Aria's heart pounded so hard she thought it might crack her ribs. His words hung in the air, chilling her to the bone.
The man you think you love doesn't exist.
She forced herself to stand straighter, though her hands shook. "Then tell me who does. Because right now, I don't know if I'm living with a protector… or a stranger."
Darius dragged a hand over his jaw, pacing once before slamming his fist against the desk. The sharp crack made her flinch. His eyes snapped to hers, burning like coals in the dark.
"My name was never meant to reach you," he said finally, voice rough. "I buried it years ago, along with the boy who carried it."
He took the papers from her trembling grip, flipping through them with a bitter sneer. "Victor gave you this, didn't he? He wants you to see the blood, the dirt — to believe I'm no better than him."
Her chest ached. "Are you?"
The question froze him. For a heartbeat, he looked human — haunted, almost vulnerable. Then his shoulders squared, the armor sliding back into place.
"I did what I had to do to survive," he said. "What I had to do to rise. That boy in the photos… he was prey. Now, I'm the lion. No one hunts me anymore."
Aria's voice cracked. "You could have told me. You should have told me."
His laugh was hollow. "And what then? You'd look at me the way you are right now — like I'm a monster waiting to devour you."
Her throat tightened. Because part of her did. And part of her… still wanted to step closer.
Before she could speak, he closed the distance, trapping her against the desk. His hand pressed flat beside her hip, his other curling around her wrist, pinning her softly but firmly.
"You want the truth?" His breath brushed her ear, hot and sharp. "The truth is that every man who ever touched me with cruelty is dead. I made sure of it. And if Victor thinks he can use you against me — I'll burn him and his empire to ash."
Aria's pulse roared. His confession was raw, brutal, terrifying… and yet, she believed him.
Still, her voice came out steady. "And what if I can't live with that truth?"
His grip loosened. Just slightly. His jaw clenched. "Then you'll walk away. But don't pretend you can save me, Aria. I was damned long before you stepped into my den."
The words struck her harder than any shout. Because beneath all his fire and fury, she heard it — the fracture in his soul.
And for the first time, she realized the real danger wasn't only Victor. It was what loving Darius might cost her.