CHAPTER 126. THE LINE WE CROSS

CHAPTER 126. THE LINE WE CROSS
CHAPTER 126. THE LINE WE CROSS

How the hell had she suddenly changed?
That question kept echoing in Aria’s head like a taunting voice she could not silence. Sophia had never been like this—not even on her worst days. They had been playful before, mischievous, but never cruel. Never threatening. Sophia used to be her safe space, her comfort, the friend who held her hand through every heartbreak and celebrated every joy beside her.

How did she get to a place where she now tossed out sharp words like daggers… where she stood in Aria’s face as though waiting for an excuse to sink her claws in?

Aria pressed her eyes shut, fighting a tension that rose like a tide inside her.
She inhaled deeply, letting her chest lift slowly before releasing a long breath to steady her racing thoughts.

That was when her phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.

The soft buzz snapped her from spiraling emotions. She blinked rapidly and raised her phone, a thread of hope tugging at her chest when she saw the sender.

Dominic.

Her stomach tightened—not with fear, but with a sudden spark of excitement. Her heart fluttered like a nervous bird trapped in a cage. Without thinking, she sat upright and opened the message.

It appeared rushed—disordered. The spacing, the missing punctuation, the uneven structure. It was the kind of message someone typed when they were desperate, overwhelmed, barely able to think. She could almost feel his agitation bleeding through the screen.

She began to read.

I don’t know, Aria, okay? I don’t know what you are thinking or what you are feeling but we both messed up.

The first line hit her like a strike to the chest. Her breath caught, and her fingers tightened around her phone.

Her gaze flicked instinctively toward her door, as if expecting someone to burst through it.

Her chest squeezed painfully as she continued reading.

I want to let you know that this thing, this thing that just happened, it seriously cannot happen again, Aria. And I need you to promise me this time that you will do everything within your power to avoid me because I can’t do this anymore.

Her heartbeat stumbled.
Avoid me…?

She swallowed hard and kept reading.

Aria, this is freaking ridiculous. I mean look at both of us. What kind of fantasy are we living in? What the hell do we think we are doing? We just go about seducing each other and now I have fallen into a loop. I can’t bear the guilt I feel, Aria, okay? This is just not right. This is not making sense.

Her throat tightened. She felt heat rise to her cheeks—anger, embarrassment, confusion, all tangled together.

So please, if we keep on doing this later on, your dad is going to catch up and it’s going to be complicated. I’m trying to avoid that. I can’t allow this to go on. I wish you would understand. So please, avoid me from now on.

The message ended there.

Aria stared at the final line.
“Avoid me.”

The words pressed into her skin like icy fingertips.
For a long moment she did nothing—just stared at her phone, watching the screen blur through the heat flooding her eyes.

A slow burn ignited in her chest. She clenched the phone so tightly it felt like she might crush it in her palm.

“Hell. No.”
The words slipped out of her lips before she could stop them—raw, low, shaking.

She shook her head slowly, her jaw clenching as frustration clawed through her veins.
“There is no way in hell that is happening,” she muttered under her breath.

Her blood was roaring now. Her thoughts became clearer—not calmer, but sharp with determination. No. He didn’t get to say that to her. Not after what they had shared. Not after what he had done to her. He didn’t get to push her away and pretend nothing had happened, like she was some foolish girl he could silence with guilt.

She stood abruptly. The room felt too small, suffocating.
Her gaze snapped toward her door.

She opened it quickly and stepped into the hallway, closing it softly behind her so it wouldn’t draw attention.

She moved in silent urgency down the stairs. The house felt unusually still, the lingering tension from earlier gone. The maids and house workers were nowhere to be seen; they had already returned to their quarters.

She headed straight for her father’s wing.
Before she reached the doorframe, she heard rapid clicking and the muffled sound of voices coming from the inside—his laptop, probably on a call.

She raised her ear against the door.
Just as she thought—he was busy, likely buried in work or negotiations.

Good.

Her heart pounded as she turned back toward the staircase, her footsteps faster than before. She wasn’t thinking—only reacting to the force pulling her forward. She could not let things end with that message. She refused to sleep with that weight in her chest.

She climbed the stairs again, but this time she didn’t stop near her room. She walked right past it, pulse racing as she made her way down the hallway toward the guest section.

Dominic’s room.

The house was shrouded in a silence that felt almost sacred. The walls seemed to listen; the air felt thick with the threat of unseen consequences.

She checked her wristwatch.
A few minutes after seven.

Her father would be occupied for a while—there would be no interruptions.
If she were ever going to talk to Dominic, this was the only moment she would get.

She lingered in the hallway, closing her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath. Fear crawled beneath her ribs, but desire—stubborn, relentless—rose stronger. She needed to see him… to tell him that he couldn’t just discard her after what happened. Not when he had been the one to ignite something inside her she didn’t even know existed.

She stepped forward and knocked.

Silence followed, thick and heavy.

She did not speak. She simply waited.

“Who is there?”
His voice came from within—deep, cautious.

