"I can give you what no other man can. Let's meet. Ethan Gallardo"
Aria froze as she read the message that popped up on her laptop screen. Her hands stayed on the keyboard, but she didn't type anything yet. She blinked a few times as if trying to make sure she had seen it right.
"Did I just see right?" she whispered to herself, her heart beating faster.
She stared at the screen, reading the words again and again. The name glowed on her WeChat app. Ethan Gallardo. The name alone made her curious. Slowly, she moved the mouse and clicked to open his profile. The picture loaded. She tilted her head, staring at the man in the photo.
He had short black hair, thick brows that framed deep, piercing eyes, and a strong jawline. His lips curved in the kind of smile that could melt any woman's heart. He looked like someone who didn't have to say much to get attention.
"He's cute... no, not just cute... he's handsome. Really handsome," Aria said in a low voice. A warmth filled her chest as she stared at him, but then she frowned and shook her head. "Come out of it, Aria! What are you thinking?" she scolded herself and gave her own cheek a light slap.
Her mind raced. Who is Ethan Gallardo? Why is he messaging me?
She sat up straight and typed, her fingers trembling just a little. She forced herself to act casual.
"How can you give me what you don't even know what I like?" she wrote and added a laughing emoji at the end. She stared at the screen, her thoughts wandering. What would it be like? Walking next to him along the seaside, his hand holding mine? Maybe even bringing him to the pack lands... would he look at me like I mattered?
No man had spoken to her like this. Just these few words from Ethan already made her feel seen, like she was someone special. Could he really be genuine?
Her heart thudded in her chest when a reply came almost right away.
"Hold that scarred face.. You don't have to pull me like that… Just appreciate that I gave you my time."
Aria's mouth dropped open. What? She stared at the screen, her hands frozen. She had not expected that. The words stung deep, like cold water had been poured on her excitement.
So, he's just like the others, she thought bitterly. I thought he came for good, that maybe he saw something more in me despite my scar… but now this?
But then again… no man had dared speak to her this close before. Nobody came this near her heart, or even tried. And that voice at the back of her mind whispered, Maybe you should give this a chance. Maybe this is the man who will make you feel like a woman, like you've dreamed of since you were eighteen.
Aria took a shaky breath and typed, trying to keep the hurt out of her words.
"Oh… but you don't have to talk to a lady like that."
She hit send and regretted it at once. Another quick reply came, with a laughing emoji.
"I don't care."
Aria felt her throat tighten. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She took a deep breath and sat back. The memories of that terrible day flooded her again, like they always did when someone mentioned her face.
She had been only eight years old when the accident happened. The car crash that took her mother's life… and the baby her mother had been carrying. Aria had survived but with a scar on her face, from her right brow down to her cheek. People whispered behind her back, calling her ugly, cursed, bad luck.
She had grown up hiding in the shadows, avoiding crowds, keeping her head down. She had no friends, no dates. She threw herself into her studies, determined to make her father proud.
Her late father, the founder of Garner Heights Group, the man who built towering government buildings, defense walls, luxury homes for the rich. He loved her, but he was always busy, buried in the world of contracts and constructions.
At twenty-five, Aria had never had a real boyfriend. No man had touched her hand with longing. No man had looked at her like a woman. She wanted that so much that her heart ached each time she felt lonely.
And now here was Ethan. Blunt. Rude. But he had stepped close enough to see her.
Aria swallowed hard and typed slowly.
"What do you want, Ethan?"
She stared at the screen, her heart beating in her ears. The laptop beeped almost at once. His words came up, like he had been waiting all along for her to ask that.
"I want to have you tonight, Aria."
Aria's eyes widened. She sucked in a breath. So much audacity. So much guts. But somehow… that confidence stirred something in her. She bit her lip, thinking. Should I? Should I play along?
She typed back, choosing her words carefully.
"So how do we make it happen?"
Her heart raced as she waited. The reply came fast.
"Wait scarred girl... I know you're starved... so much starved... but do not be in a rush."
That was too much. The words stung sharper than she expected. Aria clenched her jaw, ready to log off, ready to shut down the chat. But her eyes fell on his profile picture again. That carved face. That dangerous charm.
Seriously, this Ethan is the devil's son, she thought bitterly. But her fingers moved anyway, almost against her will.
"Get to the point," she typed.
The reply came at once.
"It will be in one condition... I need something from you Aria."