Chapter 142 One forty two

Chapter 142 One forty two
Damien’s POV

“I said move, Aria.”

My voice was already tight with restraint, every word clipped, controlled. I was holding on by a thread, and she didn’t even realize it.

But she didn’t move.

She just stood there, right in front of me, stubborn as ever, her eyes locked on mine like she was daring me to try something.
“I’m not going anywhere until you explain what happened,” she said firmly.

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair, trying, failing to keep my temper in check.

“Not now.”

“Yes, now.”

My jaw clenched.

She had no idea what she was pushing into. No idea what storm she was standing in front of.

“Aria, don’t do this,” I warned, my voice dropping lower.

But she shook her head.

“No. You don’t get to drag me out like that and then act like nothing happened! Who was that to you? Why did she react like that? And why did she tell me to stay away from you?”

Each question hit harder than the last.

Because I knew the answers.

And I knew she wasn’t ready for them.

Hell, maybe I wasn’t ready for them either.

“Move,” I said again, more forcefully this time.

“No.”

That single word snapped something inside me.

I stepped forward, intending to push past her, but she shifted, blocking me again.

“I mean it, Damien…”

I didn’t even realize when it happened.
The frustration.

The anger.

The memory of that woman. of her standing there like she still had the right to speak.

To judge.

To interfere.

And then…

“ENOUGH!”

The roar tore out of me before I could stop it.

The moment the word left my mouth, I saw it.

The shock in Aria’s eyes.

The way her entire body froze.

And just like that, the anger drained, replaced instantly by something else.

But it was too late.

I had already lost control.

For a second, I just stood there, staring at her, my chest rising and falling heavily.

Then I looked away.

I couldn’t deal with this.

Without another word, I walked past her.
She didn’t try to stop me this time.

I went straight into the room, shutting the door behind me harder than I intended…

The silence that followed was loud.

I yanked off my shirt, tossing it aside carelessly before running both hands over my face.

“What the hell is wrong with me…” I muttered under my breath.

I didn’t wait for an answer.

I just needed to cool down.

Fast.

I stripped out of the rest of my clothes and stepped into the shower, turning the water on full blast. Cold.

The icy spray hit my skin, shocking my system, but I welcomed it.

Anything to drown out the mess in my head.

I braced my hands against the wall, letting the water run over me as I tried to steady my breathing.

Auntie Gianna.

Of all people.

Of all places.

Why there?

Why now?

I shut my eyes tightly, my jaw clenching again as her face flashed through my mind.

The way she looked at me.

Like I was something vile.

Like I didn’t deserve to even stand in front of her.

And the things she said…

“Stay away from him.”

A bitter laugh escaped me.

Too late for that.

Way too late.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to calm down.

Aria didn’t know.

She couldn’t know.

I needed time.

Time to figure out how to tell her.

Time to decide what to tell her.

Because the truth…

The truth wasn’t simple.

And once it came out, there would be no going back.

Through the sound of the running water, I faintly heard movement in the room.

The door opened.

Soft footsteps.

Aria.

I didn’t turn.

Didn’t call out.

I wasn’t ready to face her yet not after that.

A few seconds later, I heard the door close again.

She left.

A small knot formed in my chest.

She was angry.

Of course she was.

I had just shouted at her like she was…
I clenched my jaw.

“I’ll explain,” I muttered to myself. “Just… not like this.”

I needed to get myself together first.

By the time I stepped out of the shower, the tension in my body had eased slightly.

Just… manageable.

I grabbed a towel, drying off quickly before putting on something lighter. a simple pair of joggers and a t-shirt.

The room felt different when I stepped out.

I glanced around instinctively.

“Aria?”

No response.

I frowned slightly.

She wasn’t there.

I walked further into the room, my eyes scanning the space as if she might suddenly appear.

Nothing.

I exhaled.

“She’s downstairs,” I murmured.

Probably still upset.

Sulking.

And honestly… she had every right to be.

Guilt tugged at me again, sharper this time.

I shouldn’t have yelled at her.

No matter what I was dealing with.
She didn’t deserve that.

I ran a hand through my hair again, pacing once before stopping.

I needed to fix this.

Or at least… try to.

I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and straightened the bed absently, more out of habit than anything else.
Then I headed for the door.

Because I knew this wasn’t going to be a simple conversation.

Nothing about this was simple anymore.
As I walked down the stairs, I could hear her voice.

She was on a call.

I slowed slightly, my brows pulling together.

Who was she talking to?

I reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the sitting room.

And there she was.

Aria.

Standing near the couch, her back slightly turned to me, her phone pressed to her ear.

I opened my mouth, about to call her name…

But something stopped me.

The look on her face.

My steps halted immediately.

Every instinct in me went on alert.
Her expression…

Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted like she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing.

Color had drained from her face, leaving her looking pale… shaken.

Like someone had just told her something that shattered everything she thought she knew.

My chest tightened.

Slowly, I lowered my phone, my gaze fixed on her.

“…Aria?”

I didn’t even realize I had said her name under my breath.

She didn’t respond.

Didn’t even notice me.

She was too lost in whatever was being said on the other end of that call.

And for the first time in a long time…

A bad feeling settled deep in my gut.

Because whatever she just heard…

I had a feeling it was about me.

And judging by the look on her face….
It wasn’t good.