: Motion (Gianna's POV) I was currently standing inside the house instead of outside with the rest of the crowd Aria dragged me inside, demanding an explanation. She refused to believe that I loved and was in a relationship with someone like Ace Allister and never told and she was right to do so. So I told her my plan. We both stood there in silence while she processed and I smiled at the guests who were coming in and out of the house. "So," she paused. "You're going to kill him?" she whispered. I nodded, my arms folded across my chest. "This is your plan? To make him fall in love with you, trust you, and then you'll kill him? Because he's the one who killed Chase?" I nodded again. "But…" "But what?" "But how do you know Chase didn't do anything wrong to make Ace do that?" "What does a person do to deserve death?" She fell into thought. "What if Chase killed someone? Would you do the same thing then?" I frowned, "Chase couldn't possibly have killed someone, Aria. Are we thinking of the same guy?" "We are but do you really think Chase was like that when it came to business? If he was he wouldn't be in the business, Gianna. He was your brother, obviously, he wouldn't treat you or behave the way he does with business partners." "I don't care what he did or what went down between the two of them. Chase was my brother and Ace killed him," I said in a hushed voice. "And blood is thicker than water. Always. I'll fight for Chase." "Fine," she sighed. "If that's what you want to do. But please make sure you know the whole story before you kill the poor guy." "Poor guy?" I scoffed. "He looks like he really likes you, Gianna. That's all I'm saying. You're taking advantage of him. I don't think that's right." "Well, I don't care." "I know you don't. But let's set the record straight, I don't support your idea, I'm not going to help you with anything. You don't know what really happened and you're going into this battle blind and that is incredibly stupid. He's the most powerful person here in Chicago." "If I can't kill him, I'll make him miserable." "That's your backup?" "Yes," I huffed. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "And he'll just let you go after you try killing him once and fail?" She scoffed, "You do you, Gianna. But if you kill someone the way he killed Chase, then what's the difference between the two of you? You might as well join the family business then." Are we really arguing because she's defending Ace? "You're on his team then?" I asked. "I'm not on anyone's team. But I think you don't know what you're doing." "Aria!" Her mother called her over. She glanced at me and then turned around, walking away. I let out a breath and started thinking about it. It's too late to go back now. My plan is already in motion. That's why I'm acting nice. And once the plan is in motion, I can't go back on it now, it'll be too suspicious. He'll catch on because he is one smart asshat and people can never fool him. I'm about to try and I need to give it my all. I walked back into the backyard and scanned the area to see where he was. He was talking to Nathan standing near the gazebo. I stood in one spot and watched him for a minute until he looked this way, his eyes meeting mine directly. He was listening and nodding at Nathan but he was staring at me. He faced Nathan again, both his hands behind his back. He beckoned me over with one finger, keeping his hands out of Nathan's sight. I took a breath and then gathered my dress, walking over to him. "Hi," I smiled at the two of them. "Nathan was just leaving," Ace said. "I… was?" He stared at Ace with confusion. "I was," he nodded. "I'll see you around." He turned around and walked away, bumping into Aria. He caught the drink before it spilled over her and she started apologizing frantically, freezing when she realized who he was. "Did you eat something?" I turned to him while he stepped forward and stood in front of me instead of beside me. I nodded. "I had some starters, dinner isn't ready yet." He nodded in understanding and then swept his eyes over the crowd once. "Everyone seems busy. Do you want to go somewhere?" "Where?" I asked, linking my arm with his. "Your room?" He watched me carefully and then let out a soft chuckle. "You saw my room, I want to see yours," I smiled. He nodded slowly, "All right." We went inside and then headed to the staircase. He let me lead the way and helped with the dress, holding it behind me while I carried as much of it as I could. He's being nice too. It might not be as hard as I thought to fool him. He grabbed my hand when we reached upstairs and pulled me to the right corridor, his room being the last one there. He leaned against the door, not opening it. "I don't normally let people into my room." "But you'll let me in?" "I have to. You're about to move in." "Shouldn't I have my own room?" I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "What if we fight? Am I going to have to send you to sleep on the couch?" He grabbed my waist and pulled forward until I was flush against him. He shook his head. "I think we shouldn't go to sleep angry at each other. It would be better if we stopped arguing before we go to sleep. Don't you think?" "What if it's a huge argument? And we can't find a solution?" He frowned, "There's always a solution." "What if there isn't?" "What could we possibly argue about that doesn't have a solution?" We stared at each other silently. "I don't know," I mumbled. "Something like…" "You trying to kill me?" I nodded. "Something like that." "What do you think I'll do to you if you try to kill me, Gianna?" "You let me go once. Wouldn't you do it again?" He smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I let you go once. When you truly were innocent. If you try to kill me, that doesn't make you innocent, it makes you guilty." "So what would you do to me?" "Kill you," he whispered, gently splaying my hair over my shoulders. "Let me ask you something," he began. I nodded, urging him to ask. "Didn't you agree to marry me with the goal to make me miserable? What are you doing tonight? This doesn't make me miserable, not even close. Quite the opposite, actually. So what are you really planning, little Phoenix?" "Will you always call me that? I'm not nineteen anymore. And my last name won't be Phoenix in the next few days." I had to find some way to dodge his question, and the best way to do that is to answer the question with another question. "I can call you whatever I want. And I don't just call you that because it's your last name. You have the characteristics of a phoenix." "I do?" He nodded. "A phoenix is brave, witty, focused, and determined, they're leaders. It's caring and powerful. And loyal. But I'm not too sure about that last one yet." "Why not?" "You're not loyal to me, that's for sure." "That doesn't mean I'm not loyal at all." He nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right. You're very loyal to your father. And your brother." "Why do you say that?" "Because you hate me even though I did nothing wrong to you. You hate me for what I did to Chase. Doesn't that mean you're loyal to him? His friends are yours, his enemies are yours too, right?" I blinked, trying to read his expression, to figure out what he was trying to do, but I couldn't because he doesn't give it away. "I don't know why you killed Chase. And I hate you for killing him because his death ruined everything for me." His eyes narrowed a bit. "Tell me, Allister. Is a phoenix selfish? Or selfless?" "Sometimes both. But I don't believe that." "You don't believe what?" "You can't only hate me for the way your life became after losing him. You must hate me because I'm the reason you lost him. You have to love him more than yourself." "Why is that? I can't be selfish?" "You most certainly can." He reached behind him and turned the knob, pushing the door open and pulling me inside. "But you're not." He closed the door behind me and pinned me to it. "For the most part." He's right. But not when it comes to him. "If my life was on the line, Gianna. Because it happens all the time. Would you be selfless and save me? Or selfish and let me die?" "If I let you die doesn't that just make me loyal to Chase? Why selfish?" "Chase isn't here, sweetheart. That means anything you do for him, you're really doing it for you." I blinked in realization. That can't be right. Just because Chase is dead doesn't mean I can't do anything for him. Whether he's here or not, I can still fight for him. I can still bring him justice. It's not for me, none of this is. It's all for Chase. Isn't it? "You probably don't have an answer to my question yet." He stepped away. "Anyhow, welcome to your new room." . . . . . Chapter 13