She didn’t answer.
A minute stretched painfully long.

She lifted her hand again and knocked.

“Who the fuck is there?”
This time his voice came sharper, layered with irritation.

She kept her silence.

Another moment passed.

“Who the hell is there?”
Dominic sounded louder now, irritated. The sound of his voice—rough, threatening—sent a ripple through her but did not push her away.

She stayed silent.

“What the fuck—?” she heard him mutter angrily, followed by the heavy sound of footsteps stomping toward the door.

The latch clicked.
The door swung open abruptly.

And before he could say anything—before he could even process what was happening—Aria slipped inside swiftly, pushing the door shut behind her and twisting the lock.

Dominic stared at her, stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.

She smiled slowly, a reckless glimmer lighting her eyes.
“Hello, baby,” she said lightly, almost teasing.

Dominic’s expression darkened.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded. His voice was louder than usual, sharp and laced with warning.

She lifted her shoulders, feigning innocence.
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I was about to head to my room, but I got a little bored… and then I saw the message you sent me.”

Dominic’s head jerked back slightly as he narrowed his gaze.
“Are you sure you actually saw the message I sent?” he asked, voice dropping lower. “Or perhaps there’s someone else in your contacts named Dominic, and that must be the message you read. Because if you saw mine… I don’t think you’d be here right now—not when your dad is in the same house.”

Aria chuckled, her eyes glimmering with challenge.
“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “The message sounded to me like you were daring me. Like you wanted me. Like you were starved for me and knew I wouldn’t let that happen. So you wanted me to come over… didn’t you?”

She tilted her head with a teasing smile.

Dominic stared at her as though she had grown horns.
“Are you… focused right now?” he asked slowly. “What the hell are you doing?”

Aria smiled and took a step closer.
“Dominic, baby,” she murmured, “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She lifted her hand and placed it against his chest.

His skin was warm beneath her palm—solid and toned, heat radiating into her hand. He wasn’t wearing a shirt—only soft pajama shorts hung low on his hips. The sight of his bare torso—the firm ridges of muscle, the faint scars that hinted at past battles—sent heat curling low in her stomach.

Her fingers traced slowly up the center of his chest, feeling every line, every defined curve of muscle.

Dominic tensed, his jaw tightening. He gritted his teeth as though fighting something inside himself.

Aria moved closer still, pressing her body against his. Their chests touched—her warmth blending with his heat. She could feel his heartbeat, strong and erratic.

“Come on, baby,” she whispered. “I know you want me. You want to have me again. That was the most terrifying, delicious, blissful experience you’ve ever had… and you want more, don’t you?”

Dominic’s breath hitched.
He looked at her—really looked at her—and she saw the struggle in his eyes. His gaze flicked down to her nightgown, a thin fabric that clung to her curves. The neckline dipped dangerously low, revealing the soft swell of her breasts, nearly slipping free. His hands clenched at his sides in restraint.

Her body pressed against him, her warmth enveloping him like a temptation he could not ignore.

He was losing it—she could see it.

He swallowed hard.
“Oh my God, Aria… no. We can’t do this,” he breathed. His voice shook faintly, fighting the need building inside him.

He grabbed her hand, trying to pull it away from his chest, but she resisted.

“You can’t avoid me like that, Dominic,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The emotion behind it made her chest tighten.

“Oh, well of course I can,” he shot back, frustration coloring every word. “And I’m telling you that I cannot do this. So please just… fucking leave me alone.”

But Aria only stared at him, her brows furrowed, her breathing deepening.
“It’s not going to be that easy,” she muttered.

Regaining her composure, she stepped closer again.

Dominic felt the weight of the moment like a crushing force. His pulse thundered against his ribs.
“Oh my God…” he whispered hoarsely, backing up.

He moved toward the bed, needing space—needing to breathe. But she followed, refusing to let distance settle between them.

And then—his heel caught on the rug.
He tripped and fell backward onto the mattress.

Aria fell forward with him, her body landing atop his. Her curves pressed flush against his solid frame, their breaths mingling. The air left his lungs in a ragged exhale.

“Oh my God—” he groaned, but the sound was swallowed as she straddled him, swinging her leg over his hips.

She didn’t give him room to think—didn’t allow him time to protest.
Her lips found the center of his chest, kissing slowly, sensually. She moved upward, pressing kisses along his collarbone, her breath warm and feather-light.

Her tongue traced against his chest, trailing upward to his neck. She sucked gently at the sensitive curve, and he felt himself unraveling.

She leaned down again, kissing his chest before moving to his nipples. She caught one between her lips, tugging lightly.
Dominic gasped.

He didn’t know when his hands moved—only that suddenly they were on her thighs, sliding up beneath her nightgown. His palms cupped her backside, squeezing, pulling her harder against him.

“God… what the fuck are you doing to me?” he groaned, voice strangled.

Aria lifted her head, her lips wet, her eyes shining with bold desire.
“Come on, baby…” she whispered. “You know you can’t fight this.”