Chapter 162: Chapter 164: The Phone Call
ARIA’S POV
The sound of her phone ringing dragged Aria from a restless sleep. She’d spent most of the night staring at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom, replaying the warehouse scene over and over until exhaustion finally claimed her somewhere around four in the morning.
Now, barely three hours later, sunlight was streaming through the worn curtains and her phone was buzzing insistently on the nightstand.
She reached for it blindly, eyes still half-closed, her voice thick with sleep. "Hello?"
"Aria. Good morning."
She recognized the voice immediately, and her eyes flew open. "Julian?"
"Yes, Aria. It’s me." His tone was careful, measured in a way that immediately put her on alert.
"Why are you calling me this early?" She sat up, her heart starting to race. "Hope everything is okay. Is Damien okay?"
Julian’s laugh was soft, but she could hear the concern beneath it. "Calm down, Aria. He’s fine. Physically, at least. I’m calling to ask if you two had an argument."
"An argument?" She rubbed her eyes, trying to focus.
"Yes. Because he’s been acting....well, you know....since this morning, and I know that you’re the only one who can affect his mood like that. Did you guys fight, Aria? You both just got back together. I don’t think you should be having any issues now."
Guilt twisted in her stomach. Of course Damien’s mood would be affecting everyone around him. When he was upset, the entire office felt it. She’d witnessed it enough times during their separation.
"We’re fine, Julian," she said, though the words felt like a lie. "I just.....I just told him I needed some time off from the whole thing. But we’re fine."
There was a pause on the other end. "Some time off? Is anything the matter, Aria? You know you can talk to me."
The genuine concern in his voice made her throat tighten. Julian had been nothing but supportive since she and Damien reconciled. Had defended their relationship to board members, had celebrated their happiness, had become a true friend to her.
"I know, Julian, and I really appreciate that. But we’re fine, and trust me that I’ll come straight to you if I need to talk about Damien, because I know that you know him better than I do. But for now, I can handle this."
"Okay, Aria." He didn’t sound entirely convinced, but he didn’t push. "Let me go back to his office now before he decides to go on a firing spree."
Despite everything, she managed a small laugh. "Alright, Julian. Thank you for calling."
"Anytime. And Aria? Whatever’s going on.....fix it soon. I’ve seen him moody before, but this is different.
The call ended, and Aria sat on her bed for a long time, staring at nothing.
Damien hadn’t slept. She knew him well enough to know that. Knew that when he was upset or stressed, sleep became impossible. He’d probably spent the entire night in his office, working himself into exhaustion to avoid thinking about her absence.
And this morning, he was taking it out on everyone around him.
Because of her.
She’d done that to him. She’d seen his darkness and run, leaving him alone to deal with the aftermath of showing her who he really was.
Finally, she sighed and got out of bed, padding barefoot to the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror showed a woman who looked as exhausted as she felt.....dark circles under her eyes, her hair a tangled mess, her expression haunted.
She showered mechanically, letting the hot water wash over her while her mind continued to spin.
What was she doing? Was she really going to throw away everything they had because she’d finally seen the darkness she’d always known existed? Was she going to punish him for being exactly who he’d always been, just because he’d finally shown it to her directly?
By the time she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, she’d made no decisions. Still felt caught between love and fear, desire and horror, the need to run and the need to go back.
She dressed in comfortable clothes.....jeans and a soft sweater.....and made her way to the kitchen, where her mother was already eating breakfast at the small dining table.
"Good morning, Mom," Aria said, settling into the chair across from her.
"Morning, my dear. How are you? Hope you were able to sleep?"
Aria looked at her mother, then dropped her head. "I tried, Mom."
Mei reached across the table to squeeze her daughter’s hand. "I know that feeling, dear. Why don’t you just go over to the estate and clear things up with him? He loves you, and you know that he will never hurt you. Even I know that he won’t hurt you. Just go and talk to him."
Aria thought about it for a long time. Thought about Damien alone in that massive estate, unable to sleep, unable to eat, punishing himself for scaring her.
Thought about the way he’d looked at her in the warehouse....not with cruelty toward her, but with desperation. Like he needed her to understand, to accept, to stay despite what she’d seen.
"I know he won’t hurt me, Mama," she said quietly. "I just...."
She couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t articulate the complicated tangle of emotions choking her.
"I understand, dear," Mei said softly.
Aria looked at her mother....this woman who’d raised her alone, who’d fled from a powerful man’s darkness to protect her child, who understood better than anyone what it meant to love someone dangerous.
"I will go to the estate this evening, Mama."
Mei’s smile was warm and knowing. "That’s my girl. Now eat. I made your favorite."
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Aria tried to distract herself with mundane tasks.....helping her mother with laundry, reading a book, watching television....but nothing could quiet the constant churn of thoughts.
By the time evening arrived, she’d changed clothes three times, unable to decide what to wear. Finally, she settled on a simple top and a flared skirt....comfortable but feminine, casual but put-together.
She grabbed her car keys, hugged her mother goodbye, and made the drive to the Blackwood estate with her heart pounding the entire way.
The estate looked different somehow. More imposing. More like a fortress than a home. Or maybe that was just her perception, colored by what she now knew happened in places Damien controlled.
She parked in the circular driveway and entered through the main entrance, her key still working despite her absence.
Inside, the estate was quiet. Too quiet. The usual sounds of staff moving about were muted, and she wondered if Damien had sent everyone away, wanting to be alone.
Then she saw Lucy coming down the corridor with a tray of food.
"Aria!" Lucy’s face brightened immediately, then fell as she looked at the tray in her hands. She shook her head, and Aria could see that the food was untouched. "I don’t know what happened, Aria. He also didn’t eat breakfast before leaving for the office this morning. Did something happen at the office?"
Lucy sighed. "Well, since you’re here, why don’t you try taking the food? Let’s see if he’ll eat."
Aria looked at the tray.....dinner, beautifully prepared, completely ignored....and felt her chest tighten.
"You know what, just heat it up, Lucy. I’ll come to the kitchen to pick it up later."
Lucy looked at her, understanding dawning in her eyes. She nodded. "Okay. I’ll keep it warm."
Aria made her way through the familiar hallways toward Damien’s office. Her hands were shaking slightly. Her heart was racing. She didn’t know what she was going to say, how she was going to explain her absence or her return.
As she approached the office, she saw Marcus exiting, his expression carefully neutral.
"Marcus," she said immediately. "How is Victoria?"
Marcus looked at her and hesitated, his jaw tightening. "Miss Chen, I think it is best if you ask the boss."
The evasion told her everything she needed to know. Victoria was alive.....Marcus would have told her if she wasn’t.....but the extent of her injuries, the treatment, the aftermath.....those were details Damien would need to provide.
She said nothing, just walked past Marcus and entered the office.
