464: ALL OVER

ARIEL'S POV Luke stood up from his desk. A mix of emotions played across his face: determination, concern, and a hint of vulnerability. He approached me slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, as if searching for something within the depths of my gaze. "Ariel," he began, his voice softer now, stripped of its previous coldness. "I need you to listen to me. I never cheated on you." His words hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over me with a force that left me reeling. I struggled to process the sudden shift in his demeanor, the disbelief warring with the flicker of hope that ignited within me. "Why... why would you say something like that, then?" I choked out, my voice trembling with the weight of unshed tears. "Why did you have to tempt me like that?" Luke's expression softened, regret etched into the lines of his face as he reached out to gently cup my cheek. "I needed to see your reaction, Ariel. "I needed to know if there was still something worth fighting for." His words pierced