Chapter 14 – Cracks in the Glass
The morning after the rooftop fantasy felt unreal.
Aria wrapped herself in the oversized robe Damien had draped across her shoulders, padding barefoot across the marble floor. The city stretched out endlessly below, glittering like it had been built just for them.
But reality crept back in quickly.
Her phone buzzed — messages from friends, missed calls from her mother, reminders about assignments she had abandoned. Her life, simple and ordinary compared to this penthouse dream, demanded her attention.
She didn't notice Damien watching her until he spoke.
"You're leaving already?"
His tone was casual, but his eyes were sharp.
"I have classes, Damien. My life doesn't pause just because—" She cut herself off.
"Because of what?" he pressed, stepping closer.
She swallowed. "Because of you."
Silence.
Something flickered in his gaze — not anger, not quite — but possession, control. "You think this is temporary?"
"I don't know what this is," she admitted, voice trembling. "One moment you're tender, the next you're… consuming me. I'm losing myself in you."
He reached out, brushing her jaw, but she stepped back. "Aria…"
"No," she whispered. "I can't be just another girl you keep in your penthouse. I won't."
The words cut deeper than she intended. Damien's jaw tightened, his hand falling to his side.
"You think that's what you are to me?" His voice was low, dangerous.
"I don't know what to think!" she snapped, tears stinging her eyes. "But I can't keep living in two worlds — the girl I was, and the girl you're pulling me into. I need space, Damien."
For the first time, he didn't stop her when she turned and walked away.
The silence in the penthouse felt heavier than any scream.