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Chapter 19

Laugh remained frozen, his hand rising slowly to touch his reddening cheek, stunned duele written across his unshaven face.

“You’re… real?” he whispered, staring at her as if she might evaporate

Ariana had reached her absolute limit with this absurd day. She laughed a sharp, brittle sound utterly

devoid of humor.

“Real? Sure. Apparently I’m trapped in a real–life horror movie where my supposed death wasn’t enough to get you out of my life.”

Without deigning to look at him again, she pivoted sharply toward the staircase.

“Ariana, wait–please!”

Luigi lunged after her, alcohol and desperation making his movements clumsy. As he grabbed for her wrist, the combination of his unsteady state and her quick evasion created disaster–her foot slipped on the polished marble step.

“Look out!”

Despite his impaired reflexes, Luigi managed to pull her against him as they fell, positioning his body to take the impact.

Their bodies hit the marble stairs with a sickening thud that echoed through the foyer.

Cushioned by Luigi’s intervention, Ariana escaped with minor disorientation. Luigi, however, wasn’t as fortunate–a crimson stain began spreading across the white marble beneath his head.

“Sir!” Davis’s horrified voice cut through the sudden stunned silence.

medical protocols were activated. Within

later, with Luigi still hospitalized, Ariana decided

main entrance, only to find her path. blocked by two female security staff in business attire.

expression immediately hardened into glacial

uncomfortable glances. “Ms. Collins, we have strict instructions

1121

Revenge Pirouette. The 9976.

without Mr.

escap felony choice.”

me prisoner? In

she attempted to push past them toward the massive front

a clearly unwilling woman, the security team hesitated to use force, instead trailing after her with increasing desperation.

Collins, please reconsider–Mr. Maggiore was

pleas only accelerated Ariana’s determined stride toward

appeared within reach, a black sedan with tinted windows glided to a stop directly in her path.

name emerged with an unsettling combination of relief and possession.

her features. “It makes my skin crawl hearing it

Luigi. She’d recognized the reality that neither she nor

or influence.

they did encounter. each other, nothing that might escalate the situation or

her careful restraint would be misinterpreted. Her silence read as invitation. Her avoidance

attended her performances, sending messages she systematically ignored. When blocked, he’d found new channels, seemingly content that she remained somewhere within

of boundaries–attempting to literally imprison her in

fucking mind?” she demanded, years of suppressed fury finally breaking

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