Chapter 154 I Know You Love Him

Chapter 154 I Know You Love Him
Aria's POV

The sting on my cheek was still burning when I turned to walk away. Moon God, what did I do to deserve this?

First the chaos with Rowan and Ava, then Isabella's accusation, and now this slap that came out of nowhere.

But before I could take more than a few steps, I felt a firm hand grab my wrist.

"Aria, wait—"

I yanked my arm free, spinning around to face Marcus. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? What do you want now?"

His blue eyes looked pained, almost vulnerable. He let out a heavy sigh. "What I wanted to say was thank you for everything you did today. I—"

"Don't." I cut him off sharply. "Just don't say anything."

I turned to leave again, but his hand found my wrist once more. The familiar electric sensation that always sparked between us made my wolf whimper, but I pushed it down.

I was so tired of this back-and-forth, this endless cycle of him pulling me in only to push me away.

Just when I thought I couldn't stand another second of his touch, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Didn't she already say she doesn't want this?"

I looked up to see Derek approaching us, his red eyes fixed on Marcus with unmistakable hostility. His scent carried an edge of anger that made several people in the hallway step back.

Marcus's grip on my wrist tightened protectively. "This is none of your business, Derek."

Derek's laugh was cold and humorless. "Oh, isn't it? You're about to make a mate bond with someone else, yet here you are grabbing other Omegas. What's that about?"

The words hit like a physical blow. Mate bond. The reminder of Marcus's engagement to Isabella felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

Marcus's face darkened with anger. "What I do is none of your concern."

Before I knew it, Derek had stepped forward and wrapped his hand around my other wrist, pulling me slightly toward him. "Aria, you don't have to put up with this."

"Aria," Marcus's voice was low and dangerous. "Don't tell me you're going to—"

But he didn't finish his sentence because by now, we'd attracted quite an audience. Healers, visitors, even some security guards were staring at us with obvious curiosity. I could hear whispered conversations starting around us.

"Isn't that Alpha Sterling?"

"Who's the woman between them?"

"Wasn't he just engaged to Isabella?"

My face burned with embarrassment. This was exactly what I didn't need—to become hospital gossip.

"Enough!" I snapped, looking directly at Marcus. "Don't make a scene in public like this. If you don't care about being embarrassed, I do."

Derek made a sound of satisfaction and tugged gently on my arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

I didn't want to make an even bigger spectacle by resisting Derek in front of everyone, so I reluctantly followed him. Behind us, I could feel Marcus's eyes burning into my back, but I didn't turn around.

Derek led me through several corridors until we reached a quiet corner near the hospital's garden entrance. Finally, I pulled my hand free from his grasp.

"Thank you for helping me get out of that situation," I said carefully. "But I hope you won't do things like this that cause misunderstandings."

Derek's eyes widened in apparent shock. "Misunderstandings? I was helping you deal with that Marcus problem."

"You shouldn't grab my hand like that," I said firmly.

His expression grew intense, almost desperate. "I only held it for a moment. I've been waiting for you for so long, loving you for so long. Am I really worth so little to you?"

My heart clenched at the raw pain in his voice. "It's not that, Derek. It's not what you think—"

But then his hand suddenly came up to cup my cheek, and his expression shifted to one of concern and fury. "Who hit you?"

I froze. I'd forgotten about the mark Isabella's slap had left on my face.

I didn't know what to say. More importantly, I didn't want to say anything. The last thing I needed was to drag Derek into the mess between Marcus, Isabella, and me.

"Was it Marcus?" Derek's voice turned deadly. "I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."

He started to turn away, but I grabbed his arm quickly. "No! It wasn't him."

Derek stopped and turned back to me, his red eyes searching my face. "Then who hit you? You're the person I treasure most in this world. Who dared to treat you like this?"

The intensity in his voice made my wolf retreat nervously. Derek's Alpha presence was different from Marcus's—where Marcus was controlled power, Derek was raw, unpredictable energy that could explode at any moment.

I shook my head. "It's nobody. Please don't ask."

But Derek wasn't backing down. He stepped closer, his scent wrapping around me like a possessive embrace. "Aria, I can't just ignore this. Someone hurt you, and I need to know who."

You're the person I treasure most in this world. His words echoed in my mind, making guilt twist in my stomach. Derek had been nothing but kind to me, patient with my rejections, supportive when I needed help. And here I was, unable to give him what he wanted, what he deserved.

"Derek, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but—"

"But you're still in love with him," Derek finished quietly, his red eyes never leaving mine. "Even after everything he's put you through. Even knowing he's about to bond with another woman."

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. Because he was right, wasn't he?

Despite everything—the abandonment, the engagement, the endless cycle of hope and heartbreak—some part of me was still hopelessly, stupidly in love with Marcus Sterling.

Derek studied my face for a long moment, and I saw something shift in his expression. Not anger this time, but something deeper. Something that looked almost like resignation mixed with determination.

"I'm not giving up," he said finally, his voice soft but firm. "I know you think you love him, but love isn't supposed to hurt like this, Aria. It's not supposed to leave you standing alone in hospital corridors while he runs off to comfort his fiancée."

His words stung because they were true.

"Derek..."

"No, let me finish." He stepped even closer, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his red eyes. "I've watched you suffer for months. I've seen you try to be strong for everyone else while you're falling apart inside. That's not love, Aria. That's self-destruction."

I felt tears prick at my eyes, but I blinked them back.

"I understand more than you think." His hand came up to gently touch the red mark on my cheek again. "And I understand that whoever did this to you, they'll answer to me eventually."

The promise in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. Derek meant it—every word.

As he looked at me with those intense red eyes, I realized I was standing at another crossroads.

Behind me lay Marcus and all the pain that came with loving him. In front of me stood Derek, offering a different kind of future.

But which path would hurt less in the end?