Aria stood motionless, her body pressed against the cold, unforgiving wall, as Sebastian Wolfe's words echoed in her mind. "I want what's mine." The phrase had reverberated inside her head like a hammer against glass, each strike cracking the fragile wall she had built around herself.
Her heart pounded erratically as she pushed herself away from the wall, her fingers trembling slightly as she clenched them into fists. She wasn't the same person she had been when Sebastian first entered her life. That girl was naïve, desperate, and easily swayed by the charm of a man who promised to protect her. The woman she had become—stronger, more guarded—was determined not to fall into the same trap.
But Sebastian wasn't making it easy.
You think Kieran will protect you? Sebastian's voice echoed in her mind again. He doesn't care about you. He only cares about control.
She couldn't ignore the truth in his words. Aria had known from the start that Kieran was a man driven by power, a billionaire whose motives always seemed to be hidden behind a veil of business and cold efficiency. Yet, somewhere deep inside her, she had hoped—no, convinced herself—that his feelings for her ran deeper than mere control. That he cared.
But Sebastian's return had shaken that belief to its core.
No. I won't fall for this again, she thought, her breath quickening as she turned toward the door, her hand reaching out to grip the handle. But before she could make her escape, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps behind her.
"Leaving so soon?" The voice was smooth, almost too smooth. Kieran.
Aria froze, her heart seizing in her chest as she turned to face him. He was standing in the doorway, his figure framed by the dim light from the hallway, an unreadable expression on his face.
"What do you want, Kieran?" Her voice was colder than she intended, but she couldn't help it. The storm inside her was brewing, threatening to consume her.
Kieran's gaze swept over her with something that almost felt like amusement. His eyes flickered briefly to the spot where Sebastian had been standing only moments ago, but he didn't acknowledge him. Instead, his attention remained on Aria, his expression hardening.
"I came to check on you," he said, his tone casual, but there was an edge to it that made her wary. "You've been… distant lately."
Distant? Was that how he saw it? Aria bit back a sarcastic laugh. Distant? She had been fighting the gnawing suspicion that she was just another pawn in Kieran's game. That her place in his life wasn't based on love, but rather on something darker. Power. Control. And now, with Sebastian back, she couldn't ignore the fear clawing at her chest.
"You don't need to worry about me," she said, her voice sharp. "I'm fine."
Kieran's gaze softened slightly, but there was a coldness to it that made Aria's skin prickle. "You're not fine, Aria. You never were. And if you think I haven't noticed the tension between us, you're wrong."
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. He knows. Kieran could always read her, always see through the walls she tried so hard to build. The thought that he had noticed her inner turmoil made her want to retreat further into herself.
"I'm just tired," Aria muttered, her eyes dropping to the floor. She needed distance. She needed time to think. She couldn't be trapped between the two of them.
Kieran stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She didn't move. His presence, commanding and intense, filled the room, suffocating her with its heat. The tension between them was palpable, thickening the air until it was hard to breathe.
"You're lying," he said softly, his voice low and dangerous. "But that's okay. You don't have to tell me what's really going on. I'll figure it out eventually. I always do."
Aria's heart raced as she looked up at him, her mind spinning with conflicting emotions. She had never felt more conflicted in her life. She wanted to push him away, to scream at him for making her feel like a tool in his twisted world. But she also wanted to lean into him, to let him hold her and promise her that everything would be okay.
But nothing was okay.
The door slammed open, and a voice Aria had hoped to never hear again sliced through the air. "What the hell is going on here?"
Sebastian. His presence was like a dark cloud that blotted out the light, his eyes glaring at Kieran with pure contempt. The tension in the room doubled as the two men faced off, both standing tall and unyielding, their stances radiating power.
Kieran didn't flinch. "What do you want, Wolfe?" His voice was as cold as ever, but there was an undertone of something deeper—something personal.
Sebastian's lips curled into a smirk. "I came to talk to my fiancée," he said, his eyes flicking to Aria. "It seems I have some unfinished business."
Aria felt her stomach drop. Fiancée? She hadn't agreed to anything. She was trapped between these two men—each with their own agenda, each pulling her in different directions.
Kieran's jaw clenched. "She's not your fiancée, Sebastian. And you don't get to dictate anything in my life."
The air crackled with tension as the two men stared each other down. Aria stood there, feeling small and insignificant between them, but she knew that this confrontation would be the catalyst for something far bigger than she could have ever anticipated.
"I don't care what you think, Kieran," Sebastian said, his voice oozing with contempt. "I've waited long enough for what's mine."
"She's not yours," Kieran snapped.
"I think she is," Sebastian retorted, his eyes never leaving Aria's face.
Aria couldn't take it anymore. Her head was spinning with everything they were saying, with the weight of the decisions she had to make. She was caught in a game she hadn't agreed to play, a game that threatened to destroy everything she held dear.
"I'm not anyone's property!" she shouted, the words spilling out before she could stop them.
Both men turned to her, their expressions shifting to something more dangerous. Aria took a step back, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She didn't want to be a pawn in their fight. She didn't want to be controlled, manipulated, or owned.
