Aria’s POV
I woke to suffocating silence.
My eyes stared at an unfamiliar ceiling. My brain felt like cotton. Thick. Foggy. Wrong.
Where was I?
I tried to piece together the fragments of last night. They came in flashes. Broken. Disconnected.
Being arrested. Men in black uniforms breaking down my door. The cold cell. Kael’s voice through the phone...
My heart clenched.
Then what? He came for me. The park. Finn. Kael brought me here...
Wine.
We drank a lot of wine.
Oh God.
I shot upright. My heart hammered so hard it threatened to burst from my chest. I looked around wildly—floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the glittering lights of Meridian Territory. Silk sheets. Everything elegant. Everything expensive.
Blood Crown Grand Hotel. I was still here.
But Kael was gone.
The room was empty. Just me. Alone.
When did he leave? Why did he leave? What did I say last night? What did I do?
I stumbled to the bathroom mirror. Froze the moment I saw my reflection.
Dear God.
The woman staring back was a disaster. My eyes were swollen like walnuts. Dark circles underneath. My hair was a tangled bird’s nest. Last night’s makeup was smeared across my face like abstract art. And my neck—the bruises from Finn’s grip were visible. Purple and angry against my skin.
I looked like I’d crawled out of a war zone.
A groan escaped my throat. Shame crashed over me in waves.
How badly had I embarrassed myself in front of Kael?
I searched my memory desperately. Only fuzzy fragments remained. I’d talked a lot. About my family. About Finn. About how much I hated both the Shadow Moon and Nightfang names.
I’d called him... "pretty"?
No no no no no.
I buried my face in my hands. Wanted to disappear. Wanted the floor to swallow me whole.
I even remembered grabbing his arm. Begging him to stay. And he did stay. He sat on the edge of the couch, so close...
Then what?
Then nothing. Complete blank. Empty space where memories should be.
Artemis whimpered softly in my mind. She didn’t know either.
I leaned against the cold counter. Took a deep breath.
Kael was gone. He’d made sure I was safe, then left.
What did that mean? That he didn’t care? Or that he was gentleman enough not to take advantage?
I didn’t know whether to feel sad or grateful.
The hotel room felt different in daylight. Less magical. More real. The sheets were wrinkled where I’d slept. A half-empty wine bottle sat on the coffee table. Two glasses. Evidence of my humiliation.
I walked to the window. Pressed my forehead against the cool glass.
I found my bag on the floor by the couch. My phone was inside. Dead battery. Of course.
A charging cable sat on the nightstand. Hotel amenity. I plugged it in. Waited.
The screen flickered to life.
Notifications flooded in. Missed calls. Text messages. Most from numbers I didn’t recognize. Probably my family trying to figure out what happened.
I ignored them all.
Then I saw it.
A text from Finn. Sent two hours ago.
My blood ran cold.
I opened it. Read it once. Read it again.
*Maybe you found an Alpha to be your shield for now. But don’t forget what you are—just an Omega. If you really want this divorce, come to Lilith’s family gathering tomorrow. Your daughter wants to see you. After that, I’ll sign the papers immediately. Otherwise, I’ll continue pursuing abandonment charges. Your choice.*
The phone almost slipped from my fingers.
He was still playing games. Still manipulating. Still using Lilith as a weapon.
I sat on the edge of the bed. Stared at the message until the words blurred.
This was Finn’s style. Give me hope with one hand. Threaten me with the other. Make me dance on his strings like a puppet.
If I went—I’d see Lilith. Maybe say goodbye properly. Maybe have one last moment with my daughter before everything ended.
If I didn’t go—he’d press charges again. Drag this nightmare on forever. Keep me trapped in his orbit.
Either way, he won.
He always won.
My thumb hovered over the reply button. What could I even say? "Yes, I’ll come"? "Go to hell"? "Please stop torturing me"?
I set the phone down. Walked to the window again.
The morning sun painted the city gold. So beautiful. So indifferent to my suffering.
My phone buzzed.
I jumped. Another message.
Not from Finn this time.
From an unknown number. Different from the one that had texted me before.
I walked over. Picked up the phone with trembling fingers.
*When do you want the third date?*