Aria’s POV
The voice sliced through the darkness like a knife.
I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Rebecca.
She stord across the parking lot. Her heels clicked against the pavent like gunshots. Her golden hair flew behind her like a war banner.
My heart sank.
Of course. Of course she’d followed him. Of course this mont couldn’t last.
Rebecca didn’t even look at . Her green eyes were locked onto Kael like I didn’t exist. Like I was invisible. Like I was nothing.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" She stopped right in front of him. Hands on her hips. Fury radiating from every pore. "You just walked out on . In front of everyone. To chase after THIS?"
She still didn’t look at . The word "this" dripped with so much contempt it made my stomach turn.
Kael said nothing.
His jaw was tight. His eyes were cold. He just stood there, watching Rebecca’s tantrum with an expression I couldn’t read.
"Answer !" Rebecca shoved his chest. Her voice pitched higher. "We were having a conversation! An important conversation about our future! And you just—you just LEFT!"
Nothing.
Not a single word from him.
Rebecca’s face contorted with rage. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"This is ridiculous." She laughed. The sound was sharp. Hysterical. "You’re seriously choosing her? A Shadow Moon Oga? A nobody? Over ? Over EVERYTHING we have?"
Still nothing.
The silence was deafening.
I stood behind them. Frozen. Watching this disaster unfold like a car crash in slow motion.
I should leave. Should slip away while they were distracted. Should run and never look back.
But my feet wouldn’t move.
"Kael." Rebecca’s voice cracked. Just slightly. "Talk to . Tell what’s going on. Tell this isn’t what it looks like."
He didn’t respond.
Just stared at her with those black-gold eyes. Flat. Empty. Like she was a stranger.
Sothing inside Rebecca seed to snap.
Her whole body went rigid. Her face twisted into sothing ugly. Desperate.
"Fine." She spat the word. "FINE. If you won’t talk to , then I’ll deal with the problem myself."
She turned.
And finally—finally—looked at .
My blood ran cold.
There was murder in those green eyes. Pure, undiluted hatred.
"You." She stalked toward . Each step deliberate. Predatory. "You pathetic little whore. What did you do to him? What kind of tricks are you using to ss with his head?"
I stepped back. Hit the car again.
Trapped.
My voice ca out weak. Shaky. "I didn’t do anything. We were just talking—"
"Just talking?" Rebecca laughed. Wild. Unhinged. "I saw you two. Standing here. Practically on top of each other. And now you want to tell you were ’just talking’?"
"DON’T LIE TO !"
Her scream echoed through the empty parking lot.
My heart pounded against my ribs. Every survival instinct I had scread at to run.
But there was nowhere to go.
"I should have known," Rebecca hissed. She was so close now. Close enough that I could sll her perfu. Rose and sothing bitter. "I should have known you wouldn’t stay away. That you’d keep crawling back like the cockroach you are."
"I didn’t co here for him—"
"SHUT UP!"
Her hand shot out.
Grabbed my chin.
Forced my head up.
I gasped. Her nails dug into my skin. Her grip was painful. Bruising.
"Look at you." She examined my face like I was sothing disgusting she’d found on her shoe. "Wearing that dress. Showing off your body like a cheap hooker. Did you really think that would work? Did you really think you could steal him from ?"
Tears burned in my eyes.
Not from sadness. From humiliation. From rage.
"An Oga whore doesn’t get to speak to ."
The words hit like a slap.
But the actual slap ca next.
CRACK.
Pain exploded across my cheek.
My head snapped to the side. Stars burst across my vision. The force of it sent stumbling.
I caught myself on the car. Barely.
My hand flew to my face. The skin was on fire. Throbbing.
She’d hit .
Again.
Just like at the club. Just like before.
And just like before, I was helpless. Pathetic. Unable to fight back.
Tears spilled down my cheeks. Hot. Unstoppable.
"That’s right." Rebecca’s voice was smug now. Satisfied. "Cry. That’s all your kind is good for. Crying and spreading your legs and—"
"Enough."
One word.
Low. Deadly. Final.
Kael’s voice cut through Rebecca’s rant like a blade.
She froze.
I looked up through blurry vision.
Kael had moved. He stood between us now. His back to . His shoulders rigid with tension.
"What?" Rebecca’s voice wavered. Uncertain now. "Kael, I was just—"
"I said enough."
He turned to face her. I couldn’t see his expression. But I could see hers.
Fear.
Real, genuine fear flickered across Rebecca’s perfect features.
"You don’t get to touch her." His voice was ice. Each word deliberate. Controlled. "You don’t get to speak to her. You don’t even get to look at her."
"Kael—"
"We’re done."
Two words. Simple. Devastating.
Rebecca’s face went white.
"What?"
"You heard ." He took a step toward her. She stumbled back. "Whatever this was between us—it’s over. It’s been over for a long ti. I just didn’t want to admit it."
"You can’t be serious." Her voice cracked. Desperation bled through every syllable. "You’re throwing away fifteen years. Fifteen YEARS. For her?"
"I’m not throwing away anything." His voice was cold. Final. "There was never anything real to throw away."
Rebecca’s face contorted.
Rage. Hurt. Humiliation.
All of it twisted together into sothing ugly.
Rebecca stared at him. Her mouth opened. Closed. No sound ca out.
I stared at him too.
My heart was pounding. My cheek still throbbed. But sothing else was happening in my chest. Sothing warm. Sothing terrifying.
Hope.
Stupid, stubborn hope that refused to die no matter how many tis I killed it.
Kael turned.
His eyes found mine.
Black-gold. Burning. Intense.
He reached out his hand.
"Co."
One word. A command. But soft. Almost gentle.
I hesitated.
My brain scread at to refuse. To protect myself. To rember all the pain he’d caused.
But my heart—my stupid, broken heart—was already reaching back.
Our fingers touched.
Electric.
His hand closed around mine. Warm. Strong. Certain.
He pulled forward. Away from the car. Away from Rebecca. Toward his sleek black sports car parked nearby.
I stumbled after him. My mind was a blur. Everything was happening too fast.
We reached his car. He opened the passenger door.
"Get in."
The leather seat was cool against my bare legs. The car slled like him. Ebony and frost. Familiar. Intoxicating.
He closed the door. Walked around to the driver’s side.
Through the window, I could see Rebecca. She hadn’t moved. Just stood there in the middle of the parking lot. Her perfect hair disheveled. Her perfect makeup sared with tears she probably hadn’t even noticed.
She looked broken.
Part of felt satisfaction. Dark and petty.
Part of felt nothing at all.
Kael slid into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life.
"YOU’LL REGRET THIS!" Rebecca’s scream pierced through the glass. "BOTH OF YOU! YOU’LL REGRET THIS!"
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