Aria's day had gone to shit. First, not only was she forced to look for a fiance before she was ready, but also she didn't even get to choose him. It was a few weeks after the dreadful party and her father had chosen Ryan Knight to be her "beloved" fiance. She had to keep silent and stiffly nod because if she opened her mouth fire would be spit out. Second, she was forced to go on a lunch date with him to "get to know each other better" but the whole time he only spoke about himself and his stupid coin collection. Aria even started wondering if he liked girls once he eyed the waiter serving them one too many times.

What made her day a tinsy bit better was the funny looks Jin would send her to try and cheer her up. On one occasion she laughed out loud, scared to have been caught she looked at Ryan with wide eyes, but he was so invested in his conversation with himself he didn't notice.

The fact that she could say that her and Jin were friends made each day a little more bearable. It felt nice to have someone who knew what was going on. One too many times would he end up giving her encouraging words.

That night to try and save the day Aria sat on the couch of the unused living room nursing a bottle of wine. Jin was about to head out when he saw her there, it was a strange sight, she wasn't all dressed up as she usually was. She wore an oversized hoodie and some shorts, her hair in a messy bun, and no traces of makeup on her face, revealing the bags under her eyes confirming his thoughts that she hadn't been sleeping well these past few weeks. He never denied she was unattractive because she was very beautiful, but right now she looked very cute. There was a flush on her cheeks from the alcohol and her lips were stained from the fruity wine.

Looking up from her phone, she saw him standing there, staring at her.

"Jin! Where are you going?" she asked, eyes peeking up at him.

"Outside to work out," he told her.

"No, come join me," she pouted, "Don't leave me drinking alone, it's no fun."

"I can't do that Aria. What if something happened that required your protection and I'm drunk?" He tried reasoning.

"Nothing will happen! I'm not planning on going out, it's late, so my father won't ask anything of you, and there's more security around the mansion," she tried convincing him.

Against his better judgment, he agreed with a sigh as he let himself fall on the sofa.

They passed the bottle of wine between them and once it was over Aria fished out another one from the kitchen. They talked about their days, and compared their thoughts about Ryan Knight.

"Okay, but seriously, I can't be the only one that noticed him staring at the waiter's butt," she said laughing.

"He definitely did," Jin nodded besides her laughing along.

"Oh my god, not only am I marrying someone I don't like, but he doesn't even like me, in fact he doesn't like females?!" she exclaimed exasperated.

"Why don't you just leave?" Jin asked with a tilt of his head.

"And go where? I have nothing to my name, I have no one out there, I wouldn't even know where to begin," Those words were engraved in her head by her father and Aria didn't even notice.

She was leaning against Jin's side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. The wine made her forget the rules she had placed the first day she had met him.

"You have me," he whispered softly, meaning what he said. If she ever wanted he would take her to the ends of the world just to see her happy.

"Don't be cheesy," she laughed, looking up at him. Aria didn't believe his words, he didn't mean them,  he was paid to protect her, so, why would he say something like that?  Her heart wanted to believe his words, but her mind stopped her.

Jin was giving her an intense look taking her by surprise. Suddenly feeling shy, she looked away, her eyes landing on his plush, soft looking lips and she wondered how they would feel against hers. She didn't know where that thought came from. Aria considered him a friend, yet these types of thoughts constantly made their way into her mind. Were they just out of attraction or were they more? 

He noticed she was staring at his lips with hooded eyes and he couldn't resist to do the same. Her lips were pouty and stained red, the remnants of her lip balm on the edges of her lips. Their faces got closer and closer, she could feel his breath on her lips as it mingled with hers. One small move and they would be touching, kissing. Not able to withstand the anticipation any longer Aria crashed her lips against his and he didn't hesitate to follow along.

The kiss was rushed, needy, and sloppy. Jin knew they were not in their right minds, but he didn't care, all that mattered was that moment in time. Aria was a dream to him; he was happy that he finally got through to her and became her support. He felt something for Aria that was for sure, she always tried to hide under a beautiful yet unpleasing mask, but underneath it all she was breathtaking, she cared more than she led on, and she wanted something most had without a problem. Jin wanted to be the one to give it to her.

