LIVELY POV

Aaron finally walked back into the hospital room after what felt like an hour, though I was sure it hadn't been that long. I had just been stuck in my head, needing his presence, as he was the only one who made me feel safe right there.

Emersyn stood up when he entered. She had been the only one with me after Dane left a few minutes earlier. Both of them had tried to cheer me up, cracking jokes I wasn't mentally present enough to laugh at, not when a tormenting thought had dragged me into a dark place where one question kept repeating in the back of my head: what if I had died and left Bubble behind?

"Alright, I'll be flying out too, but I'll see you two in Portland," Emersyn said, pulling me out of the fog as I stared blankly at Aaron approaching.

I thanked her for coming, hoping it didn't sound as robotic as it felt. But with the weight on my chest and the desperate need to go home, I wasn't sure I had any emotion left in me to care.

She hugged her cousin warmly, and they kissed cheeks before she left. Then a silence sank in, but this time, I fought through the emptiness and focused on the present, which was Aaron in front of me, as he was the vivid color that proved life still existed for me. I was alive.

Since waking up, it had been easy to zone out. My mind kept wandering, trapped in a dark, bottomless abyss of nightmares where my screams made no sound, where my will had no power, and every fight felt pointless. Nothing could stop the reminder that I saw my life slipping out of me, rejected by my own body in that water.

"Good news," Aaron said with a soft smile, his voice gently breaking through the gloom as he settled into the chair beside me.

I was seated up comfortably, thanks to the doctor who had helped earlier while Aaron was with his aunt.

Aaron looked at me and took my hand in his big ones. His touch was usually grounding, but for some reason it felt like there was space between us now. Maybe it was the look on his face too.

"A doctor will fly back with us to make sure you're given good care, so we can leave anytime," he said.

"Right now?" I asked eagerly.

I wanted to go home, be in my room under my blanket while I listen to Bubble's soft breath as he sleeps, and hear my mom and dad's distant voices from the kitchen while they cook.

Aaron exhaled, his jaw visibly tensing. Something was clearly weighing on his mind. Before I could gather the courage to ask, he spoke up. "Yes, but your outfit will be delivered first from our nearby store, so we have to wait for Keenan to receive it."

That was when I realized I needed to change out of this blue hospital gown. "Oh, okay."

He smiled at my agreement and leaned in. He brought the back of my hand beneath his neatly groomed stubble, drawing my attention to the sharp lines of his jaw and the strength in his frame. Everything about him was more defined than I remembered from our teenage years.

He had grown into every trait that made people around him lose their sense of reason, making you drawn to him in a way that defied logic. You couldn't help but want to trace your hands over his face to memorize every detail, even knowing it would never be enough to satisfy the craving of having him close.

"In the meantime... I wanted to talk to you," he drawled. His husky, playful voice dipping to a pitch that sent goosebumps across my skin.

"Everyone might think we're moving fast, but I like the pace we're at. It's what I want," he continued, leaning forward to the edge of his seat and kissing my palm.

I lowered my head, failing to prevent the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Considering the six years we lost, I think this is the right way to make up for it. Being around each other often. What do you think?" he asked. His voice had softened into something more serious.

"I like being around you," I admitted nervously, even though he already knew.

When I glanced up, his lips were curved into a satisfied smile, and something flipped deep in my stomach, rising all the way to my racing heart.

His mouth was indecently beautiful, so much so that I couldn't look away, at least, not until he cleared his throat.

My gaze shot up to his hazel orbs then, and just like that, they inserted gravity in the air between us.

"Liv, there are things you should know about my family," he began, and his expression shifted into something serious that settled across his face.

I knew instantly this was going to be a hard conversation for him and for me. But I kept my breathing steady and watched him with the calmest expression I could hold.

"There's a long list of rules we're expected to live by. The first two are the most important. The first is the willingness to sacrifice, like when I gave up my football dream to follow the path my family had already laid out for me. And the second is protecting the Wallace name. That comes before everything in fact."

I was confused about why I needed to know that.

"Why are you telling me this?" I understood that his grandfather wanted me to learn, but now obviously didn't feel like the right time. I had just come back from nearly drowning.

