Aria's mornings used to be simple—coffee, her laptop, and the quiet hum of her small apartment. But today, the silence felt heavier, like the air itself was holding its breath. Her phone buzzed repeatedly on the kitchen counter. Jace.
She stared at the screen, heart pounding. Part of her wanted to ignore him. Part of her craved the distraction.
Finally, she answered.
"Hey," his voice came through—smooth, low, and strangely soft.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual. "What's up?"
There was a pause. Then, "I want to meet. Just you and me."
Her throat tightened. "Now?"
"Yes. I want to talk. No games."
Aria hesitated. The idea of being alone with him both thrilled and terrified her. But she knew she couldn't run—not anymore.
"Okay," she said, voice steady. "Where?"
"Cafe on Fifth. Two o'clock."
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the quaint cafe, casting golden light over the small table where Aria waited. Jace arrived with that effortless swagger, but something in his eyes was different—serious, almost vulnerable.
He slid into the seat opposite her, his gaze locked on hers.
"Thanks for coming," he said quietly.
Aria nodded, unsure how to respond. The noise of the cafe buzzed around them, but in this moment, it was just the two of them.
"I know why you're here," Jace began. "And I'm not the monster you think I am."
Aria's heart beat faster. She had spent so long believing he was the enemy, the man who shattered her plans, who had hurt people she cared about.
"Then why hide?" she challenged. "Why the lies, the rumors?"
Jace looked down at his hands, fingers twitching. "Because the truth… it's messy. And it hurts."
Aria leaned forward, sensing the crack in his armor. "Tell me."
He swallowed hard. "I come from a family where appearances mean everything. I was expected to be perfect. But behind closed doors, it was chaos."
Her eyes softened, the hard edges of her anger blurring. "So you played the part?"
"Yes. The playboy, the careless guy. It was easier than facing the mess."
A slow understanding dawned between them.
"But that doesn't excuse everything," Aria said firmly. "You hurt people."
Jace's gaze darkened. "I know. And I regret it every day."
For the first time, he looked truly human—flawed, broken, and trying.
Aria's defenses wavered. She realized the story she told herself wasn't the whole truth.
The conversation shifted, growing deeper, more honest. Jace shared pieces of his past—his fears, his mistakes, his longing for something real.
And Aria found herself opening up too, revealing scars she thought no one could see.
As the afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the table, they reached an unspoken understanding.
Neither could erase the past, but maybe, just maybe, they could write a new story together.
But before they could even imagine what that might look like, a text buzzed on Aria's phone.
A message from an unknown number: Be careful who you trust.
Her breath caught. The warning was clear — danger lurked closer than she thought.
She looked up at Jace, her heart pounding. "Who sent this?"
He shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know. But someone doesn't want us getting close."
The fragile hope between them cracked under the weight of hidden threats.
Yet despite the fear, Aria felt a strange determination.
She wouldn't let the shadows control her anymore.
Not when the possibility of something real was just within reach.