Breathless, they pulled back for a brief moment, but leaned back in not having had enough. This time around it was filled with passion, fire enveloping their bubble. His lips were warm and soft Aria noted wrapping her arms around his neck. Due to the height difference Jin was leaning uncomfortably, yet not ready to stop the fun he grabbed her making her squeak against his lips in surprise and placed her in his lap, straddling him. His hands trailing down her back to her thighs, he squeezed them making her let out a moan which he took advantage of sneaking his tongue in her mouth wanting to taste more of her.

Aria had never been kissed the way Jin kissed her. He gave it his all. It was a game of taking and giving. She loved it. She wished it never ended, she wished she never stopped feeling the way she did. What was she feeling? Need? Yes. Lust? Yes, but there was something else. Affection? Yes. Love? Hard to tell.

There were so many obstacles in Jin and Aria's way they couldn't see clearly what they felt for each other. Each one was willing to give up so many things for the other.

Aria had her arms around Jin's shoulders as she tilted her head back, giving him space to kiss down her neck. He kissed, licked, and sucked on various spots on her neck, leaving his mark on her. Finally, he found the spot that made her go crazy, all his focus was placed on that spot wanting to hear more of the sweet music her lips created.

Aria wanted more, she needed more. In desperation, she grinded her hips against his wanting to feel the friction, to feel him. It felt heavenly for Jin and it didn't last long though, as he sobered up rapidly realizing that what they were doing was wrong. Not only because they were drunk and not thinking clearly, but because it was against her father's rules. 

Jin pulled away, she looked at him in question. He gave her a soft peck on her lips, thinking it as the last one and placed her back on the sofa. Aria didn't know what happened for him to pull away, maybe it was because they were going too fast, so she didn't question him. She had enjoyed every bit of the kiss and hoped it wouldn't be the last time she felt his lips against hers.

She had feelings for Jin she realized. The past few weeks of getting to know him made her get too close. Hopefully, this kiss meant he felt the same?

The next morning, Jin was woken up with a knock on his door. Opening it, he saw his good friend and supervisor, Namjoon.

"Morning Seokjin," Namjoon greeted with a dimpled smile.

"Morning, what are you doing here?" he asked, letting him into the room.

"Listen, I'm here to warn you," Namjoon's smile disappeared, a serious look replacing it.

"About what?" Jin asked, worried he might be in trouble.
"I saw what happened last night between you and Aria," his friend told him, an eyebrow raised.

Jin had not forgotten about the amazing kiss he shared with Aria. It had been on his mind the whole night, he wondered what would have happened if he didn't stop it, would they have gone all the way? Another thought plagued his mind, Did Aria regret it now that she was sober? He had conflicting thoughts. On one side, he was happy it happened as it had further confirmed his feelings for her, Jin was falling in love with her.  On the other, she was technically his client AND she was engaged.

"Oh that..."

"Yes, lucky for you no one else was around to see what happened," Namjoon pointed out, "Listen, if the boss knew you would be fired in an instant," he wanted the best for his friend, hopefully, this warning would be enough.

"You think I don't know that, it's the reason I stopped," Seokjin hissed.

"Don't get mad at me, you know this isn't going to end well, she is already engaged," Namjoon said defensively.

"Don't remind me," Jin mumbled.

"Good," With nothing else to say Namjoon left the room, leaving Seokjin to his thoughts.

As much as Jin wanted he couldn't allow himself to fall into temptation again. His job was to protect Aria and the best way he could do it was by staying close to her. If he got fired, he wouldn't be able to do it and he would lose her completely. 

The bright morning light beaming through her window forced Aria's eyes open. Looking at the time she saw it was 10 am which was pretty late for her. She got up and made her way to the bathroom as she let the warm water envelope her, letting it awaken her senses. She opened her eyes in shock, remembering last night's events. How could she forget even for a second what had happened? The way his arms felt around her, his lips on hers, the way he had kissed her neck. She didn't regret it, not at all, but she wondered why he stopped. Was it because they were intoxicated or because he did not feel anything for her? Had he gotten carried away?

