Chapter 211

ARIA'S POV

The moment I pulled up to the boutique hotel, Anthony was already waiting for me outside the main entrance. His expression was tight, his eyes filled with worry as he stepped forward to meet me.

"Miss Aria," Anthony said quietly, glancing around before looking back at me. "Mr. Brandon owns this hotel, along with several other investments in the city. He is currently upstairs in the penthouse."

I nodded quickly, my hands shaking against my purse. "Thank you, Anthony."

"Please," Anthony added, his voice dropping into a gentle, pleading tone. "Please try and calm him down."

"I will," I promised softly. I hurried inside, past the quiet lobby, and took the private elevator straight up to the top floor. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs with every floor the elevator passed.

When the doors finally slid open, I stepped directly into the spacious, modern penthouse.

I looked around the large living room, but it was completely empty. The silence in the room felt heavy and suffocating. Following a faint draft of cool air, I walked toward the glass doors and checked the balcony.

Brandon was sitting there.

His eyes were fixed on the city skyline, staring blankly ahead. He looked totally shattered, his broad shoulders slumped in a way I had never seen before. The sight of him like that made my eyes instantly water.

"Brandon," I whispered.

He didn't look at me. He didn't even flinch at the sound of my voice. "What are you doing here, Aria?" he asked, his tone completely flat and hollow.

"I came to explain," I said, stepping closer to him, my voice trembling. "Please, just listen to me. I can explain what happened."

Brandon didn't speak. He just kept staring out at the city, his silence giving me the chance to talk.

"Julian came to my office earlier yesterday," I started quickly, the words tumbling out of me as I tried to make him understand.

"We had a huge confrontation, and I told him to stay away. But then last night, the storm was terrible. Amelia saw him standing out at the gates in the pouring rain, and she was so worried about him. She was crying and begging me to help. That is the only reason why I let him in, Brandon. I did it for her."

Brandon finally moved. He turned his head slowly, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Were you worried about him, Aria?"

The question caught in my throat. I opened my mouth to respond, but no sound came out. I couldn't bring myself to lie, but the truth of my own inner confusion paralyzed me.

Seeing my silence, Brandon let out a deep, ragged breath. He stood up from his chair, his tall frame looming over me. The coldness in his eyes shifted into something raw and dangerous.

He stepped close to me, forcing me backward with his stride until my back hit the solid brick wall of the balcony. He trapped me there, placing his hands on the wall on either side of my head.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him. Looking at him this close, I could see the red rims of his eyes. He looked like he had been crying, and the sheer sight of his pain made my entire body go weak.

I hated myself. I absolutely hated that I was the one who had done this to him. Driven by a desperate need to comfort him, I reached up and held his face in my hands.

His skin was warm, his jaw clenched tight under my palms. Brandon didn't pull away, but he looked straight into my eyes, his voice cracking slightly. "Did you enjoy kissing him, Aria?"

"No," I whispered honestly, my tears finally spilling over my cheeks. "No, Brandon, I didn't. It just happened. I didn't want it."

Brandon closed his eyes for a brief second, his forehead leaning down until it almost touched mine. When he looked at me again, the raw ache in his voice broke my heart completely.

"I hate seeing you with him, Aria," he murmured, his breath hitting my lips. "It drives me completely insane.”

Brandon’s lips brushed against mine slowly, a soft, agonizing touch that made my heart race. "I am very, very angry at you, Aria," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. "You kissed another man. And what's worse, you hid the truth from me. You lied to me."

"I didn't lie to you, Brandon," I whispered, the tears streaming down my face as I kept my hands on his cheeks. "I just... I didn't want you to worry. I knew how important those meetings were, and I didn't want you to get angry and leave them early. I was going to tell you everything the exact moment you came back. I swear."

He looked down at me, his eyes dark, searching my face for any sign of deception. "Would you really have told me, Aria? Or would you have kept it a secret to protect him?"

A sharp wave of hurt flashed through my chest at his words. My hands trembled against his face. "Do you really not trust me, Brandon? After everything, you think I would hide something like that from you?"

Brandon let out a cold, bitter breath. He didn't drop his arms, keeping me trapped firmly against the wall, his gaze piercing into mine.

"Let me ask you one thing," he said, his voice dropping into a low, quiet whisper that cut right through me. "If you had been the one to walk into my place this morning, and you saw me wrapped up with an ex in that exact same position... how would you be feeling right now?”

I froze. The question hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air right out of my lungs.

If I had walked into my house this morning and seen Brandon wrapped up with another woman in that exact same position, it would have completely destroyed me. I wouldn't have been able to breathe.

Even though deep within me I knew my feelings were complicated—that a part of me was still tangled up in the past—I absolutely hated the thought of sharing him.

Brandon was mine. He belonged to me, and the mere thought of him with someone else made my chest tighten with a toxic wave of jealousy.

I swallowed past the heavy lump in my throat, my voice dropping into a barely audible whisper. "I would have hated it."