Chapter 172

ARIA

Everyone froze as the recording ended. The truth was clear. Alex's voice matched perfectly, and Emma's panic confirmed everything.

Emma's face went white. Her eyes darted around, looking for escape.

"You wanted to take me from Blake?" I stared at Alex in disbelief.

Blake moved between us, his face showing cold fury. His eyes locked on Alex with murderous intensity.

Alex smiled and adjusted his glasses casually.

"I planned to announce this elsewhere," he said calmly. "But now works." He walked toward Blake. "Mr. Morgan, I'm your father's son. I've lived in your shadow for twenty years."

Blake laughed harshly. "Not shocking. Henderson's bastard has his same shameless attitude."

With me, Blake was gentle. But facing Alex, I saw his ruthless side – the cold businessman who destroyed competitors. The contrast shocked me.

Alex shrugged. "I helped Emma. I thought you cared for her. My mistake."

"A mistake?" I stepped forward, but Blake held me back. "You ruined lives!"

"I never broke laws," Alex said smoothly. "Never directly harmed anyone. At worst, I helped the wrong person."

I saw his strategy. He admitted helping Emma but avoided confessing crimes. The illegal acts – attacks, manipulations – Emma did those.

"You never get dirty," I said. "Others do your work – David, Bella, Emma. They fall, you stay clean."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Watch your words, Ms. Taylor. We still work together."

Blake stepped forward, shielding me completely. "What do you want?"

Tension filled the room. Alex dropped his smile, staring coldly at Blake. Olivia moved closer, worried. Kevin straightened, ready to fight. Matthew moved to my side.

Everyone else backed away, watching with fear.

I stepped forward. "Stop. We're wasting time. Deal with Emma first."

Blake looked at me, then at Emma with disgust. "Security will take her to police."

I knew what he meant. Emma wouldn't just face legal consequences – Blake would destroy her completely. After everything she'd done, I couldn't find any sympathy. She deserved whatever came her way.

"Let's take her directly to the police station," I said, staring at Emma with ice in my voice. "No need to wait for them to come here."

Emma looked up at me, hatred burning in her eyes. "Going to torture me on the way there? Getting your revenge, Aria?"

"I never said that," I replied coldly. "But if that's what you're thinking, maybe you've done things to me that need repaying."

Emma's face twisted into a manic grin. "Repay? I'll never repay you anything!" She suddenly reached into her dress bodice and pulled out a tiny pistol. "You want repayment, Aria? Wait for your next life! I'll see you in hell where I can repay you properly!"

People screamed and scattered. I stood frozen, staring at the gun barrel pointed at my chest.

Emma pulled the trigger.

Everything slowed down. Blake lunged in front of me. I heard the gunshot, felt the movement, smelled the gunpowder.

Tears sprang to my eyes as Blake held me tight.

"Aria, don't cry," he whispered against my hair.

Then I heard it – a bullet hitting flesh, followed by warm liquid spraying. The room erupted in chaos.

"Blake, are you hurt? Where?" I frantically checked his body for wounds. My hands shook as I searched for blood.

"Aria, calm down. I'm fine." Blake grabbed my hands. "It's not me."

"Matthew! No!" Olivia screamed.

I turned to see Matthew clutching his chest, blood staining his suit. He swayed, then collapsed.

Olivia fell beside him, makeup streaking her face as she screamed for a doctor.

Blake quickly lifted Matthew despite his weak left arm. Kevin stripped off his jacket to stop the bleeding while security cleared a path.

"I aimed for Aria!" Emma shrieked as security tackled her. "Why did you jump in front playing hero?"

Something snapped in me. I rushed forward and slapped Emma hard. Her head snapped sideways with a crack – I'd dislocated her jaw.

"If Matthew dies," I hissed, "I'll destroy everything you value. Then you'll learn real suffering."

Emma cowered, unable to meet my eyes.

I ordered security to take her to police, then followed the blood trail where Blake carried Matthew.