Aria shook her head as she got out of the shower. If that kiss said anything, it told her that Jin had feelings for her. She really hoped he did at least. 'Why would you care if he has feelings for you when you are getting engaged?' a perky voice said in her head. Aria thought how nice it felt to have some attention on her for once and not because of the wrong reasons. It also felt nice to have somebody like her and not be forced to be with her.

She needed to talk to Jin and get the whole situation in order. Did he have feelings for her or was it an impulse? If he did, what would they do? Surely her father would oppose in an instant. Would he be willing to stand by her side even if it's in secrecy?

Aria walked slowly to Seokjin's room, she felt eyes on her the more she did. All because she was in a part of the mansion she rarely went to since it was where most of the maids and butlers stayed. They gave her questioning glances, making Aria want to leave quickly, but the uncertainty of Jin's reaction made her determined to move forward.

She knocked on the door and from behind it she heard Seokjin yell 'One second'. Opening the door Jin stood there as he finished putting on a T-shirt, giving Aria a peek of his toned chest. He seemed surprised to see her there, she understood why. Jin gulped, not expecting to see her so soon. He was still gathering his thoughts on what to tell her.

"Can we talk?" she asked, fiddling with her fingers. A blush appearing on her cheeks as she remembered once again what had occurred between them.

"Sure," he said, stepping out of the way.

Aria walked into his room and as soon as she heard the door close behind her, she turned around.

"About last night-"

"About last night-"  they spoke at the same time.

"You go first," Aria said, gazing at him with hope in her eyes.

"Aria, I- how do I say this," he tried swallowing the knot in his throat, "I don't regret what happened last night, I like you and I have developed feelings for you," he confessed reaching for her hands. He squeezed them trying to find the strength to say his next words.

Arias' eyes sparkled with happiness as she squeezed his hands back. She was elated that Seokjin had feelings for her too. She was worried over nothing, and was glad she didn't read too much into the kiss.

Jin saw the look on her face, clearly she felt the same for him too. He couldn't seem to let the next few words come out. He had to though, it was for the best.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and letting the words stumble out, "We can't do that again."

He saw as the sparkle dimmed, confusion making way instead.

"What?" she breathed, her hold on his hands loosening.

" I'm your bodyguard, I'm not supposed to approach you that way, no matter how much I want to," he said softly.

"Seokjin, I'm not stopping you, I have feelings for you too," she said with a smile, reassuring him.

"You're not, but your father is," he told her.

"I don't care about him, we can keep it secret," she pleaded, noticing Seokjin was slipping from her fingers.

"You're forgetting you're engaged," he argued, his eyes narrowing. 

"To a person I don't even know, who I don't love," she tried defending, giving him a pleading look. She regretted letting him speak first. Aria could feel her world start to close in on her. This one bit of normalcy, this one piece of happiness she had, was now slipping away.

"That doesn't change the fact that in a few months you'll be somebody elses'," Jin tried to make her see reason, though the words tasted bitter on his tongue.

Jin was right and Aria knew it. She didn't want to accept it though. Finally, something good happens in her life and she has to let it go. Someone cares for her and she couldn't have them. Once again, she had the opportunity to choose someone, yet the decision was already made for her.

Aria didn't stop the tears from falling. She hated crying in front of people, but they would not stop. Jin pulled her close, swiping his thumbs on her face trying to erase the tears, but they kept falling. He hated that he was the reason for her tears. He tried hugging her, but she pushed him away from her.

"No, you don't get to do that," she sobbed pushing his chest.

"Aria..."

"You don't get to tell me that you have feelings for me, but refuse to actually be with me and then try to comfort me when I'm upset." Aria spat out through her tears, her voice shaky. " So, what now Jin?" she exclaimed, "Are you going to quit just like the rest of them?" she asked, pointing at him accusatory.

"No, I'm staying," he told her, "I would rather have you in my life even if it's from afar where I get to protect you rather than not have you in my life at all," his voice softened as Aria's eyes finally met his. His face and neck were red from all the emotion and anger he felt. Anger at Aria, anger at her father, anger at her stupid fiancé, but most importantly, anger at himself for having developed feeling for the girl in front of him. 

"That is so selfish of you," she darkly chuckled as she whipped the remnants of her tears from her face.

