Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Ariana’s POV

The paper crinkled in my trembling hand, the words blurring through the fog of disbelief.

You still look beautiful when you’re scared.

The handwriting was jagged, familiar in the worst way. Liam’s scrawl—sharp strokes, heavy pressure, as if each letter had been carved into the page with intent.

The photo beneath it showed me on the balcony last night. Alone. Vulnerable. My face tilted toward the stars, unaware that someone had been watching.

A cold sweat broke out across my back. My skin crawled, every instinct screaming that he was close. Closer than Callum or Julian had guessed.

For a split second, I thought about hiding the letter. About burning it, locking it away, pretending it hadn’t landed on my bedroom floor like a silent bomb.

But the weight of Callum’s promise—that he’d protect me, protect Charlie—pressed against the frantic beat of my heart.

I couldn’t keep this from him. Not this.

I found him in the kitchen, a half-empty mug of coffee steaming in his hand, his shirt sleeves rolled up as though he hadn’t slept at all. He glanced up the moment I entered, and whatever weariness lined his features disappeared when he caught sight of my face.

“What is it?” His voice was low, sharp.

I swallowed hard, then held the envelope out to him.

“Someone left this under my door.”

The shift in his demeanor was instant. He set the mug down, snatched the envelope, and tore it open. His eyes scanned the page once, twice, before narrowing to slits. His jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack.

“Where?” he demanded.

“Outside my bedroom,” I whispered. “This morning. It—It’s Liam’s handwriting, Callum. I know it.”

For a long, terrifying beat, he didn’t say anything. Just stared at the note as though he could burn through it with his glare. Then, with a sudden movement, he crumpled the page in his fist.

“Julian!”

The shout reverberated through the penthouse like thunder.

Julian appeared within seconds, still fastening the holster beneath his jacket. His eyes flicked from me to Callum, then to the crushed paper in his hand.

“What happened?”

Callum smoothed the letter against the countertop, shoving it toward his brother. “Delivered under Ariana’s door. Last night.”

Julian scanned it, his face hardening. “Christ.”

“He knows that I live here.” Callum’s voice was like a blade, low and vibrating with lethal intent. “In this building. He knows my home.”

My stomach lurched. “Do you—do you think he’s been inside before?”

The silence that followed told me everything I needed to know.

Something cracked open in his gaze. A vulnerability I wasn’t used to seeing in him—stripped raw, unguarded.

For the first time, I wondered if protecting me wasn’t just about control or pride. Maybe it was the only way he knew how to keep the chaos of his world from swallowing us both.

But as his thumb brushed against my cheek, gentle despite the storm raging behind his eyes, I made a decision.

......

Callum’s POV

I’d imagined this moment more times than I could count. Liam stepping back into Ariana’s life like a phantom, turning what was mine into leverage, twisting what was safe into weakness.

But seeing her standing there in my kitchen, pale and shaking, the photograph clutched in her hand like proof of my failure… it hit harder than any scenario I’d prepared for.

I had one job. Protect her. Protect Charlie. And already, he’d slipped through the cracks.

“Julian,” I said, voice tight, “get men on every floor. Cameras. Elevators. The stairwells. I want to know how the hell he got this close.”

Julian nodded sharply. “On it.” He turned to me with a grim look. “But if he’s bold enough to deliver this personally, then he’s escalating. He wants her rattled.

“He’s going to get more than rattled.”

I turned back to Ariana. She was hugging herself, her wide eyes fixed on the counter as though the letter might leap up and bite her.

“Ari.”

She blinked, lifting her gaze to me. Fragile. But beneath the fear, I caught something else. Anger.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “You did the right thing showing me this. Don’t ever keep something like this from me.”

Her lips parted, trembling. “I almost did. I almost hid it.”

The thought sliced through me. “Why?”

“Because I’m tired of being the one who’s always kept safe, Callum. You say you’re protecting me, but I feel like I’m drowning in shadows I don’t understand. And he knows it. Liam knows it.”

Her words hit harder than the letter. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

I reached out, cupping her face gently, forcing her to look at me. “I can take shadows. I can take enemies. But I can’t take losing you, Ariana. Do you understand me?”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Then don’t keep me in the dark anymore.”

Julian returned an hour later, his expression grim. “No cameras caught him. Either he had inside help, or he knows our blind spots better than we do.”

“Inside help,” I muttered. My chest tightened with fury. “Has to be.”

Ariana stiffened beside me. “Someone here? In the building?”

“Possibly,” Julian admitted.

Her face went pale, but her chin lifted in defiance. I couldn’t help the flicker of pride that stirred in me. Scared or not, she refused to crumble.

Julian set the letter back on the counter. “What’s the play, brother?”

I glanced at Ariana. Then at the note. The answer was clear.

“He wants her scared,” I said coldly. “Fine. But he’s about to learn fear doesn’t work on me.”

Ariana’s fingers slid into mine. “What does that mean?”

I squeezed her hand, my gaze never leaving the crumpled letter.

“It means,” I said, “we set a trap.”