"Because you're going to be a part of it, and you'll hear the same thing from my grandfather and the other elders," he explained. But I could tell there was more. I saw it in the quiet conflict behind his eyes.

"But why are you telling me this now, Aaron?" It wasn't like him to be serious with me when I was this vulnerable. Normally, he'd distract me with sex or some light-hearted joke that made me laugh and blush, but never something that sent a deadening chill down my spine.

I wasn't foolish; I knew this had to do with his aunt, the one who arrived and gave me a fleeting, disappointing once-over.

Aaron sighed and squeezed my hand, which had gone cold in his. His eyes were gentle, but it was clear he was uncomfortable.

"I'm not in the place to tell you what to do. What you went through was unfair, but I want you to know that your rights will never be disregarded by me. And I'll stand up to make sure no one mistreats you..." He paused, watching me carefully, like he was gauging how much more I could take. "I just need one favor from you." He forced the words out like they burned his tongue, wincing as he said them.

I scoffed, pulling my hand away from his and staring at the white wall ahead. It all made sense now. He had started with sweet assurances about our pace, gently weaving me into the rules of his family. And now, suddenly, he was saddling me with responsibilities I never asked for, expecting my silence as proof of loyalty.

He really wasn't good at sugarcoating.

"This is about your twin cousins, isn't it? You want me to keep quiet," I said flatly.

I could sense the tension in the air as he shifted in his seat.

"That's not what I'm trying to say. I won't force you."

"But will you sweet-talk me into it. If I'm persuaded by you, why would I speak up, right?" I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it, for his face was buried in his hands.

"Liv, I'm the eldest of my cousins. I have duties you couldn't begin to understand." There it was, his shameless confession. "I can't be the one to bring havoc to our name or be the reason its reputation collapses after everything my father worked so carefully to preserve. This incident poses a serious threat to our brand. If the news gets out, it will only take a minute for our rivals to come after us. Wallace wasn't built in a day. It's the result of generations of sacrifice and strategy. I can't be the one to destroy all of that."

He spoke without looking at me, knowing he couldn't meet my eyes after saying all that.

"You talk about your father like he's a good man. Like he's someone worth following. Like he's a martyr," I scoffed bitterly.

"Liv," he began, his hand shoving through his hair, matting back the strands as he straightened.

Pain had tightened his face, and his eyes were still closed.

I cut him off, my voice sharp with anger. "That's who you plan to be? You see yourself in him. A man who belittles others beneath his rank, a man who controls his son's choices."

"I am not him," he said through clenched teeth. His eyes had opened now, but they weren't the soft ones I had grown used to. I couldn't bear to look at them any longer.

"You want me to be a puppet. To take the blows and judgment from your family, and keep quiet..." My fingers fumbled nervously with the blanket on my lap. My heart was throbbing unbearably. Talking to him always made me nervous, so being angry at him made it worse. "All because I should feel lucky to be accepted into the Wallace family."

"I will repeat again. I will not let anyone oppress you."

I almost laughed, because his words clashed with everything he was doing.

"But that's exactly what you're doing right now. You're oppressing me."

"Liv, you are my responsibility."

"So you expect me to stay silent." I nodded with my head lowered, feeling the weight of his stare from the side. "Don't worry, I won't file a report, Aaron Wallace. I understand how delicate things like this are for your family, so I won't speak up."

It really hurt to hear him side with them.

"Liv?" he called gently, and I swallowed hard, my inner voice warning me not to cry. "Lively, for goodness' sake, look at me," he urged, a note of desperation creeping into his rough voice as he reached for my trembling hand.

I lifted my gaze, forcing myself to appear bold, and he drew in a sharp breath.

"Do you feel oppressed?" he asked me.

I'd been aware of the dull pain in my head since I regained consciousness, but I couldn't blame any lack of comprehension on that. I knew exactly what had been happening up until now.

So was he insane asking me that?

"I need you to answer me," he pressed. "I want to understand everything that's going on in your head when you're with me, how you feel, and what you need. So do you feel oppressed? Voiceless? Angry? Anything at all. If you do, in any way, please tell me."