MATTHEW

I felt the bullet tear through me. The pain wasn't what I expected – more burning than sharp. Blake and Kevin loaded me into the car. Every bump in the road sent agony through my chest. Blood and clots poured from my wound.

Olivia tried to apply pressure but her hands kept slipping. She was crying too hard to help effectively.

"Olivia, don't be scared," Aria said, taking over the pressure on my wound. "Press harder. We need to stop the bleeding."

My sister sobbed, her makeup completely ruined. "Matthew, you better hang on! You're my only brother. You can't leave me alone!"

I wanted to tell her it would be okay, but my mouth filled with blood. I coughed, spitting red onto my already ruined shirt.

"Sis," I managed to whisper, "I owe you an apology. I'm sorry... I did something stupid and dragged you into it."

"You idiot," she sobbed. "I always thought you could never hurt anyone."

I saw in her eyes she'd forgive me anything if I just survived. She'd help me atone if I could just stay alive.

But darkness kept creeping in at the edges of my vision. "Sis, if I don't make it... don't hate me too much..."

Olivia wailed in response. Aria's eyes reddened as she pressed harder on my wound.

"Don't you dare die just because you took a bullet for us," Aria said fiercely. "You made me suffer for sixteen years. You owe me. You need to stay alive to make things right!"

Her words sparked something in me. I forced my eyes to focus.

"Aria," I whispered through bloody lips, "I've been wrong all these years... I regretted it... long ago..."

I needed to explain. I needed her to understand.

"I thought Blake was a bad guy," I continued, each word costing me. "He treated Emma so well... got the best doctors... stayed with her through nights... helped her become principal dancer... though she never deserved it."

I saw Aria pale. Blake's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.

"If it had been you... maybe you wouldn't have given up dancing... your injury might have healed..."

Aria lowered her eyes. "Stop. These what-ifs... they don't matter now."

"They matter because I destroyed them," I insisted, feeling weaker. "I wanted to tell you the truth... but I was scared... scared you'd hate me... scared you'd push me away forever."

I laughed bitterly, causing more blood to bubble up. "I stupidly thought... I could make it up to you... be better for you than Blake... but I just kept making everything worse."

"Matthew, please save your strength," Aria begged.

"Aria, I eventually saw that... no matter what I did... Blake still fell for you." I smiled through tears and blood. "I decided to give you back to each other... but I couldn't just tell you... Emma had someone dangerous behind her."

I glanced at Blake in the rearview mirror. "The gun Emma had... Alex must have given it to her. His plan was for Emma to kill Aria... you'd die protecting her... then he'd take over Morgan Enterprises as Henderson's son."

I coughed violently, spattering blood. My vision darkened further.

"Matthew!" Aria shouted. "You can't die for doing one good thing!"

"Ten minutes to the hospital," Blake urged. "Just hold on!"

My body felt cold, but my heart warmed knowing they still cared despite everything.

"I deserve this," I whispered. "Blake... take care of Aria... I hurt her so much... don't be like you were three years ago..."

"Aria is my life!" Blake slammed his fist against the steering wheel. "That asshole from three years ago is dead!"

I smiled weakly. "I know... stupid thing to say... I just want you both to be happy... forever happy... if you truly found each other."

My consciousness started slipping. I remembered the first time I saw little Aria dancing at the Grant estate. I remembered pushing her away because of "family grudges" while desperately wanting to be near her. I recalled accidentally overhearing teenage Aria confessing her first love: "I hope I meet that boy again someday..."

The memory shifted to a hospital room after the Manhattan fire sixteen years ago.

I imagined a different life where I never hypnotized Aria, where Emma and Christine faced justice immediately. Where I told Aria, "The boy you saved is Blake Morgan, the one you wanted to protect, not Emma..."

I imagined Aria smiling at me in sunshine, without hatred or misunderstanding.

The darkness swallowed me completely.