Jin would be there as a reminder of what she couldn't have. She would have him close to her, yet so far away at the same time. Would she be able to handle it?

"I'm selfish?" Jin asked, furrowing his brows. "What did you expect to happen Aria?" Jin could feel the anger building up inside him once more. "That we would keep this a secret? Fall even more for each other and then say our goodbyes as you walk away from me and to the altar to marry your fiancé?" Jin stared at Aria, almost demanding an answer from her.

"I-I don't know." She muttered and Jin scoffed. "I would have figured out something, I just...I don't want to walk away from something that finally felt right." Aria pleaded with him, but Jin refused to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He wanted so badly to agree with her, to plan something out so that they really could be together, but that was a losing game and he knew it.

"Whatever" Aria said, taking a deep breath and putting on a brave face. "If it's going to be like that then from now on the same rules apply, keep your distance, don't talk to me. Bye, Seokjin," she spat, turning on her heels and slamming the door behind her. 

The next few weeks were unbearable to say the least. Aria felt a mix of hate, love, resentment, and anger. She hated that Seokjin was still her bodyguard, yet she loved it at the same time. She could feel his light touches whenever they went outside. He would touch her so gently as if she would break with his touch and in a way she did.

Aria sent him longing looks when she thought he wouldn't notice. She stared at him and wondered what things would be like if they had met at another moment in time or in another lifetime. Would they have found each other? Would the same obstacles still stand?

Their conversations were nonexistent at this point too. She didn't know how to talk to him anymore, she didn't want to talk about the weather she wanted to tell him how much she wanted him, no, needed him. She didn't though, because Jin was right, how could she be so selfish.

While Aria was bad at hiding her feelings at times, Jin was not. He hated that he had to act like he did not care about what happened when in reality it was what he cared about. He had to act that way if not he would surely break down and pass the limits he had set for himself. The only thing he wanted was to hold her in his arms like he did that night. He wanted to feel her wine stained lips again. He wanted to be the one to see her bare faced and on her lounging clothes all the time, but he couldn't. A part of him wanted to leave everything behind including her, but the thought of never seeing her again and the uncertainty of how Aria would cope without him didn't allow him to do so.

Dimitri Chambers was waiting for Kim Seokjin in his office. He sat on his desk, staring at the obvious evidence in front of him. How could they be doing this right under his nose? Did they really think he would not notice. How clueless can they really be. Once again, his disobedient daughter had managed to defy him only this time she did it behind his back. He told her there would be consequences for disobeying him and there will be. He would make sure to break her completely, leaving her no choice but to obey him.

Dimitri was drawn out of his thoughts as Seokjin made his way to the office. He felt the anger rising, making his ears turn red yet he kept the anger at bay. He needed to play this right.

"Mr. Chambers you wanted to see me?" Seokjin asked, standing in front of him.

"Seokjin, please sit," Dimitri ordered the young man.

"I want you to see this tape for me and tell me what's wrong with it," he told him mysteriously.

"Of course, sir," Jin didn't think much of it, he thought it might be a security issue that needed fixing.

Dimitri saw how Seokjin's eyes widened as the tape played, his leg started bouncing, hands turning into fists. Jin did not know how to react to the video of Aria and him making out that day.

"I was very surprised to see this, you know," Dimitri spoke looking intently at him.

"Sir, I-" Jin tried to explain.

"No, no, let me speak," he interrupted him waving his hands. 

"I trusted you Seokjin, I gave you a job, I gave you food, a roof, a salary, but most importantly ,I gave you very clear instructions, can you repeat what I told you that first day?" he grufly said.

"To never make an advance towards Miss Chambers because she was already taken," Seokjin repeated the first words he had heard.

"Exactly, so please tell me WHY YOU DID THIS," Dimitri exclaimed standing from the desk. 

"I-" he gulped, not knowing what to say.

"What, cat got your tongue?" he mockingly asked, "That didn't seem to happen when you were sweet talking Aria and shoving your tongue down her throat" he yelled.

Dimitri was fuming. If the wrong person got hold of that piece of information Arias' engagement would have been over, rumors would have gone out that his daughter messed around with lower employees, his image would have been ruined, business deals ruined.

