Chapter 114
Chapter
Aria’s POV
I was halfway through my book when the sound of the elevator chimed. The soft ding barely pulled me out of the story, but it was followed by veices–familiar ones–and one that didn’t belong.
Laughter. Female.
My heart paused. It was that kind of laugh. Light, flirty, filled with ease.
I stood slowly from the couch, my fingers still between the pages of the book like I might return to it. But I wouldn’t. Not now.
I moved quietly toward the hallway, my bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floor. The voices grew clearer. I heard Matteo’s low rumble, Dante’s chuckle, and then… hers. Her voice was confident, casual, laced with something that made my chest tighten. Like she belonged.
I peered around the corner, careful not to be seen. There she was.
Tall. Straight, dark hair that gleamed like silk down her back. Curves that filled out a dress I wouldn’t even dare try on. She wore heels inside the penthouse like it was natural. Like she owned the place.
She leaned against the kitchen island, sipping wine–my wine, the one I bought last week. And they let her.
Matteo stood beside her, close. Not too close. But close enough.
My stomach twisted.
Then I saw it.
Enzo stepped up behind her. She smiled up at him, leaned into him with that easy grace. He whispered something to her, then pressed a kiss to her forehead.
I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry. My chest suddenly heavy. Like my lungs forgot how to do their job.
I backed away quietly, not making a sound. I didn’t even know if they noticed I was home.
Maybe they didn’t care.
I walked back to my room, shut the door gently behind me. I didn’t slam it. I didn’t let it show.
Because I didn’t care.
I sat down on the edge of my bed. My hands were shaking. I stared down at them for a moment before curling my fingers into fists.
They moved on.
Of course they did.
I knew it. I had seen Matteo a few days ago, driving that sleek black car, the same woman in the passenger seat. I’d told myself it was work. Or a friend. Or nothing.
But it wasn’t nothing.
And now she was here. Laughing. Drinking my wine. Letting Enzo kiss her forehead like she belonged in their lives. In their arms.
Maybe she did.
1/2
Chapter 114
A sharp sting hit my eyes before I could stop it. 1 blinked hard, but the tears blurred my vision. One slipped down my cheek. Then another. I covered my face with both hands and let the rest fall.
Just for a minute.
Just to get it out.
They were never really mine. Not all the way. They had their past, their choices, their freedom.
And maybe I had pushed them away too many times.
Still, I didn’t think it would hurt this much.
After a while, I wiped my face, stood up, and made my way to the bathroom. The warm water helped. It always did. I let it run over me, soaking into my skin like it could wash everything off–the ache, the humiliation, the jealousy I didn’t want to admit was eating me alive.
1 stayed under the water until my skin turned pink, then stepped out, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked back into my room.
That’s when I saw him.
Enzo.
Leaning against the wall inside my room like he’d always been there. Like he belonged in every corner of my world.
He looked up at me. His eyes dropped for a second–just a second–to the way my towel hugged my body. His jaw tightened.
I froze.
My heart skipped a beat.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
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