But deep down, she knew that was exactly what was happening.
"Aria, listen to me," Kieran said, his voice soft but insistent. "I'm trying to protect you. You think Sebastian will care about you once he gets what he wants? He'll destroy everything—just like he always does."
Sebastian smirked, but there was a dark glint in his eyes. "Kieran doesn't understand you, Aria. He doesn't understand what you need."
Aria's heart ached as she looked between the two men. What do I need? she wondered. What is the right choice?
She didn't know. But she was starting to fear that, no matter what she chose, it would cost her everything.
Aria's heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure the men in the room could hear it. Every part of her wanted to scream, to let out all the frustration, the confusion, the pain that had been building up inside her. But she couldn't. She had spent so long burying those emotions, putting up walls to protect herself from the chaos that was Sebastian and Kieran. And now, both of them were here, tearing down those walls piece by piece.
She took a step back, her chest tightening as she felt suffocated by their gaze. They were waiting for her to make a choice, but the truth was, she didn't know which way to turn. Could she trust Kieran? Had he ever really cared for her, or was she just another pawn in his game of power? And Sebastian… he was as dangerous as he was captivating, the man who had once promised to fight for her but had disappeared without a trace.
But now he was back, and his presence made her feel alive in a way that terrified her. She wanted to hate him, to push him away and never look back. But there was something in his eyes—something raw and real—that made her question everything she had believed.
"Aria, don't let him fool you," Kieran said, his voice low but forceful. "Sebastian only wants to control you. He always has."
Aria's gaze flicked to Kieran, and for a moment, she saw the man she had been so sure of—cool, collected, and unbothered. But that image had cracked over time, revealing the darker side of him. The side that had never truly cared for her, only seen her as an asset to maintain his power.
She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. "I don't need you both to fight over me," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm not a prize to be won."
Sebastian laughed, the sound low and mocking. "Oh, Aria. You've always been so stubborn, so independent. But deep down, you know what you want. You know what I can give you."
"I don't know anything," she said quickly, her eyes flashing with frustration. "I don't know what you want, Sebastian. Or what Kieran wants. All I know is that I don't want this. I don't want to be caught in your games anymore."
Kieran stepped forward, his expression softening, but there was still that dangerous glint in his eyes. "Aria, I know you're scared. But you can't keep running from this. You have to face it—face us."
Sebastian's laugh was cut short, and he stepped closer to Aria, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her feel exposed. "Scared? Is that what you think, Kieran? That she's scared?" He turned his gaze to Aria, his eyes searching her face. "You're not scared, Aria. You're confused. But deep down, you know who the real danger is."
Aria opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. How could she explain the storm inside her? How could she explain that she was tired of being controlled, tired of feeling like she had no say in her own life?
She turned away from both of them, walking to the window and looking out at the night. The city lights glittered below, but everything felt distant, unreachable. She was caught in the middle of a battle, and no matter how much she wanted to escape, she knew there was no way out. They would keep pulling her back, drawing her into their twisted world until she was lost to it forever.
"I can't do this," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. "I can't keep living like this."
Behind her, the silence stretched, thick and heavy, as both men seemed to absorb her words. Kieran stepped forward again, his voice softer this time, though there was an edge to it that Aria couldn't ignore.
"Aria, I know you're hurting," Kieran said, his voice almost pleading. "But running away from me won't solve anything. You need to see the bigger picture. You need to realize that I'm the only one who can protect you."
"Protect me?" she turned to face him, her anger flaring. "Is that what you think this is? Protection? You think I need you to protect me from Sebastian? Or from the truth?"
Sebastian moved towards her, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "The truth, Aria, is that you've always been mine. You just didn't see it before. But now you will. I won't let Kieran have you."
The words hit her like a slap, and for a moment, everything inside her stilled. Sebastian was right, wasn't he? He had always been there, lurking in the shadows, watching over her in ways Kieran never had. But that didn't mean she belonged to him. She wasn't some trophy to be won by either of them.
"I'm not anyone's," she said quietly, the weight of her words sinking in. "I don't belong to you, or to him."
The silence that followed felt suffocating. Kieran's gaze softened, but it was still filled with something that made Aria wary. "Aria, I don't want to lose you," he said, his voice low. "You're everything to me. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe."
Aria shook her head, stepping away from both of them. "I can't be safe in a world like this," she whispered. "I can't be safe with either of you."
She turned toward the door, her hand on the handle. For a moment, neither of the men moved. It was as though they were waiting for her to make the final decision, to choose one of them. But the truth was, Aria didn't want to choose. She didn't want to be trapped in this web of lies, power, and control.
But she was already tangled in it, and the harder she tried to escape, the tighter the threads wrapped around her.
"Aria," Sebastian's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Don't run from this."
She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped out into the hallway, leaving the two men behind her, the weight of their words pressing down on her shoulders like a heavy, invisible burden.
She didn't know where she was going, or what she would do next. But one thing was certain—she couldn't keep living this way. She couldn't keep letting them dictate her fate. She needed to find a way to break free, before it was too late.