"I want you to gather your things and leave immediately," he informed Seokjin as he sat back down on the desk chair. 

Seokjin nodded, getting up and walking towards the door.

"One more thing, don't you dare talk to her again, don't call her, don't text her, because I will know and I'll make sure you never find another job again," Demtri threatened. 

The next day Aria was in her bedroom getting ready to go out to lunch with one of her "friends", since she was finished, she told the chauffeur she was going out so he could also notify Seokjin. She went  into her walk in closet and got dressed in a top and skirt set that matched. She then walked out with a pair of shoes on her hand and sat on the bed to put them on. On the way out she made sure she had her purse with her important stuff.

Walking to the kitchen, she saw Min Yoongi, her personal chauffeur and another man.

"Where is Seokjin we need to leave already," Aria told Yoongi impatiently.

"Didn't you receive the news?" he asked in disinterest.
"No, what?" she asked him, looking curiously.

"Seokjin left, he is not your bodyguard anymore," Yoongi explained simply for her.
"Is this a joke?" she glared at him.

"Why would I joke?" he said, poking his tongue in his cheek.

Wanting some explanations she made her way to her father's evil lair. From afar people could hear the click clack of her heels, even her father. Dimitri took a deep breath, preparing himself for his daughter's temper, which he hated to admit came from him.

"You changed my bodyguard?" she accused him as he burst through the door.

"I didn't change him darling he quit," Dimitri lied.
"Quit? Why would he quit? I didn't even do anything to him this time," she said ,defending herself. Why would he quit?

"Are you sure about that Aria?" her father asked her dubiously.

I mean I only kissed him, Aria thought.

"Of course," she told him in a high pitched voice. 

"Well, he told me he no longer felt comfortable with you,"  her father explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What? Why?" Aria was getting angrier at the lack of response from her father.
"I'm not too sure, I didn't question him much because I know how you are," he began saying,  "I'm having a hard time believing you didn't do anything, the poor boy was babbling about not being able to stand being near you." Dimitri kept feeding her lies wanting her to break.

"So, he just left?" she asked disappointed.

"That's right," he nodded.
"By the way the wedding has been moved," Dimitri said as she walked away, "It's in about a month so be prepared."

Seokjin left her so unexpectedly. She knew her father was hiding something else but she didn't have the energy to keep questioning him. Didn't he say he would stick by her no matter what? That he would be there even if he couldn't have her? She was upset about it, sure, but she was hoping to hold onto him too. Did she push him away too much? Did he believe she wouldn't care? Or was the wedding too much for him? There were hundreds of questions clouding her mind that made her unable to see past her father's words.

She had no option but to go along with the wedding in a month. She saw no way out of this hell. The only light in it was Seokjin and he left her. She was alone again on her own. Nobody around to understand and make her feel better. It had felt nice to have a true friend for a while, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. I guess it was her destiny to lead this life, she had been preparing for it for most of her life either way.

She didn't feel like going out to lunch anymore, so she went up to her room and laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. A knock interrupted her thoughts as Veronica's head popped in.

"Miss Aria?" she timidly called.

"Yes, Veronica?" Aria urged her to speak, not being in the mood.

"I have a letter for you," she said, walking to Aria.

"Who is it from?" Aria asked, turning to face Veronica.

"Kim Seokjin," she spoke.

Aria quickly sat up and extended her hand to grab the letter. She didn't wait for Veronica to leave and started ripping the envelope open.

"Dear Aria,

I am sorry to leave this way, I couldn't bear being near you any longer. It hurts me to know you won't ever be mine, to be so close yet so far away. I will never be able to give you what Ryan and your father have given you. I can't ever give you the same lifestyle you have. I'm sorry. Please, don't ever contact me again. It would hurt too much.

Goodbye,

Seokjin"

As she read the letter tears began falling from her eyes engraving themselves on the paper.  She hugged a pillow to her chest and began crying. The tears were never ending, she felt people passing outside of her room so she buried her face in her pillows to muffle the sound. Nobody else needed to know about how her heart broke at the news of Seokjin leaving. If only she didn't have that deep turmoil deep inside her head, she would have noticed how he didn't sign as Jin, she would have noticed the handwriting was slightly different, she would have noticed the paper was too fancy and much like the one her father used on occasion.

