The sun dipped low behind the New York skyline, casting long shadows across the city's veins of traffic and ambition. Inside the sleek penthouse of Steele Enterprises, the atmosphere was as tense as the silence between two people too prideful to admit what they feared most — the truth.
Aria Blake stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her reflection ghosted in the glass. She hadn't seen Killian since the charity gala two nights ago, when everything had nearly exploded. She hadn't answered his calls. Hadn't read his texts. She needed space.
And yet, here she was — in his penthouse. Invited, yes, but she'd told herself she only came to retrieve the sketches she'd left behind, not to see him.
But it was a lie.
Just like the one she'd told herself five years ago — that she was better off without him.
Behind her, the sound of the elevator sliding open made her heart skip. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. His presence filled the room like a thunderstorm waiting to break.
"You're here," Killian said, his voice lower than usual, almost cautious.
She turned slowly. He looked… tired. No, worn. There were lines around his eyes she hadn't noticed before. The weight of secrets. Of regrets. Of the years they'd lost.
"I came for the sketches," Aria said quickly, bracing herself with a practiced neutrality. "I didn't come to talk."
"Then I guess I'll talk," he said, stepping forward. "Because I can't keep walking around pretending everything is fine. It's not."
Aria exhaled a bitter laugh. "You don't say."
"I saw the news," he added, his tone sharpening. "Derek made a statement this morning — said you were stepping down from Blake Interiors. What happened?"
She stiffened. "It doesn't concern you."
"It does if your decision is based on something I did. Or something you think I did."
Aria crossed her arms. "You want the truth, Killian? Fine. I stepped down because I am tired. Tired of fighting battles no one sees. Of being watched, judged, speculated on. I'm tired of being the woman who got abandoned by the golden billionaire and then got dragged into his spotlight again like a pawn."
"You were never a pawn," he snapped. "Never."
"You used me to spite your enemies," she countered. "To get back at Derek. To ruin Peter Laurent. Admit it."
Killian's jaw flexed. "At first? Yes. I wanted revenge. I won't lie to you."
Her eyes glistened, but her voice was steady. "And after that?"
His silence was too long. Too heavy.
"I started seeing you again," he said finally, voice tight. "Not the girl I left behind. The woman you've become. Fierce. Brilliant. Unapologetic. And I fell—" He paused, swallowing hard. "I fell in love with you again, Aria."
It was like being punched in the stomach.
"I don't know if I can believe you," she whispered.
He took another step closer. "Then let me show you."
There was a knock at the door before Aria could respond. Killian frowned, glancing toward it. "I wasn't expecting anyone."
He opened it to reveal Marcel, his most trusted security aide, face grim.
"You need to see this, sir," Marcel said. "It's urgent."
Killian took the tablet Marcel handed him. Aria watched the color drain from his face as he read whatever was on the screen.
"What is it?" she asked, moving beside him.
Killian turned the screen to her. It was a surveillance photo — taken just hours ago. It showed a man in a dark coat meeting with a woman in an alley behind Blake Interiors' headquarters. The woman was Aria's assistant.
And the man… the man was Peter Laurent.
"No," Aria whispered, ice climbing her spine. "That's not possible. Eva would never…"
"Aria," Killian said, his voice grave. "They've been leaking your designs to Laurent Holdings. And not just yours. Mine too."
Her knees almost buckled. "How long?"
"At least two months."
Rage and betrayal warred in her chest. "She was with me from the beginning," she said quietly. "Eva helped me build Blake Interiors when no one else believed in me. Why would she—"
"Because Peter doesn't fight fair," Killian said. "And now that we've crossed him, he's going for blood."
Marcel stepped forward. "We traced a money transfer to her account from one of Laurent's offshore fronts. She's been feeding him everything."
Aria closed her eyes. The betrayal was too close. Too raw.
"I need to confront her," she said through gritted teeth.
"No," Killian said firmly. "Let me handle this. You're too close."
She shook her head. "That's exactly why I need to do it."
Killian hesitated. "Then I'm coming with you."
—
The confrontation was swift and brutal. Eva hadn't expected to see them walk into her apartment unannounced. The guilt was written across her face before Aria even spoke.
"You sold me out," Aria said, her voice shaking. "Why?"
Tears welled in Eva's eyes. "He said he'd ruin me if I didn't cooperate. He knew about my brother's medical bills. I didn't want to hurt you, Aria. I swear."
"You could've come to me," Aria said coldly. "I would've helped. I always helped."
"I know," Eva whispered, collapsing onto the couch. "I'm sorry."
But the damage was done.
Killian made a call to his legal team. Eva would face consequences — but not jail. Not yet. Aria wouldn't let it end that way. She'd already lost too much.
As they left, Aria turned to Killian. "You were right."
He looked at her, eyes searching. "About what?"
"About Laurent. About how dangerous he really is. About how far he'll go."
He reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. "You're not alone in this, Aria. I'm with you. Always."
She wanted to believe it. God, she wanted to.
But the wounds were still fresh. And trust — trust wasn't something she could give blindly anymore.
Even to the man who once broke her heart… and now claimed he wanted to heal it.