Chapter Six: The Afterglow of Complications

The morning after should've been simple. Quiet.

Instead, it was a war zone of silence, lingering tension, and unspoken words.

Aria stood at the kitchen island of the penthouse, a cup of untouched coffee cradled in her hands. Sunlight poured in through the massive windows, casting warm rays across the marble floors, but the golden light did nothing to thaw the ice between them.

Theo was seated across the room, jaw tight, suit jacket draped over a nearby chair, sleeves rolled up. He hadn't spoken a word since she woke up tangled in his arms and slipped out of bed while he pretended to be asleep.

She didn't even know what part of it had shaken her the most

The kiss.

The heat.

The fact that Theo Kingston had lost control.

Or maybe… it was the part where she had wanted every second of it.

"About last night," Aria started, voice low.

Theo's gaze flicked up instantly. It was sharp, unreadable yet something flickered just beneath.

"We don't need to talk about it," he said flatly.

Aria blinked. "Really?"

Theo stood, walked toward the espresso machine, and busied himself with it like it was the most important task in the world.

"It was a moment. A slip."

Aria's pulse stung at the words. "A moment?"

Theo didn't flinch. Didn't turn. "We were both… off. Emotions were high. My father had just been here. You were vulnerable."

"And you were what? Playing hero?"

He finally turned, cup in hand. "I was being human. It won't happen again."

Aria stared at him. Cold, composed, calculated. Just like that.

"Wow," she whispered. "That's convenient."

Theo's jaw twitched. "It's necessary."

Aria stepped closer, her fingers tight around her coffee mug. "You kissed me like you meant it. You held me like it mattered. And now what, you're just resetting?"

Theo's gaze hardened. "Yes."

The single word cut sharper than she expected.

She set her cup down, the sound loud in the quiet kitchen. "Then maybe this deal isn't as controlled as you thought."

Theo stepped toward her now, slow and deliberate. "We both know control was never part of the attraction."

Her chest tightened. "You're afraid."

He stopped just in front of her. "No. I'm protecting you."

"From what?"

Theo's voice dropped lower. "From me."

And there it was again that shadow of something deeper, darker. Something broken he refused to let her see clearly.

But before she could respond, the sharp ding of the elevator echoed through the penthouse.

They both turned.

The doors slid open.

Two men in tailored suits stepped out, led by a woman in sleek heels and a perfectly pressed skirt. Her icy smile was the only warning Aria got.

"Mr. Kingston," the woman greeted coolly. "We're early. I hope that's acceptable."

Theo straightened instantly, expression locking into full CEO mode. "Vivian. I didn't expect the board until eleven."

Aria glanced between them, a knot forming in her stomach.

Vivian's eyes flicked toward her. "And who is this?"

Aria opened her mouth, but Theo cut in fast. "Aria Monroe. My fiancée."

The word slammed into Aria's chest. Her breath hitched.

Vivian's brow arched slightly. "Ah. The one from the tabloids."

Aria offered a tight smile. "Nice to meet you."

Vivian didn't return it.

"Boardroom," Theo said, brushing past everyone. "Now."

As he walked away, his hand barely brushed Aria's back. Barely. But it lingered just long enough for her to feel it.

The warmth.

The claim.

The warning.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

Later that afternoon

Aria sat curled in one of the leather chairs near the window, legs tucked beneath her, scrolling through news updates.

She didn't want to admit she was waiting for Theo. But she was.

The board had been holed up with him for hours. The whole house felt off-balance, like a storm was brewing beneath the surface.

Suddenly, the door slammed.

Theo strode in, jacket gone, tie loosened, fire burning in his eyes.

She stood. "What happened?"

"They're planning something," he said tightly. "Trying to force a vote on my leadership."

Aria's stomach dropped. "Why?"

"Because I'm not controllable."

She stepped closer. "Is this because of me?"

Theo paused. "You're part of it."

Her breath hitched.

"They think you're a liability. A scandal waiting to explode. That I'm letting emotions cloud my judgment."

"Are you?" she asked softly.

Theo's gaze met hers. There was no hesitation.

"Yes."

She blinked.

"But not in the way they think." He stepped closer. "You make me feel something, Aria. Something dangerous. But also something real. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to let it go."

She didn't answer. Couldn't.

Theo's hand lifted to her jaw, fingers brushing lightly against her skin.

"I need to know," he said, voice rough. "If I fight for this for you are you going to run?"

Aria stared at him, heart thundering.

"I don't run," she said.

Theo's eyes darkened. "Good."

Because suddenly, they were no longer dancing around the line.

They were standing on the edge of it together.

The air between them thickened not with heat this time, but with tension, real and dangerous.

Aria could see it now. All of it. The controlled chaos behind Theo's polished exterior, the way he was barely keeping it together. This wasn't just business anymore. Not for him. Not for her.

"Say something," he said, still so close.

Aria drew in a breath, held it, then let it go slow. "You're asking me to step into a war you've been fighting alone for years."

His hand dropped from her jaw, but his gaze never left hers. "You already stepped in the moment you said yes to the fake ring."

Her lips curved slightly. "Right. The fake engagement."

Theo didn't smile. "There's nothing fake about the way I look at you."

That stopped her.

"Then what do you want from me?" she asked quietly. "Because I don't know how to play this kind of game. I'm not a socialite or a boardroom pawn. I don't know how to spin scandals or give the right interviews. I'm just me."

Theo stepped forward, closing the distance again.

"Exactly," he said. "That's the point. They can't mold you. You're not predictable. That makes you dangerous."

She tilted her head. "I thought I was the weakness."

He leaned in, voice low. "You're the weapon."

Her heart slammed into her ribs.

"I want them to underestimate you," Theo continued. "I want them to see you as a liability. A mistake. Because then they'll never see it coming when you start tearing down everything they built."