The hours passed and she stayed in bed with the same wrinkled clothes as before. She had no energy to get up, her mind was foggy, all she wanted to do was sleep, to believe this was just a bad dream.

Another knock resonated in the room.

"Go away," Aria mumbled, her back facing the door.

"Honey, it's me," her mother called sweetly entering the room.

"What do you need mom?" Aria asked, not bothering to face her.

"Just thought I'd let you know tomorrow we will go out to find a wedding dress," she informed her daughter.

"Alright," she sighed, not putting up a fight. She had no energy anyway.

"We leave at 8," Aria's mother heard as her daughter gave a quiet 'okay' and left the room.

She hated seeing Aria like there was no fight left in her. She wished she could do something for her, but there was nothing to do. Her path had been chosen from the moment she was born.

The next four weeks passed by too quickly for Aria's taste. Her days consisted of wedding preparations from food tastings, to picking the cake, wedding dress, decorations, guests, and a whole other stuff. She has to be honest though she was kind of glad they gave her the option to plan her own wedding. It's the least they could do for forcing her to marry a man she has no interest in.

The morning of the wedding, she was woken up by her friends and mother entering her room. She scoffed at how she couldn't have some time to herself before the big ceremony.

"My baby is getting married today!" she exclaimed, "They grow up so fast," she said fanning the tears that were threatening to fall. 

Aria mainly stayed silent; she had nothing to say. She gave her mother a tight lipped smile and went to her bathroom to take a shower. Thankfully nobody followed her in and she had some peace and quiet to herself. Aria let the hot water run down her body waking her senses up. Although she had made most of the preparations it did not feel like her wedding day at all. There was no excitement to put on the beautiful gown she picked, or the butterflies in her stomach at the fact she was getting married to the person she loved. She was not looking forward to the reception where there would be hundreds of guests congratulating them for the happiest day of their lives.

The past few weeks she had gotten to know Ryan a bit better and he was not a bad person. He gave her the feeling that just like her, he was hiding something deep down. She hadn't  asked, though, since every time she gave a hint of it his walls would go up and he would get all defensive about it.

Aria tried her best to keep Seokjin out of her mind, although he made his way there now and then. She was quick to push those thoughts away not wanting to torture herself more. She let herself cry that day, but didn't allow any more tears to fall after. She was not a weak little girl who had fallen in love; she was a strong woman who would get through her problems on her own. She didn't need him.

The hours passed as the makeup artist and hair stylist did their jobs on Aria and the maids of honor. They all chatted to make the time pass quicker when a question took Aria by surprise. "So where is the honeymoon going to be at?" one of them asked.

Aria had forgotten about the honeymoon completely since she wasn't the one in charge of planning it. Most importantly, she had forgotten what happens in a honeymoon.

"Um, I-I- don't know. Ryan is the one that planned it," Aria stuttered.

"I bet it's going to be somewhere exotic," one of them guessed.

"No, it will be somewhere romantic like Paris," the other squealed in excitement.

Aria laughed to herself as she thought how she was more excited than her. 

"HA HA who knows," she awkwardly said, wanting the subject to be over. 

How could she be so stupid. She would surely have to do the deed with Ryan and she was not looking forward to it. Her mind tried to look for positives and the only one it found was that he was not an unattractive guy. It was not enough for Aria, she needed more reassurance than that.

"Okay, we are all done with you girls," the stylist announced as she picked up her things to leave along with the makeup artist.

All the girls were gushing over their excellent job and, truly, they did look amazing. It was expected for them to look their best as the daughters of powerful men. In fact they were planning to look for their own finances today. Hoping to rope in the bachelor that offered the most.

Aria glanced at the clock on her wall and realized there were two hours left for the ceremony. 'Where had the time gone?' she thought. Out of nowhere she felt a feeling of anxiety come over her, there were too many people in her room, her space, she sweat starting to form on the back of her neck.  She needed to breathe. She remembered Seokjin's words and in the corner of her room where nobody paid attention she began doing the breathing exercise and remembering Seokjin's voice. That moment was the longest one she had thought of him, which made her feel a pang in her heart. 

