CHAPTER SIX
The crystal wine glassembled in Aria’s hand as she watched David pack his laptop into his leather briefcase. The evening light cast long shadows across their bedroom in the Holloway mansions, malding everything feel slightly askew – much like their relationship.
“you’ve barely been bome this week,” she said, keeping her voice deliberately steady. The wine in her glass was untouched, a deep red that matched the simmering: anger in ber chest
David didn’t even lookup. “The Zhang merger isn’t going to close itself, Aria. He continued inetl dically arranging papers, his shoulders tense beneath hus
“The merge.” She let out a small, bitter laugh. “Of course it’s always the merger theseilas”
That got his attention. David’s head snapped up, his blue eyes namowing “What’s that supposed to mean?
“Nothing” Arta set down her glass with precise control. “Absolutely nothing, post like our engagement party planning, just like the orchestra’s upcoming season that you promised to help fundraise for host__nothing”
“You’re bring dramatic.” David can a hand through his shoulder–length hair, a gesture that used to make her heart flutter. Now it just made her think of Sofia’s delicate fingers doing the same thing. “This is my job Curfusure depends on ”
“Our future?” The words tasted like acid. “Tell me, David, when was the last time we actually talked about our
His phone buzzed David glanced at it, and Ariacmight the slight softening around his eyes before he quickly schooled his features. She knew that look. She’d seen it countless times when Sofia’s name appeared on his screen.
“I need to take this, he muttered, already heading for the door
“Of course you do.” Aria watched him leave, her fingers curling into dists at her sides
The door closed with a soft click that echoed in the empty room. Aria picked up her wine glass and budded it against the wall, watching with satisfaction as the crystal shattered and the red wine bett trails like bloody tears down the expensive wallpaper.
Aria whirled around to Ind Marcus standing in the doorway, his lean frame filling the space with an authority that David could never quite manage. He was still in his business sait, though his tie was loosened–ance glimpse of the man beneath the power
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. “I’ll clean it up”
Marcus waved away her apology, stepping into the room. “1 heard the argument. The walls in this house have always been too thin for their own good.”
His blue eyes – so like David’s, yet somehow sharper, more knowing–studied her face. “Though perhaps that’s not the only thing that’s thin these days.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Ania lied, but her voice cracked slightly.
Marcusmoved closes, and she caught the subtle scent of his cologne – something woodsy and expensive.
“Don’t you? I’ve watched you these past weeks, Aria. Watching him. Watching her His voice dropped lower. “Watching me.”
Ana’s breath caught in bes that. “Marcus, 1-”
“you’re too good for him.” His hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen. “Too brilliant. Too ambitious. Too
verthing”
She should step back. She should remember her carefully laid plans, hermeticulous documentation, her ultimate goal. But Marcus’s touch was electric, sending shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with revenge and everything to do with raw desire.
“This is wrong,” she whispered, even as she leaned into his touch.
“Is in His other hand found her waist, pulling her closer. “Or is it exactly right?”
pay at his temple
temples. Marcus kissed like he ran bes
When their lips met, it wasn’t gentle. Ana’s fingers tangled in his short hair, feeling the slight roughness of gray at empire – with absolute confidence and control.
Two days later, Aria set in the living room of the mansion, pretending to review sheet music while David paced back and forth on another phone call. His laughter echoed though the room, carefree and intimate in a way he hadn’t been with betin weeks
“Yes, absolutely,” he was saying, his entire face lit up. “We’ll go over the projections thinNo, no, that’s perfect timing.
Aria’s pracil snapped in her hand. She knew that tone, lew he was talking to Sofia. The same Sota who had humbled three passages in yesterday’s rehearsal thanks to Aria’s carefully suggested “artistic indexpectations”
The sheet music in froin of her bluted as rage coursed though her veins. She thought of Marcus’s hands on her skin in the hotel suite be’d aanged for them, of the way hard whispered her name like a prayer and a command all at once. Yet here was David, flaunting his own atrair sight in front of her.
“Hey,” David’s voice cut through her thoughts. He was finally off the phone, already pulling on his suit jacket. “I need to head to Chicago for a few days. The Zhang team wands to review some commbers iar person.”
“Chirago!” Azia utood up,
alling to the floor. “But the benet concert is this weekend. You printed you’d be then,”
David barely glanced at her as he checked his phone again, you’ll be ballast without me. You always are.” He headed for the door, then passed, “Oh, and Solia
she’s having trouble with some of the newattungraents. Maybe rase up on the experimental stult?”
mention
The door closed behind him beinar Aila could respond. She stood then, trendling with bay and something else – something that felt dangerously close to but. Her phone buzzed with a text from Marrus “Sulle 8. Cine hour?=
CHAPTER AX
(the Tawhai mis of destre, guilt, and calculated satisfaction. This wasn’t how she’d plaimed it.
sopposed to be purely strategi, ale piece in bet elaborate revenge. She was supposed teave his touch, to find herself comming
I
But as she grabbed he key headed to the door, Ausa pushed aside her doubts, David had made his choice. She’d made hers
