Chapter 15 The Cost of Defiance
Aria didn't sleep that night.
She sat on the edge of the massive bed, staring at the closed door, heart still hammering from what had just happened.
Damian's blood was still on her hands.
Not physically—she had washed them raw in the en-suite bathroom. But she could feel it.
The weight of her choice.
The weight of her hesitation.
Killian had seen it.
He had tested her.
And she had failed.
Her stomach twisted.
She had been in dangerous situations before, had faced criminals who would rather kill than be captured.
But this—this was different.
Because this wasn't just about survival.
It was about control.
And Killian Laurent was teaching her, slowly but surely, that control did not belong to her anymore.
A knock on the door made her flinch.
She didn't respond.
Didn't move.
Then—the door opened anyway.
Killian stepped inside.
He was dressed in his usual crisp black suit, his tie slightly loosened. He looked calm. In control.
As if what had happened hours ago was nothing.
As if killing a man meant nothing to him.
Aria exhaled slowly. "Do you ever knock?"
His lips twitched. "This is my house."
Of course it was.
And she was just another thing inside it.
She hated how true that felt.
Killian stepped closer.
She refused to back away.
His gaze flicked over her, assessing.
"You didn't sleep," he noted.
"Maybe I don't sleep well in a murderer's house."
A slow smirk. "You've spent years chasing men like me. You knew what I was."
Her jaw clenched.
"But knowing and seeing are two different things, aren't they?" he murmured.
She forced herself to meet his gaze.
"You wanted me to kill him," she said. "To prove something to you."
Killian hummed. "And you didn't."
Aria exhaled sharply. "Would you have killed me if I refused to take the gun?"
His silence sent a shiver down her spine.
Then—he stepped even closer.
"Do you really want to know the answer to that?"
Her pulse roared.
She didn't look away.
Couldn't.
Then—his fingers brushed her jaw, tilting her face up.
His touch was gentle.
Too gentle.
"As long as you're mine, Aria," he murmured, "I will never let anyone else touch you."
A shudder ran through her.
But then—his fingers tightened just slightly.
"But defiance has a price."
Her stomach flipped.
"Is that what you're here for?" she asked, voice steady. "To punish me?"
Killian studied her.
Then—he smirked.
"Not tonight."
She exhaled.
But the relief was short-lived.
Because his next words stole the air from her lungs.
"You're coming with me tomorrow."
Her brows furrowed. "Where?"
Killian stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"To meet the rest of my world."
And just like that—her pulse spiked.