Chapter 23: The Breaking Point

Ethan had never felt this kind of rage before. As he stared at the notebook Ryan had sent, filled with photos of Aria and disturbingly personal notes, his hands shook with the effort it took not to destroy everything in his path.

"Ethan, sit down," Aria said softly, her voice shaky as she watched him pace her living room.

"I can't," he snapped, his dark eyes burning with anger. "Do you have any idea what this means? He's been following you, taking pictures of you. This isn't just obsession, Aria. This is psychotic."

Aria hugged herself, her fear palpable. "I know. But we can't let him win, Ethan. He wants to rattle us, and it's working."

Ethan stopped pacing and turned to her, his expression dark and unreadable. "You don't understand. I'm not going to let him get away with this."

She stood, crossing the room to face him. "And what are you going to do? Fight him? Make things worse?"

"I don't care if it gets worse," he growled. "He crossed a line. He needs to know that there are consequences."

Aria reached out and grabbed his arm, her touch soft yet firm. "Ethan, please. Don't let him drag you down to his level. We have to be smarter than this."

Ethan's jaw tightened, but her pleading eyes made him pause. "I'm doing this for you, Aria. To protect you."

"And I'm asking you to protect me by staying with me," she whispered. "Not by throwing yourself into danger."

For a moment, the fire in Ethan's eyes dimmed. He exhaled sharply and nodded, though his frustration was still evident. "Fine. But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

---

The next day at school, the tension was unbearable. Ethan refused to let Aria out of his sight, his protective nature cranked up to an extreme. Students whispered as they passed, their curiosity piqued by the intense dynamic between the two.

Ryan, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the attention. He leaned casually against the lockers as Ethan and Aria walked by, his smirk infuriatingly confident.

Ethan stopped, his fists clenching at his sides. Aria tugged at his arm, but his gaze remained locked on Ryan.

"Got something to say?" Ethan asked, his voice low and threatening.

Ryan's smirk widened. "Just admiring the show, Ethan. You really are quite the guard dog, aren't you?"

Ethan took a step forward, but Aria quickly stepped between them. "Ethan, don't," she said firmly, her voice trembling slightly.

Ryan chuckled. "Listen to her. She's the only thing keeping you from making a fool of yourself."

Ethan's eyes darkened, but he let Aria pull him away. "This isn't over," he muttered under his breath.

---

That evening, Ethan sat in his car outside Ryan's house, his mind racing. He had promised Aria he wouldn't do anything reckless, but the notebook was burned into his memory. Every word, every photo—it was like Ryan was daring him to act.

Inside, Ryan was already planning his next move. He sat in his dimly lit room, scrolling through his phone. The photos of Aria on his screen fueled his twisted obsession.

"She'll see," Ryan muttered to himself. "She'll realize Ethan isn't the one for her."

Ryan opened his desk drawer and pulled out another envelope. This time, he had something even more personal planned, something that would ensure Aria and Ethan wouldn't ignore him any longer.

---

The following day, Ethan and Aria tried to act normal, but the tension was impossible to ignore. In the middle of class, a note was slipped under the door. The teacher picked it up and called out, "Aria, this is for you."

Aria froze, her heart pounding. Slowly, she got up and walked to the front of the room, every eye in the class on her.

As she unfolded the note, her hands trembled. Written in bold, red letters were the words: See you soon.

She turned to look at Ethan, her fear written all over her face. Ethan stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.

"That's it," he growled, grabbing his bag and storming out of the classroom.

Aria followed him, her voice pleading. "Ethan, stop! Please!"

He didn't stop until they were outside. Turning to her, he said, "I'm done playing his games. This ends now."

"What are you going to do?" Aria asked, tears streaming down her face.

Ethan looked at her, his expression unyielding. "Whatever it takes."