The word deal didn't feel the same anymore.
Aria stood alone for a moment, staring at her reflection. Her fingers lightly brushed against her lips lingering, remembering.
Last night. It wasn't forced.It wasn't part of any condition.
She had chosen it.Chosen him.And that… changed everything.
A quiet breath left her as her thoughts tangled.I gave him everything… not because of the deal. Her chest tightened slightly.
Then why does it still feel like I'm hiding behind it? Because the truth was the deal was the only thing that gave her a reason to stay.
A reason she didn't have to explain. A reason she didn't have to confess.If the deal disappears… what am I to him?
That thought unsettled her more than anything else. So instead she held onto it.Not as a burden but as an excuse.
When she stepped out, Rafael was already waiting.
Dressed. Composed. Back to being himself.
But not entirely because the moment his eyes landed on her something shifted. It always did.
