Chapter 140 You are mine, and I will never let you go.

Chapter 140 You are mine, and I will never let you go.
The dinner at Dominic’s house did not feel right at all. Nothing about it felt easy. The silence between them carried weight. Aria did not say a single word, and that quiet only made Dominic hold his anger tighter inside himself.
“Is there something you want to ask me?” Dominic asked, his voice cold.
Aria slowly placed her spoon on the table. She brought her hands together neatly in front of her. She cleared her throat, then looked at him with a small smile that held meaning he could not read.
“I think I should be the one asking you that, Dominic. Is there anything you want to tell me? I am willing to wait.”
Dominic pressed his teeth together. He did not like this version of Aria. The woman he knew used to be gentle. This one felt different.
“What is wrong with you? Are you still thinking about Jessie calling me? Or about her coming to my office? Do you think I am cheating on you?”
Aria let out a quiet laugh inside her head. It felt like Dominic was exposing himself without her even pushing him.
She leaned back in her chair and looked at him without rushing. “I did not accuse you of anything. Why are you thinking I am accusing you of cheating? Why is your mind going that far about me, Dominic?”
Dominic cursed himself in his head, hard. He felt like he had stepped into something without noticing. Every answer she gave made him feel more trapped.
“Oh. Or maybe you are the one cheating?” Aria said, her face still calm.
“What are you saying? Do not make things up, Aria. I do not want this dinner ruined.” Dominic picked up his spoon again and continued eating the food she had prepared, as if he wanted to end the conversation right there. Silence filled the room. The only sound left was the soft contact of spoon against plate.
Aria kept eating too, but every bite felt wrong in her mouth. The food tasted bitter. It was difficult to swallow, like her body did not want it. Pain sat inside her, but she refused to give in. She wanted to teach Jessie and Dominic something. She wanted Dominic to understand that cheating was not simple, that it drained a person.
Even though it was hard, she forced herself to finish everything on her plate. When she was done, she excused herself first. She stood and walked straight to their bedroom.
She felt that resting was the best choice for tonight. Her body felt tired, and her heart felt worse. Everything she had gone through made her feel sick inside.
Love really was complicated. It was never simple. It felt like life was paying her back for what she had done before. Because once, she had been in Jessie’s place.
Maybe Jessie was even better than her. Jessie had gone after someone she once loved, even if that man had already become someone’s husband. But Aria had taken a husband from her own mother. She had become the third person in her mother’s marriage. There was no need to ask which one was worse.
Still, was it wrong for her to want something better now? Maybe her past was ugly. Maybe she had made terrible choices. But she wanted to fix it. She wanted to leave everything behind and try to be happy.
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Aria moved on the bed as she woke up. The sleep had not helped. It only left her feeling more tired. She turned her head and looked at the wall clock. It showed twelve twenty seven.
Her eyes moved to the glass wall that had no curtain pulled over it. Outside was dark. It had to be midnight.
She cleared her throat. It felt dry. She turned to the side and saw that Dominic was not there. The space he usually filled was empty.
She pushed the blanket away and got off the bed. She walked to the bathroom, thinking he might be there, but it was empty.
She stood still for a moment and looked at the door, unsure. Then she stepped out of the room. When she reached the hallway, she saw Dominic asleep on the sofa in the TV room.
Aria let out a long breath. Her marriage confused her now. Nothing felt the same since Jessie came back.
Even when Dominic acted soft with her, she felt like it was not real. It felt like something meant to cover the truth.
She stood there, watching him from above. Then she began walking down the stairs, one step at a time, her eyes fixed on him. He was curled up on the sofa. She knew he must be feeling cold.
She stopped when she reached him. She lowered herself until her face was level with his.
She looked at him as he slept. She had always liked seeing him like this. It was not that she disliked him when he was awake, but when he slept, his face looked simple and unguarded, and that always pulled something soft out of her.
She lifted her hand and followed the shape of his face in the air without touching him. She did not want to wake him. She did not want this quiet moment to turn into another argument.
She rested her chin on the edge of the sofa, bringing her face closer to his. A soft smile appeared on her lips.
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I do not want this to disappear, Dominic. I do not want our marriage to end. I love you, and I will keep loving you.
I know you have done something wrong behind my back. But when I think about my own past, what right do I have to be angry? I have done what Jessie is doing now.
I stood up from where I was crouching. I wanted to stay longer and keep looking at your face, but my throat felt dry and rough, asking for water.
I walked to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and took a bottle of water. Even though it was midnight, I still drank it cold.
Maybe I really do want to get sick.
After drinking, I put the bottle back with about a quarter left and closed the fridge.
I looked at Dominic again. Sleep started pulling me back.
I did not want to wake him. Let me sleep alone tonight. Let tonight pass in peace. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
I took a long breath and moved closer to him again. When I reached the same spot, I lowered myself once more. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his forehead, then stood up.
I walked toward the bedroom, the room we both share.
As I walked, I kept looking at him, still curled up on the sofa.
I wanted to wake him. I wanted to ask him to come to bed with me. I wanted to hold him again while we slept.
But I knew I had to be patient.
When I got close to the stairs, my body stopped when I heard his deep voice.
I turned back to him. His eyes were still closed. He was still asleep. But I knew that voice was his.
“You are mine, and I will never let you go.”