Chapter 15

Liam observed her closely, his fingers tapping across his glass. “Do you need to go back?” The inquiry was flippant, but she heard the weight behind it. Go back? To what? To a man who had damaged her beyond repair? To a life where she was always second choice, second priority, second best? Aria shook her head, a slow smirk curling her lips. “I don’t go backward, Liam.” Liam chuckled, raised his glass in a silent toast. “That’s my girl.” She exhaled, finally allowed herself to relax into her seat. No, she didn’t go backward. Adrian’s world was over. And hers was just beginning. Meanwhile, across the city, Adrian Marsden sat in the ruins of everything he had lost. His apartment was dark, the only light emanating from the city beyond the towering glass windows. His phone sat beside him, the screen blank, a painful reminder that she wasn’t coming back. He had sent the message knowing she wouldn’t respond. And then, when the silence drew on, pressing into hi