Aria's eyes searched his. "So this is your plan?" she said. "Make me your secret weapon?"

"No," he said. "That was my plan before I kissed you."

Her breath hitched.

Now his voice dipped, dark and dangerous. "Now? I want them to try and take you away from me just so I can destroy them for trying."

Aria's pulse thundered.

Theo's phone rang, slicing through the tension like a blade.

He didn't look at it.

But Aria did. On the screen, a name flashed: Richard Kingston.

She glanced up. "Your father."

Theo's jaw flexed. "Let it ring."

But it didn't. The call ended, and seconds later, a text came in. Theo's eyes flicked to it briefly, and whatever he read made the muscles in his jaw tighten.

"What is it?" Aria asked.

Theo's expression hardened. "He wants to meet. Tonight."

"In person?"

Theo nodded. "Alone."

"That sounds like a trap."

"It is."

Aria stepped back. "Then why go?"

"Because I know how he thinks. He doesn't call meetings. He makes demands. If he's asking, he's planning something big."

"And you're walking into that?"

Theo's eyes locked onto hers. "I'm not walking. I'm drawing fire away from you."

Aria's heart pounded. "So what am I supposed to do? Wait here?"

He hesitated. Then, "No."

He walked past her, heading for his desk. Pulled open a drawer, and tossed her a flash drive.

"Go to the PR firm I work with. Marshall & Lee. Ask for Alice. Give her this."

Aria caught it, confused. "What's on it?"

Theo's gaze darkened. "Everything. Records, emails, security footage. Proof that my father's been orchestrating a smear campaign against me, maybe even embezzling. It's my insurance policy."

Her mouth went dry. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because if I don't make it back from this meeting, you burn him down."

She shook her head, panicked now. "Theo "

He stepped toward her again, took her hand, closed her fingers around the flash drive.

"Promise me, Aria."

Her voice cracked. "I "

"Promise me."

She looked into his eyes, saw the weight of everything he hadn't said the war he'd been fighting alone for so long.

"I promise," she whispered.

Theo let out a breath. Just once. Then his hand lifted, brushing her cheek in a fleeting, intimate touch.

"I meant what I said," he murmured. "You're not my weakness. You're the only thing that's kept me from turning into him."

Before she could say anything more, he turned and walked out the door.

No guards.

No driver.

No backup.

Just Theo Kingston walking straight into the lion's den.

And Aria?

She wasn't going to let him do it alone.

The door shut behind Theo with a soft but final click.

And for a moment, Aria couldn't move.

The flash drive in her hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. She stared down at it, then at the door, then back again.

If I don't make it back…

That line kept echoing in her head like a haunting refrain.

This wasn't just drama anymore. This was dangerous. Real. Twisted power games being played behind closed doors in penthouse offices and boardrooms. The kind that didn't end with press releases but with ruin.

She pressed the flash drive against her lips, closing her eyes.

She should go to Marshall & Lee. Do what he said. Play it safe. Protect the evidence.

But when had Aria Monroe ever played it safe?

She pulled out her phone and dialed the one number she hadn't expected to use again.

"Sky," she said as soon as the voice answered. "I need a favor. Actually, I need about ten favors."

Sky, her friend from her old life the one who'd always been a little too good with hacking, backdoors, and secrets.

"Damn, you sound like you're about to throw down with the Illuminati," Sky replied. "What's going on?"

Aria's eyes flicked to the skyline beyond the window. Somewhere out there, Theo was heading into a trap and she was done being sidelined.

"I need you to help me track someone. I think he's walking straight into a setup."

There was silence on the line.

"You serious?"

"Dead serious."

"And what are you gonna do when you find him?"

Aria's eyes hardened. "Whatever it takes."

Meanwhile…

Theo arrived at the private bar tucked beneath the façade of a luxury cigar lounge in downtown Seattle invitation-only, discreet, and full of shadows.

His father was already there. Sitting in a leather booth like he owned the whole city. Which, in a way, he did.

"Son," Richard Kingston drawled, swirling dark amber in a crystal tumbler. "You've been making quite a mess lately."

Theo sat, unflinching. "You called me here for something. Spit it out."

Richard smirked. "So eager to get to the execution? Fine. Here it is, you're done. The board has enough dirt to vote you out by end of quarter. You can fight it, but you'll lose. Or…"

He leaned forward.

"You step down quietly, walk away, and we forget the rest."

Theo's jaw clenched. "So you can what? Take back control and run it into the ground while protecting your skeletons?"

Richard's smile didn't waver. "This isn't about morality. It's about power. You were never built for this. Too much emotion. Too many... distractions."

He pulled a thin manila envelope from his coat and slid it across the table. "Photos. Of your little fiancée. Funny how scandals always follow Monroe women."

Theo didn't touch the envelope.

"I'll give you a few hours to think it over. But if I were you, I'd get ahead of the story before it buries her alive."

Just as he stood, a new voice cut through the room.

"You should really rethink threatening her."

Richard froze.

Aria stood in the entrance to the bar, confidence radiating from every inch of her a blazer slung over her dress, flash drive in one hand, fire in her eyes.

"Because the moment you try to ruin me," she said, walking forward, "I burn everything you've built. Including that rotten empire you hide behind."

Theo stood fast, surprise flashing across his face. "Aria "

She didn't stop. Just looked right past Richard to Theo.

"I told you I don't run."

Theo's breath hitched.

Richard laughed. "You brought your little girlfriend here to what? Intimidate me?"

Aria tilted her head. "No. But I brought enough proof to give the board something else to vote on. Like whether you deserve a prison sentence."

She dropped the flash drive on the table with a soft clink.

Richard's eyes went cold.

And Theo?

He looked at her like she'd just flipped the chessboard and declared checkmate.