Aria's POV
I stared at Kade's text messages for the entire night, unable to sleep.
See you tomorrow, Aria. Sleep well.
And don't bother looking for ways out. There aren't any.
At 6 AM, I finally gave up on sleep and started shoving clothes into my suitcase. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. In a few hours, I'd be living under the same roof as Kade Thornfield.
The man who made my heart race and my brain shut down.
The man who'd somehow gotten my private number.
The man who was about to become my stepbrother.
"This is fine," I muttered to myself, throwing a shirt into the suitcase. "Totally fine. People live with attractive stepbrothers all the time. It's normal. It's—"
My phone rang. Mom.
"Good morning, sunshine!" she chirped. "The movers are on their way to you. Make sure you're ready by eleven, okay? Victor's having brunch prepared for us. Isn't that sweet?"
Sweet. Right. That was one word for it.
"Mom, are you absolutely sure about this?" I asked, trying one last time. "Moving in together before the wedding? It seems really fast."
"Aria, honey, we've talked about this. Victor and I are mature adults. We know what we want. And this way, you and Kade can get to know each other as siblings before the wedding makes it official."
Siblings. The word made my stomach turn.
"Besides," Mom continued, "you'll love the penthouse. It has five bedrooms, so you'll have plenty of privacy. And Kade's hardly ever home. Victor says he works constantly."
That should have been comforting. It wasn't.
"Okay, Mom," I said, defeated. "I'll see you at noon."
The movers arrived at ten. They packed up my small dorm room in under an hour—my entire life fitting into six boxes. Pathetic, really. Three years of hiding, and I barely owned anything worth keeping.
Maya showed up with coffee and a sympathetic smile. "Last chance to run away with me to Mexico."
"Tempting." I took the coffee gratefully. "But Mom would kill me."
"Well, if you need an escape plan, I'm your girl." Maya hugged me tight. "Text me tonight and let me know you survived, okay?"
"If I survive."
She laughed, but her eyes were worried. "You'll be fine. And who knows? Maybe having a hot stepbrother will make things interesting."
If only she knew how interesting things already were.
The cab ride to the Thornfield penthouse took twenty minutes through Manhattan traffic. Every block closer made my anxiety spike higher. By the time we pulled up to the building, my heart was hammering so hard I thought it might break through my chest.
The doorman smiled at me. "Miss Sinclair? Welcome. Your mother is already upstairs."
Of course she was. Probably decorating already, claiming space, making herself at home.
I rode the elevator to the penthouse level, watching the floor numbers climb. Thirty floors. Thirty floors up, away from everything familiar and safe.
The elevator doors opened directly into the penthouse entrance.
My breath caught.
The space was massive. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed off the entire Manhattan skyline. Everything was expensive—the furniture, the art, even the air felt rich.
"Aria!" Mom rushed over, pulling me into a hug. "Finally! Come in, come in. Isn't it gorgeous?"
Behind her stood Victor Thornfield. He was tall, distinguished, with graying hair and kind eyes. He looked nothing like his son.
"Aria, so wonderful to finally meet you properly," Victor said warmly, shaking my hand. "Serena talks about you constantly. Welcome to your new home."
My new home. The words felt wrong.
"Thank you," I managed, trying to smile.
"Kade's around here somewhere," Victor continued, looking around. "He wanted to meet you. Ah, there he is."
My heart stopped.
Kade emerged from the hallway, and God help me, he looked even better than I remembered. Dark hair slightly messy, gray eyes sharp and alert, wearing casual clothes that did nothing to hide his muscular build.
His eyes locked onto mine immediately.
The air between us crackled with electricity. For a moment, we just stared at each other. I saw the exact moment he registered that this was really happening. That I was really here.
His mouth curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
"Well," Kade said, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. "This just got interesting."
Mom laughed, oblivious to the tension. "Kade, this is my daughter Aria. Aria, this is Kade, Victor's son."
"We've met," Kade said, not taking his eyes off me.
Victor looked surprised. "You have?"
"At a party last week," I said quickly, my voice shakier than I wanted. "We ran into each other."
"How wonderful!" Mom beamed. "See? You're already getting along."
Getting along. Sure. If "getting along" meant drowning in attraction I couldn't act on.
Kade moved closer, extending his hand. "Good to see you again, Aria. Welcome to the family."
His hand swallowed mine. The touch sent electricity racing up my arm. His fingers lingered too long, his thumb brushing across my knuckles in a way that definitely wasn't brotherly.
"Thanks," I whispered, pulling my hand back.
His smile widened like he knew exactly what his touch did to me.
"Let me show you to your room," Victor said cheerfully. "It's at the end of the west wing. Beautiful view of Central Park."
As we walked through the penthouse, I felt Kade's eyes on my back. Burning. Intense. Possessive.
My room was huge—bigger than my entire dorm. King-sized bed, private bathroom, walk-in closet. The windows did have an amazing view of the park.
"I'll let you settle in," Victor said. "Brunch will be ready in thirty minutes. Casual affair, nothing fancy."
He left, closing the door behind him.
I stood in the middle of my new room, trying to breathe. Trying to think. Trying not to panic.
A soft knock made me jump.
The door opened before I could answer. Kade stepped inside and closed it behind him.
We were alone.
"You shouldn't be in here," I said, backing up until I hit the wall.
Kade stalked toward me slowly, like a predator cornering prey. "This is my house. I go where I want."
"Your dad's house," I corrected, hating how breathless I sounded.
"Semantics." He stopped inches away, close enough that I could smell cedar and danger. "We need to talk about what happened at that party."
"Nothing happened."
"Liar." His eyes dropped to my lips. "You felt it. That pull between us. Don't pretend you didn't."
"It doesn't matter what I felt," I said, trying to sound strong. "You're about to be my stepbrother. Whatever that was, it's over."
Kade leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. "You really think it's that simple? You really think I can just turn off what I felt the second I saw you?"
My knees went weak. "You have to."
"No." His hand came up, fingers tracing my jawline. "I really don't."
"Kade—"
"I researched you," he interrupted, his voice dropping dangerously low. "After the party. Wanted to know who you were. And you know what I found?"
My blood turned to ice. "What?"
"Almost nothing. Like you didn't exist before three years ago. No social media from high school. No digital footprint. Nothing."
Oh God. He knew. He'd figured it out.
"Who are you really, Aria Sinclair?" Kade's eyes bore into mine. "And what are you running from?"
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from an unknown number.
I pulled it out with shaking hands and read the message.
Welcome to New York, Isabella. I've been looking for you.
The phone slipped from my fingers.
Kade caught it, his eyes scanning the message. His expression went deadly. "Who's Isabella?"
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
Damien had found me.