She tried catching her breath and she managed to do it for a short period of time, but there was still something constricting her chest not allowing her to take a deep breath. She opened her eyes after realizing she had closed them. Everything was normal. Her friends were still gushing over each other and the stylist had left.

"Hey girls, do you think you can give me some time to myself?" Aria smiled at them.

"Getting wedding jitters Aria?" one asked with a snicker.

"Something like that, I just want to have one last moment as a single gal before the wedding, you know?" Aria tried convincing them.

"Totally understandable," the other said, standing from the bed, "Let's go girls"

Aria stared at herself in the mirror. She looked gorgeous, there was not a hair out of place and her makeup was carefully done to accentuate her features. She gave her reflection a tight lipped smile. It was a bittersweet moment, it was all she had imagined as a kid, yet she did not have the correct feelings.

She entered her walking closet where the beautiful white gown waited for her, a light shined down on it like a spotlight. She grabbed it and noticed how heavy it felt on her hands.

Delicately, she slid the silk robe off her shoulders ,letting it fall to the floor. Aria stepped into the dress and pulled it up. She pulled the zipper up making the dress cling to her form perfectly.

She looked like a princess yet she felt like a prisoner. The dress being the cage to lead her to her doom.

She noticed the door opening and closing silently behind her. Looking through the mirror's reflection, she sees the person she least expected. The person she wanted the most.  Kim Seokjin.

"What are you doing here?" Aria asked, shocked as she faced him.

He took a minute to catch his breath and looked at her.

"You look beautiful," He said in awe as Aria rolled her eyes.

'What was he doing here? He was the one to leave her. The one that told her to never contact him again,' she thought. Aria hoped he was here to take her away, to stop the wedding.

The silence was heavy between the two of them as Aria waited and begged for him to say anything but when he said nothing, she knew she had to continue with the wedding. She started to walk forward to push by Jin, but he stood in her way.

"I kind of have somewhere to be if you could please move," annoyance showing on her face.

Jin lightly touched her bare shoulders and pushed her back, just enough to give him the opportunity to lock the door.

"Jin, what are-" Aria begins to ask, but is stopped when his lips met hers in a small kiss. It was delicate and soft, he was testing the waters. When he pulled away Aria stared at him with a blank look on her face hiding her emotions.

"Why did you leave?" she finally asked, wanting to hear his explanation, she deserved it.

"You know why! I was fired after your dad found out about us," he told her obviously.

"W-What? I don't understand Jin," she said, walking away from him.

"What don't you understand?" Seokjin was confused at her reaction, surely, her father told her why he was fired.

"You were the one to quit and the letter Jin! You told me to never contact you that it would hurt too much yet you had the audacity to come here to what? Kiss me?" She fought with him.

"Aria... I did not write any letter and I did not quit," he explained with a sad expression.

Aria stopped her pacing at his words. She was about to protest when everything fell into place.

"How could I be so blind?" she growled angrily at herself.

"It's what he has been doing to you for years... he was manipulating you," Jin told her softly."

"Of course."

There was more silence as Aria beat herself up for falling into her father's trap. Seokjin watched her pace across the room. He had decided to come and try to stop her from marrying Ryan. He did not have a lot to offer, but he had all of his love and support to give. He wished she would accept his proposition. The past few weeks were sad for him, he was so used to seeing Aria everyday that it felt weird not to have her around somehow. Namjoon and Yoongi always kept him updated on the situation so when he heard the wedding was today he had to do something. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you completely.

"Aria, please, don't do this," He said, grabbing her hand.

Aria was still processing everything her father had done to get her away from Seokjin, she was not surprised at his behavior. She was mad that she hadn't realized sooner. Still, Dimitris hold on her was too strong, making her feel like she could not escape.

"What choice do I have?" She shouted at him.

"Choose me!" Jin shouted back and Aria freezed. He slowly walked up to her and reached out for her hands. Aria allowed him to hold onto her now shaking hands.

