pressed her lips hard together before asking me slowly, “Are you sure? The boy especially looks just like you.”“A coincidence,” I said. It had to be.Because if it wasn’t, that meant that the night of pleasure I had shared with Aria a few months before