Wow!

"What will you do? Didn't you just say to make sacrifices for your family? I guess I'm voiceless now, Aaron. And the funny thing is, I wasn't even going to report it, even if I were stripped of every liberty. I promised you that night, in my room, that I'd risk it all for you."

I paused, the words thick in my throat.

"It's just... disappointing that you could come to me with a request like this so boldly. It shows that you'll side with them over and over. It's in your blood. I'll never be your priority, and that's what scares me, Aaron. Because the last time we parted, you chose them over me, and it ruined me for six years. How many times will this happen?"

I just wanted to go home.

I pulled my hand from his and breathed through parted lips.

"I guess when you told me the good news earlier, this was the bad."

His eyes narrowed to pinpricks as he stared at me, breathing shallowly, almost like he was scared. Was he scared? Because I felt hollow, like there was a hole being drilled through my chest.

***

What I remembered of home was my mom making the right soup when I was sick, not picking out an outfit to match my skin tone. The thought pressed into the growing weight in my chest. But I was keeping a promise I made to Aaron: to make an unassuming impression in public for the sake of his family's image.

I wanted to agree with the look in his eyes, the one that said he felt he had no choice when he came to me, asking for my understanding. But even with that, I was still hurt. His duty to them felt like the barnacle clinging to the hull of our ship.

Keenan had brought over WALLVCE shopping bags filled with clothes I needed to wear to leave the country. The outfit included a soft white wool cable-knit sweater paired with high-waisted, light gray wide-leg trousers. A black belt that cinched my waist, visible through the slight front tuck of the sweater.

My sleeves were pulled up, showing off a wristwatch that came with the look. I wore these uncomfortable black pointed-toe pumps that already made my toes and heels ache, and carried an empty black leather handbag.

I didn't have any makeup on, just a light touch of lipstick and it was enough. So I chose a dark rectangular sunglasses and let my loose waves fall around the sides of my face, partly concealing my pale skin.

I left the room once I felt physically and emotionally ready to resume my usual demeanor, but I secretly longed to kick off the heels the moment I could.

This particular floor of the hospital offered enough privacy, it was so quiet when I came out of the room.

Aaron was in the hallway, wearing a fitted tailored shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his wristwatch and the strong, corded lines of his hands. He ended a phone call after a few seconds and walked over to me.

Keenan flown with us in the helicopter to the private airport. And upon arrival, we were immediately surrounded by reporters.

Anyone with more than an eighth-grade thinking level could see that this was staged, likely just another performance orchestrated by the Wallaces.

All the time, an unimpressed smirk tugged at my lips, but I suppressed it, as I was aware of the flashing cameras.

I even let Aaron slip his hand into mine for the first time since our conversation at the hospital.

I feigned perfection and displayed the epitome of a pleased relationship. I was certain tomorrow's articles would convince anyone reading them that nothing happened at Lake Como.

We all knew the family had the power of an elephant, capable of crushing anything, especially evidence of a crime. What had happened to me would never see the light of day, and ironically, I was helping them cover it up.

The crowd of reporters followed us to the plane, where additional security measures had been arranged before we boarded.

The hostess greeted us with champagne and I mumbled a small thank you when Aaron handed me a cup.

For privacy reasons, Doctor Russo was already on board, waiting, along with our belongings. Keenan had told me during the helicopter ride that our things had been transferred from the yacht when I'd asked about them. So there they were.

Kicking off my shoes, I set the cup into the holder beside my seat and fastened my seatbelt, which I was slowly getting used to. The plane was more spacious than the one I'd flown on earlier with Dane and Emersyn. This lounging area resembled a living room, and the seats were much larger.

Once we were in the air, I curled up and plugged in my earphones, only for them to be gently plucked out moments later.

When I looked up, I saw Aaron.

His men were in the space, so I held back my frustration.

Before I could make sense of his next move, his hands slid under my thighs and back, lifting me against his chest as he carried me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, mortify and trying to sound stern.

He didn't answer. He opened a door and stepped through, and I felt my back sink into something softer than the seat I'd been in moments ago.