"I can't promise you a lavish life. I can't promise that things won't ever be hard, but what I can promise is that you will never feel alone or unloved ever again." Aria stared into Jin's eyes and saw the sincerity in his words. She slowly let go of his hands and backed away. Jin's heart started to beat faster, fearing the worst.

For once she was given a choice to make. Would she make the right one? Jin offered everything she ever wanted and she was completely sure that he had her heart, but would the fear let her accept his offer.

Aria walked over to the vanity where her bouquet rested. Her fingers brushed against the red roses and she noticed the glint of the huge diamond on her finger. With a smile on her face and her mind clearer than ever Aria took off the ring and set it down next to the bouquet.

"Help me with this," she gestured to the zipper on the back of her dress.

Looking up, Jin let out a sigh of relief as he eagerly walked over and pulled it down feeling her warm skin as he did so.

She turned around, still holding her dress to her body and gave him a smile.

"Give me 5 minutes to change and I will meet you outside."

Aria quickly made her way to her walk-in closet and stepped out of the dress. She changed into some more comfortable clothes and grabbed a big bag, filling it up with the hidden stacks of cash she had saved for a rainy day or a day like this.

She opened her door and looked to both sides, making sure nobody was there. She quietly walked along the hallway until she saw Jin at the end waiting for her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the garage. Lucky for them, not a lot of people were on that floor since everybody was busy downstairs with the preparations.

They entered the garage where her chauffeur was waiting for them.

"Min Yoongi?" she asked him in confusion.

He simply nodded, offering her a reassuring nod.

"Yoongi is an old friend of mine. He and Namjoon were the ones to recommend me for the job," Jin explained with a grin.

"Oh" she said not knowing that small fact.

Yoongi got into the driver's seat as Seokjin grabbed the bag, placing it in the back of the car. As Aria was stepping in she heard her name being called, turning around her face paled.

"Mom?"

"Aria," her mother called. 

"Please, dont-" She tried to tell her not to stop her.

"I won't say anything," her mother replied with a sad smile. 

"Why?" Aria was surprised at her mother's behavior. It was very unlike her to go against Dimitri. 

"Because you remind me of me. Only difference was I did not have the strength to oppose my parents," she explained.

This was news to Aria, she always thought her mother had actually fallen in love with her dad before getting married.

"Now go, I'll try to stall so you can get far enough," she told Aria. 

Aria ran towards her and gave her a hug, thanking her for the help.

"Please stay safe my Aria," she said, cupping her cheeks.

"You too mom," Aria told her, stepping away and into the car.

Turning back around, she got into the car where Seokjin was waiting. Immediately Yoongi began driving away. She turned to look at the mansion and saw all the decorations of what was going to be her wedding, she could see the expensive cars pulling into the driveway, the people around the front greeting each other, yet they did not know the bride was running far away from here.

Seokjin was looking at her making sure she was okay when she turned to him and gave him a smile, letting him know everything would be okay.

He grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

"What now Kim Seokjin?" Aria asked with a teasing smile.

"Now, you are free, you get to do whatever you like Miss Aria Chambers," he responded softly. 

"I like the sound of that, would you be by my side?" she asked, touching her forehead with his.

"As long as you allow me to," he whispered.

"Good," she said, closing the gap between them.

The kiss was different from the ones before that. It was not laced with any guilt, there wasn't anything stopping them from enjoying it to the fullest. Their lips slowly moved together savoring the moment shared. The kiss was filled with the promises of new beginnings and despite the kiss, Aria finally felt as if she could breathe properly.

It was not going to be an easy road ahead, but she had a feeling deep down everything would be okay.

A/N:

Thankfully, Seokjin came back for her and Aria got her freedom.

Would you have done anything differently?

If you liked it or loved it, please, comment and vote. Let me know what you thought.

Again, this one-shot was a collab with ClosetKPopFan she kept giving me great ideas to the point it extended to 25 pages, but it was great to working with her.

Make sure to go to her profile and check out her works, they are really good! ... she has JK mafia one that is *chef's kiss* amazing.

ALSO, I started a Kim Taehyung book! You can find it on my profile of course marie0211. It's gonna be great so go check it out, I would love to have you join me in this new journey!

-Nikki Marie 💜