chapter 21

Regret & Dangerous Cravings Sebastian’s POVAs soon as I opened my eyes, I felt a rush of emotion flood through me. An annoying rush that left an unpleasant feeling in my chest.I stared at the ceiling for several seconds before slowly turning my head. Camilla was still asleep beside me… or at least she appeared to be asleep.One look at her naked frame lying there beside me, and everything from yesterday came rushing back.First, the confrontation with Ariana… then my argument with my mother afterwards. The unsettling tension eventually led me into Camilla’s seductive arms. Something I no longer craved for.But seeing Ariana yesterday had woken something in me… wild, raw, and impossible to tame.I rubbed a hand over my face. What exactly had I been thinking when I came into her room? When I kissed her first? When I had steamy sex with her?The answer to those questions came to me almost immediately… I hadn’t been thinking right yesterday. And it was all because of Ariana.Seeing her

Chapter 22

Bombshells At BreakfastAriana’s POVI woke up with the familiar feeling of guilt and embarrassment… for the second morning in a row. At this point, it was really reckless.Opening my eyes fully, I glanced toward the other side of the bed. Kylan was already awake. Of course he was.He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the windows, lost in thought that he didn’t notice I had woken up at first.The moment he noticed I was awake, his gaze shifted to me.“Hey, you’re awake.” He said with a nervous smile on his face.I smiled back at him, immediately feeling the tension build in the air.“Yeah. Just woke up.”After that, neither of us said anything more. But the awkward silence said everything we hesitated to say to each other.This morning felt more awkward than yesterday. Not because it happened, but because it happened again.The first time could be considered a mistake. The second time I couldn't.Slowly, I sat up, pulling the soft sheets over my naked body. The silence b

Chapter 23

Damage ControlAriana’s POVI waited for the ground to open up and swallow me, but nothing happened. Sadly. I stared at Jason, and the boy stared back confidently.As much as I knew his confidence was born out of nativity and utter innocence, I found it a little annoying… not enough to express my feelings though.Jason was completely unaware that he had probably just created the most uncomfortable breakfast conversation in history.Across the table, Kylan had suddenly developed a strange interest in his coffee. Bu my side, Skylar looked seconds away from bursting into laughter.“Jason,” I finally said carefully.“Yes, Mom?”“Where exactly did you read such thing?”He frowned, also as if the answer was obvious.“Uh, online.”Of course. Nothing feeds toxic shit to people like the internet. Especially little kids like Jason.“Online where?” I pressed.The boy just shrugged.“I don’t remember.”Wonderful.Skylar calmly covered her mouth. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she tried to compose

Chapter 24

The Weight of the MorningAriana's POVI woke up thinking of Kylan.Not peacefully. Not rested. Just him, settled into my thoughts before I even opened my eyes properly, like he had moved in overnight and decided he wasn't leaving.I lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The morning light was barely beginning to push through the curtains and I was already exhausted.Every time I had closed my eyes last night, it had been the same. His hands. His voice. The way he had looked at me the morning after, like he was waiting for me to say something that would make everything easier for both of us.And then the other thing. The thing I had done alone in the dark, thinking about him, that I was absolutely not going to spend any more time thinking about.I pressed my palm flat against my forehead."Ariana," I said to myself, out loud, to the empty room. "Get it together."I reached for my phone.Nothing urgent. No missed calls. Just the quiet of a morning that hadn't decided what it w

chapter 25

A Crack in the ArmourAriana’s POVI refused the call, and the office went completely silent I stared at my phone face down on the desk for several long seconds, my heartbeat surprisingly calm in the face of the storm in my head. Six years ago, hearing Sebastian’s voice would have been enough to knock down every wall I’d built around myself. Today, all I felt was caution.He had found me. That was the only thing that mattered.I slowly grabbed the phone again and saved the unknown number without naming it. Hovering my thumb over the screen, I opened the call history, praying I’d imagined the whole conversation. I had not. The call had lasted exactly twenty-two second twenty-two seconds to resurrect a life I'd buried years ago.I leaned back in my chair and breathed out a soft sigh. Where did he get this number? It wasn’t listed anywhere. Even SinTech's executives reached out to me on my business line. This was a private number I only gave out to a very small circle of people I

Chapter 26

Cracks Behind The Mask Sebastian’s POV The office was unnaturally quiet. Not because there were fewer people. Assistants were still scurrying through the hallways, phones ringing every few seconds. Somehow, however, everything felt completely void.I stood staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office at the Los Angeles skyline, another financial report untouched on my desk. I would normally have gone through every page before anyone else had the chance. And today I just didn't care.A knock broke my thoughts. “Come in.”My assistant came in nervously. "The board members are waiting, Mr. Frost." I glanced over at the conference room. “I’ll be there. She faltered. "Sir? You’ve already cancelled two meetings this week.” Are you worried about that?Her face turned white at once. “No sir.” She took off fast.I sighed heavily. She was not wrong. For weeks now my concentration had been awful. Every report brought Ariana to mind. Each time a negotiation went well I remembered that s