Chapter 140 One forty

Chapter 140 One forty
Aria POV

I stood there in shock, completely frozen.

My body refused to move, my mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. The sound of his voice, no, the way he had roared, still echoed in my ears, sending chills down my spine.

For a moment, I couldn’t even breathe properly. My heart pounded against my chest, loud and uneven, as if trying to escape everything that had just unfolded.

And then… he just walked past me.

Like I wasn’t even there.

No apology.

No explanation.

Not even a glance.

I slowly turned, watching his back as he disappeared into the villa, my chest tightening with something I couldn’t quite name.

I remained there for a few seconds longer, rooted to the spot, before finally forcing my legs to move.

By the time I got inside, I could hear the faint sound of running water from the bathroom. Damien had already gone straight into the shower, shutting himself away like nothing had happened.

Like I didn’t matter.

I swallowed hard, pushing down the lump forming in my throat.

“Fine,” I muttered under my breath, though there was no one to hear me.

If he wasn’t going to talk, then I would find my own answers.

I walked into the bedroom and changed into something lighter, my movements slow and distracted. My mind kept replaying everything, Auntie Gianna’s reaction, Damien’s silence, the way he lost control.

None of it made sense.

And that was what scared me the most.

Once I was done, I picked up my phone from the bed and headed back into the sitting room. I sank into the couch, letting out a long breath as I tried to organize my thoughts.

Okay… think, Aria.

How did Damien know Auntie Gianna?

Why did she react like that?

And why did she hate him so much?

Because that wasn’t just dislike.

That was something deeper. Something personal.

“What is going on…” I whispered to myself, rubbing my temples.

There had to be something I was missing.

I stared blankly at the wall for a moment before unlocking my phone absentmindedly.

And that was when I saw the missed calls. That came from auntie Gianna.

My stomach dropped.

She had been trying to reach me.

Immediately, I sat up straighter, my fingers tightening around my phone.

If anyone had answers, it was her.

She had seen Damien and reacted like she knew him, like she knew exactly who he was.

Maybe… she could finally explain everything.

Without wasting another second, I tapped on her contact and brought the phone to my ear.

It didn’t even ring twice.

She picked up on the first ring.

“Aria…”

Her voice was urgent, almost breathless, like she had been waiting for this call.

“Auntie, I…”

“You cannot marry Damien.”

I froze.

The words hit me so suddenly, so bluntly, that for a second, I thought I had misheard her.

“What?” I whispered, my brows furrowing deeply.

My grip on the phone tightened.

How did she…

How did she know his name?

I hadn’t told her.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Auntie…” I said slowly, my voice cautious now. “How do you know his name?”

There was a brief pause on the other end.
Not long.

But enough.

Enough to make my heart start racing again.

“You need to listen to me, Aria,” she said, her tone serious. “That man is not who you think he is.”

My chest tightened.

“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice rising slightly. “You saw him and completely lost it! You told me to stay away from him…why? What is going on?”

I could hear her breathing.

Like she was struggling with something.

Like she was deciding whether or not to say it.

“Auntie, please,” I pressed, my voice softer now but desperate. “I need to understand. 

You scared me back there. And Damien, he won’t say anything. I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” she murmured.

My heart skipped.

“Auntie…”

“You cannot marry him, Aria.”

Her voice was firm now. Final.

I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling inside me.

“You keep saying that!” I snapped. “At least tell me why!

And then I heard it.

A shaky breath.

As if she had finally made up her mind.
“When you asked me how I knew him…” she began slowly.

I leaned forward, my entire body tense.

“Yes?”

“It’s because I know exactly who he is.”
My pulse quickened.

“What do you mean?”

The words came out.

Like she didn’t even give herself time to think.

“He is Maeve’s father.”

My breathing stopped.

“No…” I whispered, shaking my head instinctively. “No, that’s not possible.”

My mind rejected it immediately.

It didn’t make sense.

It couldn’t make sense.

Damien… Maeve’s father?