Chapter 59

ARIA'S POV

Dante's words hung in the air between us. I felt a rush of conflicting emotions, all tangled up inside me, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak.

I saw something raw and vulnerable in his eyes, something I hadn’t seen in a very long time. But then, just as quickly, another memory pushed its way in — the memory of the child I had lost, our child. The loss that had torn me apart, that had left me shattered. And it had been his fault.

Because of his cheating, his careless, nonchalant attitude towards me… his refusal to see me, really see me.

The pain of that bitter memory cut deep, and suddenly, I felt a rush of anger rise within me like a wave crashing against the rocks.

I pulled my hand away from his grasp, shaking my head. “You want to know why I don’t rely on you?” I snapped, my voice shaking with the force of my emotions. “It's because you never gave me a reason to, Dante. Because every time I’ve needed you, you’ve turned your back. You’ve lied, cheated, and pretended like n