Chapter 34

• As morning light filtered through the curtains, Zander's eyes fluttered open. He turned to find Aria sleeping peacefully beside him, her hair cascading over the pillow. Confusion washed over him; he couldn’t blame her for what had happened—he, too, had been drawn in, melting under the weight of their shared passion.
• Throwing off the covers, Zander quickly slipped into his trousers, his heart pounding as he tried to make sense of the night. He needed air. He needed to clear his head. He made his way downstairs, but the moment he reached the bottom step, he froze.
• Daniel stood there, anger radiating from him like a storm. His face was pale, and a bandage wrapped around his arm hinted at a recent injury. Zander rushed to him, panic setting in. “Daniel! What happened? When did you get here? Why didn’t you come last night? Are you okay?”