The morning after their confrontation was too quiet.
The kind of quiet that didn't offer peace but warnings.
Aria sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room she'd moved into temporarily, her hand resting protectively on her flat stomach. The nausea was gone this morning, but the ache in her heart was still sharp.
Damien knew now.
No more hiding.
But the look in his eyes last night… she couldn't shake it.
A war of emotion.
Anger. Betrayal. Something almost like love but clipped short by pride.
He said he wanted to protect her.
But he didn't say he wanted them.
Downstairs, Damien stood by the fireplace, sipping black coffee.
His thoughts were chaos.
The woman he married to save his reputation was now carrying his child.
And worse? He wasn't angry at the betrayal.
He was afraid.
Afraid of losing control. Afraid of caring too much.
And he did care more than he should.
She had lied. But when she looked him in the eye and said, "I want to protect my baby," something in him cracked.
This wasn't a scandal.
It was family.
Whether she liked it or not, he wouldn't let her walk away now.
Later that afternoon
Aria was in the garden when he found her sitting under the rose pergola, eyes closed, face turned to the sky.
He stood quietly for a moment before speaking.
"I've made arrangements."
She opened her eyes slowly. "What kind of arrangements?"
"For security. Medical care. Privacy."
She turned to him. "I didn't ask for that."
"You're carrying my child. You're under my name. Whether you like it or not, that means something."
Aria stood. "What it means, Damien, is that you're trying to take control again."
"I'm trying to be responsible."
"Then let me decide what I need."
He stepped closer, voice firm. "Fine. Then here's your choice."
Her brows lifted.
"Either we renegotiate the contract extend the marriage indefinitely and raise this child together, or…" He paused. "We go to court and settle custody like strangers."
Her breath hitched. "You'd take me to court?"
"If it's the only way to stay involved in my child's life? Yes."
Aria stepped back. "You're threatening me."
"I'm giving you a choice."
She looked at him really looked and saw the storm behind his eyes. This wasn't just about control. He was scared. He'd lost too much in the past.
And now he was terrified of losing her, too.
But she couldn't say yes.
Not yet.
"Let me think," she whispered.
Damien nodded once. "You have until the end of the week."
That evening, just before dinner, a sleek silver car pulled into the manor driveway.
Aria watched from her window, frowning.
The butler opened the door.
A woman stepped out, tall and polished, with red lips and a smug smile.
It wasn't Elara.
It was Vanessa Cole.
Aria's heart dropped.
She knew that name.
Her sister's former best friend.
The one who'd vanished after the scandal that ruined her family.
What was she doing here?
Moments later, Vanessa entered the grand foyer, where Damien was reading reports.
"Damien," she purred. "It's been a long time."
He looked up, surprised. "Vanessa?"
"You look good." She stepped closer. "Better than last time I saw you."
Damien's tone was guarded. "Why are you here?"
Vanessa's smile didn't fade. "Business. And a little curiosity. I heard you got married."
He didn't answer.
"So…" she continued. "Is it true? You married her? Aria Lawrence?"
Damien's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about Aria?"
"Oh, come on." Vanessa laughed. "You married the younger sister of the woman whose life you destroyed. I think that's more than a coincidence, don't you?"
His silence was answer enough.
Vanessa tilted her head. "You always were dangerous, Damien. But falling for the revenge plot of a Lawrence girl? That's bold."
Damien's voice dropped to a warning. "If you came here to dig up dirt—"
"Oh, relax." She waved her hand. "I'm not here to blackmail anyone."
Then she leaned in closer. "But I do know one thing, Damien. Aria isn't the only one keeping secrets."
And with a wink, she turned and walked toward the guest lounge, as if she owned the place.
Upstairs, Aria paced her room.
Vanessa's arrival changed everything.
She hadn't expected that ghost to return especially not now.
The past was no longer in the past.
It was standing in her house, wearing red lipstick and secrets.
She didn't know what Vanessa wanted…
But whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.
She pressed a hand to her belly.
I need to protect you.
Even if it meant walking away from the only man who made her feel like she mattered.
Even if it meant leaving before Damien broke her heart for real.