When I looked around, I realized I was lying on a bed with crisp white sheets.

Aaron propped himself up on one elbow beside me, his eyes locking with mine as his head hovered above me.

"Can I have my earphones now?" I asked, holding out my hand.

Instead, he laced his fingers through mine and gently pushed my arm above my head, refusing to let go. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I was still mad at him.

"Aaron..." I shifted beneath him, an ache blooming in my chest.

My nipples had hardened, pressing against the fabric of my sweater.

It was humiliating how he still had this effect on me, even now, when I was mad at him.

He saw the betrayal of my body, and a smug smile spread across his maddeningly gorgeous face.

"Doctor Russo said you shouldn't use earphones. They could disturb your brain. We can't risk that, just like I can't risk you lying in front of my men."

"Were you jealous?" I asked, arching a brow.

It was a risky gamble I was making. If he lost control and tore my clothes off right here, everyone outside would hear me screaming his name. And that wasn't exactly the impression I wanted to leave on them the next time they saw me.

"Only I get to see you sleep, baby." He smirked, and I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

"I promise there's not much worth guarding. I'm either drooling or, at worst..." I paused, thinking about those unfortunate unconscious habits like farting, that people don't talk about.

"At worst?" he pressed, making me blush even harder.

"Kicking, thrashing, or mumbling nonsense. Sometimes... very colorful words. At you," I confessed, wishing the bed would just open up and swallow me.

His pupils dilated with amusement, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.

"No way."

"My parents never knew that, which was a relief, but Bubble sometimes heard. He once asked me who Aaron was and why I called the name at night," I admitted quietly, watching Aaron's face fall, his expression turning solemn.

He knew it wasn't that kind of dream.

"And what did you tell him?" His voice was low and curious, his throat shifting like he already knew what the answer was.

Don't say it, my inner voice begged, but the words rolled off my tongue anyway. "That he's a monster in my sleep."

He looked shocked, maybe even a little bruised, but that faded the moment I reached for his belt and slid the zipper down, slipping my hand into his briefs and freeing the real monster he kept there.

He tried to argue that my health came first, but he was already groaning my name the next minute.

The journey passed with meals delivered to the room. But I had no appetite. At one point, Aaron threatened me with IV fluids when I kept refusing to eat. But he eventually fed me custard, after insisting he'd made it himself. So out of pity for his effort, I took in a few spoonfuls.

The whole flight, I was curled under the blanket, drifting occasionally to the vision of the dark bottom I'd sunk into, until Aaron returned and told me to buckle up for landing.

For a while it was noisy behind the door, but it finally went quiet after some minutes. I got up and checked the mirror.

Despite all the extra sleep forced on me after passing out, I didn't look rested. My under-eyes were puffy, probably from crying the whole flight while Aaron assumed I was asleep.

I slipped on my sunglasses. It was almost one in the afternoon, and any slip-up could be caught in broad daylight, and the Wallaces wouldn't like that. It was one thing to convince to my own parents with the lies spinning in my head, but it was another to face Aaron's family, where mistakes weren't tolerated.

"Are you ready? Our ride is here," Aaron said as he returned, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, while he peered at me.

"Yes." I smiled at him, ruffling my hair to give it a messy balance.

He clenched his jaw, the tension sharpening his features.

That man was insanely stunning, and he knew it, like how a shark knows its dorsal fin intimidates everything in its path.

Grabbing my phone and slipping it into my handbag, I shook off the spiraling thoughts and stepped up to Aaron, letting him guide us out.

We exited the plane, and I silently thanked the sunglasses shielding my eyes because the summer sun was vicious today.

Thankfully, there were no reporters like there had been in Milan. Just the Wallace family's vehicles lined up and waiting.

As we descended to the ground, my mind was already filled with thoughts of my family. We hadn't spoken much over the past few days. Aaron mentioned that Mom had called while we were at the hospital, but I hadn't gotten the chance to return it.

A man opened the rear door for us, and the driver wasn't Keenan. I assumed it was because he had traveled with us and was just as exhausted. But then the man said something that threw me off.

