Chapter 56
Enzo’s pov
I woke up before she did.
The room was quiet, except for the soft sound of her breathing. Slow. Even. Ours.
Aria was curled up against Matteo, her face tucked against his chest, her lips slightly parted. She looked peaceful–too peaceful, like she wasn’t the same girl who drove me insane every second she was awake.
This is exactly where she belonged. With us. But I didn’t.
Instead, I reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. It was soft, slipping through my fingers like silk. My hand lingered near her cheek for a second too long, my fingers twitching with the urge to trace the delicate curve of her jaw. I clenched them into a fist instead.
She wasn’t just any girl. She was ours.
And I’d make sure she never forgot that.
Matteo shifted beside her, his dark eyes locking onto mine. He didn’t speak, but he didn’t have to. We both knew the truth.
“She’s ours,” he murmured.
I didn’t hesitate. “Yeah,”
She didn’t know it yet. But she would.
She woke up to me watching her.
Her lashes fluttered, her lips parting slightly as she blinked tempting.
shoved a cup
hoved a cup of coffee into her hands. “Drink.”
at me, still groggy from sleep. Too soft. Too damn
She frowned but took it anyway, mumbling something under her breath before taking a sip. I didn’t miss the way her lips curved slightly at the taste.
That little smile? Ours.
I needed to get her alone. Away from Matteo. Away from the others. Just her and me.
“Get dressed,” I ordered. “We’re going out.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
“You’ll see.”
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Chapter 56 60
The car ride was qulet. Not awkward. Just charged.
She kept looking out the window, sunlight catching in her hair, making it glow like gold. Every now and then, I’d catch her sneaking glances at me, like she was trying to figure me out. She caught me watching her once, raising a brow.
I smirked, Didn’t look away.
I didn’t tell her where we were going. I just drove, following the familiar roads until we reached the one place that was
mine.
No. Ours.
A secluded cabin by the lake. The one place I went to when the world got too damn loud.
1 killed the engine and got out. She hesitated before following, her boots crunching against the gravel.
“This is where you d
you disappear to?” she asked, her voice quieter now,
“Yeah,” I said, watching her. She looked good here. Too good.
She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. “So why bring me?”
My jaw tightened. She really didn’t get it, did she?
I didn’t answer. Didn’t need to. Instead, I grabbed her hand, lacing my fingers through hers, holding tight. She gasped, but she didn’t pull away.
I pulled her against me, my grip firm on her waist. She was so close, her body pressed against mine, her breath warm against my throat.
“You don’t get it,
do you?
you?” 1 murmured, my voice low, dangerous. “You’re ours, Aria. You have been since the day we met.”
She swallowed hard, her hands resting on my chest like she wasn’t sure if she should push me away or pull me closer.
I wasn’t giving her a choice.
I tilted her chin up and kissed her. Hard,
Not soft. Not hesitant.
A claim.
She gasped, and I used it to my advantage, deepening the kiss, taking everything. Owning her. For us,
When I finally pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers, breathing hard, my hands still gripping her like I’d never let
“You belong to us,” I whispered. “Say it.”
She shivered, her fingers tightening in my shirt.
Chapter 56
“Say it, Aria.”
Her breath hitched. “Yours.”
1 smirked. “Ours.”
She was finally starting to understand.
I held her hand “come, let’s go sit by the lake”
I’ve never heard you talk about
to remember
family she asked innocently but the question took me back to places I didn’t want
I kept my eyes on the lake, the water still and endless, but my grip on Arla’s waist tightened. Just a little. Just enough to keep myself steady.
“Our dad was a bastard,” I said, my voice calm, but even I could hear the sharp edge beneath it. “Cruel. To our mother. To us. It wasn’t just the hits–it was the way he made us feel small, like we were nothing. Like we’d never be anything.” My fingers flexed against her side, old memories flickering like dying embers in the back of my mind. “When he died, it should’ve been over. But it wasn’t.”
I felt her looking at me, waiting, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
“Our mother remarried–Victor’s father. I let out a short, humorless laugh. “We never liked him. Never trusted him. But at least he wasn’t the monster who came before him.” I finally turned to her, meeting her gaze, dark and searching. That’s why we don’t take chances, Aria. Why we don’t let anyone touch what’s ours. Because we learned the hard way that no one else is going to protect it.”
ng out at the lake, but my mind was somewhere else. Somewhere darker.
I leaned against the hood of the car, staring
“Our father wasn’t
a man,” I said finally. “He was a nightmare we couldn’t wake up from.” My jaw clenched, the memories crawling up my spine like ice. “Every bruise, every broken bone–he made sure we knew we were nothing. That we’d always be nothing.”
Aria was quiet, but I could feel her eyes on me, waiting. Maybe even understanding.
“When he died, I thought it was over. I thought we could breathe.” A. bitter smirk tugged at my lips. “But then our mother married Victor’s father. And just like that, we were stuck in another man’s shadow.”
I turned to her then, reaching out, brushing my fingers over her wrist. Not soft. Not hesitant. Just a reminder.
“We survived him. We survived them. And now? No one is taking anything from us ever again.” My voice was low, firm. “Not you. Not what’s ours.”
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