Aria sat on the edge of her bed, the glow from her phone screen casting shadows across her face. The message was simple but chilling: Be careful who you trust. She had no idea who sent it or what it meant, but the warning felt like a weight pressing down on her chest.
Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of it all. Was it from Jace? No, that didn't feel right. Was it from someone wanting to scare her? Or maybe a jealous rival trying to pull her away from him?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Her heart jumped into her throat. Who could it be at this hour? She peeked through the peephole and saw a man in a dark suit, standing with an unreadable expression.
She opened the door cautiously.
"Ms. Collins?" the man asked, his voice calm but firm. "I'm from Walker Enterprises. Mr. Walker asked me to deliver this to you."
He handed her a plain white envelope and waited silently.
Aria took the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly, then quickly closed the door.
Her hands fumbled as she tore it open. Inside was a photograph—Jace laughing intimately with a woman she didn't recognize. Their closeness was undeniable, their smiles too warm to be innocent.
The message echoed again in her mind: Be careful who you trust.
Panic and betrayal swirled within her. Was Jace lying? Was he playing her like everyone else?
Her phone buzzed again. It was a message from Jace.
Please let me explain.
Her resolve wavered. She wanted answers, but also clarity. She typed back:
Where are you?
Within minutes, Jace's car pulled up outside her building. Her heart pounded as he stepped inside, wearing the familiar charm that usually made her melt but tonight only added to the confusion.
She held up the photo. "Who is she?"
Jace's eyes darkened. He took the photo from her slowly, studying it like it held the weight of the world.
"That's Leah," he said quietly. "She's my sister."
Aria blinked in surprise. "Your sister?"
"Yes. We don't talk much because of… things. She's been through a lot, and I've been trying to protect her."
His voice cracked with a mixture of guilt and exhaustion.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Jace looked away, pain flashing across his face. "I wanted to, but I wasn't sure you'd understand. I didn't want to drag you into my family's mess."
Aria felt a tear slip down her cheek. "I just wish you trusted me."
"I'm trying," he whispered, stepping closer. "I want to be honest with you, with everything."
She searched his eyes and saw something new—vulnerability, a man willing to fight his demons.
"I want to believe you," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jace reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "You have to. Because I'm done running."
For a moment, the world shrank to just the two of them, their hearts beating a tentative rhythm of hope.
But then, a sudden loud knock startled them both.
Jace tensed. "Stay here."
Aria watched him move to the door, muscles coiled like a panther ready to pounce. He opened it a crack, and a woman's voice called softly, "Jace? Are you home?"
Aria's breath caught. The woman's voice was familiar—it was Leah's.
Jace's face went pale. "Stay back," he warned the woman.
Leah stepped into the light, eyes flickering between Aria and Jace. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut.
"This isn't the time," Jace said firmly.
Leah smirked. "Oh, but it is. I need to talk."
Aria felt like she'd been pushed into a nightmare. The perfect moment shattered by a family secret too tangled to untie.
Jace turned to Aria. "I'm sorry. This is complicated."
She nodded slowly, feeling the first real tremors of doubt creeping in.
The night stretched long, conversations loaded with half-truths and buried pain.
Leah's presence was like a storm cloud, threatening to tear apart what little trust had begun to bloom.
Aria listened as they argued about past mistakes, misunderstandings, and the bonds that both hold people together and pull them apart.
When Leah finally left, the silence that followed was deafening.
Jace sank onto the couch, burying his face in his hands.
Aria sat beside him, unsure how to bridge the growing chasm between them.
She wanted to scream at him, to run away, to give up.
But a small voice inside urged her to stay.
To fight.
Because love, she realized, was never easy.
It was messy, painful, and often terrifying.
But it was also worth it.
Even when the walls closed in, threatening to crush everything.
She reached out, took his hand in hers, and whispered, "We'll get through this."
Jace looked up, eyes shimmering with a mix of relief and hope.
"Together," he promised.
And for the first time in a long time, Aria believed it might be true.