CHAPTER 91

CHAPTER 91

ARIANA’S POV

I had spent the whole evening pacing, phone in hand, trying to convince myself not to make the call. But the anger boiling inside me didn’t care for logic. Sabela had crossed a line, and I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

Before I knew it, I was already dialing her number.

She picked up on the second ring, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “Ariana. What a surprise. How are you doing, sister?”

The way she said “sister” made my skin crawl. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “You and your mother have been pushing me too far, Sabela. I’ve had enough.”

There was a pause, then a low laugh that sounded rehearsed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I called to wish you good luck with your big interview tomorrow, but apparently, that was a mistake.”

Her words almost sounded convincing, but I knew better. I could practically hear her mother whispering in the background, feeding her lines to keep the act going.

“You think I don’t know you sent those pictures to Ethan?” I snapped. “You’ve gone too far this time.”

For a second, there was silence. Then she chuckled again. “What if I did? Someone had to tell him the truth. He deserves to know who he’s marrying. No man should walk blind into a relationship with a former stripper, don’t you think?”

The phone trembled in my hand. Her words sliced through me, cold and deliberate. She knew exactly what she was doing—poking at my scars until they bled. I clenched my jaw, trying not to let her hear how much it hurt.

“You act like I chose that life,” I said quietly. “You know what your mother did to me. You both made sure I had no one to turn to.”

Sabela’s tone hardened. “Oh, don’t play the victim. You made your choices. Besides, I was only helping Ethan see what kind of woman he’s tying himself to. If you want to call that cruelty, then so be it.”

I could almost see her smug grin through the phone. “You’re pathetic,” I said, my voice breaking despite my efforts. “You and your mother ruin people’s lives because you have nothing good left in yours.”

“If I can’t have Ethan, neither can you,” she hissed. “You don’t deserve him, Ariana. Not after everything.”

Before I could answer, a hand reached out and gently took the phone from my grasp. Ethan’s voice filled the silence, deep and sharp with anger.

“Listen carefully, Sabela,” he said. “I don’t care about Ariana’s past. You and your mother forced her into things no one should ever face, and she still came out stronger. My love for her isn’t changing because of a few pictures.”

Sabela didn’t speak right away. When she finally did, her voice was shaky. “Ethan, I didn’t mean to—”

“Save it,” he said coldly. “You and your mother have caused enough damage. If you think this will break us, you’re mistaken. Ariana is the only woman I want. Nothing you do will change that.”

I covered my mouth as tears filled my eyes. Hearing him defend me that way made my chest tighten. For once, someone stood up for me—not out of pity, but out of love.

“Ethan, please,” Sabela’s voice came again, desperate now. “You’re making a mistake. You don’t understand who she is.”

“I understand perfectly,” he replied. “I understand that you’re jealous. I understand that you hate seeing her happy. But guess what? You’ll watch us get married, and you’ll know you had no power to stop it.”

Before she could say another word, he ended the call and turned to me. The tension that had built up inside me finally spilled over, and I felt tears roll down my face.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I shouldn’t have called her. I just—she pushed too hard.”

Ethan sighed and pulled me into his arms. “You did nothing wrong,” he said softly. “They’ve taken too much from you already. Don’t let them take your peace too.”

His heartbeat against my ear steadied mine. I breathed in his scent, grounding myself in that moment, in his warmth. “I thought if she heard me out, maybe she’d stop,” I said quietly.

“She won’t stop,” Ethan replied. “But that’s okay. Because this time, we’re not backing down.”

I looked up at him, searching his face. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” he said, brushing a tear from my cheek, “that we fight back. No more hiding, no more letting them control the story. I’ll expose every lie they’ve told, every secret they’ve used against you. They’ll regret ever touching your name.”

There was a fire in his eyes I hadn’t seen before—one that made me believe him completely. “You mean that?”

“I’ve never meant anything more,” he said. “You’ve been fighting alone for too long. Let me handle this now.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t need saving. But in that moment, I was tired—tired of pretending I was fine, tired of keeping everything bottled up. For once, I let myself lean into him, let myself feel safe.

He kissed my forehead, his voice calm again. “We’ll get through this, Ariana. I promise you that.”

I nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. “I know.”

Outside, the city lights flickered through the curtains. I stared at them, wondering how something could look so peaceful while my world was spinning. Ethan’s arm stayed around me the whole time, his thumb tracing slow circles on my skin.

For the first time in a long while, I believed him. We’d make it through this. Together.

And Sabela would learn that I wasn’t the same girl she left broken years ago.

I had Ethan now.

And I wasn’t afraid anymore.