"Mister Aaron Wallace, I am Parker. I will drive you and Miss Kelby directly to the lake estate."

I took off my sunglasses, which suddenly felt heavy.

My eyes went up to the man holding my hand, hoping he'd recognize the mistake. "Aaron, I really need to be home now. The vacation is over."

Aaron's throat shifted as he swallowed. He was avoiding my eyes. Why was he avoiding my eyes?

"Aaron?" I repeated, my voice rising with panic.

He stayed silent still.

Parker, sensing the tension, stepped back to give us space.

"It's an order from Thomas Wallace. You'll stay with us for a while until you're fully healed," Aaron finally spoke, his voice strained and unfamiliar, especially considering he was speaking to me, not one of his business associates.

Until I'm fully healed, he said. That phrase spun in my head like a whirlwind. But it all came back to one truth, that this is the Wallace's way of covering themselves by using me.

Hadn't they done enough? I made no complaints against them after the fall. I walked in front of cameras with their son and did everything they asked. Why would I still be kept like a prisoner? And worse, why was Aaron part of it?

"I am going home. You are taking me home, Aaron. That's what you promised my parents," I spelled out, my voice low as tears gathered at the corners of my eyes.

"I can't say no to my grandfather, Liv."

He wouldn't look at me. That cold side of him was terrifying.

"Is this some kind of cult?" I pulled my hand out of his, pain tearing through my chest like clashing fireballs. "This is getting ridiculous, Aaron. I can't handle these demands. I just can't."

"You should understand the severity of our situation."

"You still talk about your family without ever considering me. What the hell is wrong with you? So the honeymoon phase is over and this is your true self, isn't it? I thought we had a second chance to make things right, but you'll never allow it. You'll never change. But I won't be your family's pawn. I'm going to get myself home, even if I have to walk all day to get there. You can't keep me from my family just because yours has some issue with where I come from."

I pivoted to leave, barely taking a step before his hand closed around my wrist.

I tried to jerk away as I twist furiously, and my glare latched on Aaron, who remained maddeningly calm.

How could he be so composed?

"Let me go, Aaron," I snapped, struggling against his grip. "Are you going to force me to stay with you?" my voice was wobbly.

"That's not it." His voice was tight, heavy with emotions he wasn't revealing.

It was confusing. I couldn't tell if he was angry with me, embarrassed, or if he just felt sorry for me and didn't know how to show it.

But in that moment, he was just unreadable, and it left a void twisting in my stomach.

"I won't do anything to harm your family, I promise. I just want to go home, Aaron. I need my family now. Can't you see? I need to get back to my life, my job—"

"You don't work anymore," he said flatly.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed, swallowing against the painful lump rising in my throat.

"You will be my wife. You won't work anymore. At least not as—" He stopped himself. And the silence said everything.

"As what, Aaron?" My voice cracked. "Your family's maid? Say it, because that's what I am, whether you admit it or not."

His facade faltered for a moment. I still couldn't read the emotion that flickered across his face before he pulled himself together.

"Let's go," he said firmly, pulling me toward the open door.

"You haven't changed at all. You've just... lied," I choked out.

He stopped abruptly and turned to face me, his lips pressed into a hard line.

"Look, Liv, I'm in a difficult position right now. There are already rumors going around, some Cinderella fantasy about you being exploited by my family. Then the accident happened. People want to know what really transpired. It's a mess back home. But if the media sees you're okay, that you're staying at the lake estate with all the Wallaces, it'll shut everything down."

He stepped closer, frustration simmering beneath his voice.

"What's so wrong about being with me? Haven't I promised to protect you? Haven't I stood up for you? No one would dare cross your path while you're in that house, I swear it. So why do you act like I'm offering you up as a sacrifice? What is it about my home that repels you so much? You're going to be my wife, Liv. That house, those people you despise... they'll be your family too. You need to get used to that. So you might as well start now."

Through the tears welling in my eyes, I glared at him, overwhelmed by a deep sense of betrayal.

He had the audacity to ask what I found repulsive about his home and family, as if he hadn't witnessed his father reduce me to nothing more than a shoe cleaner. As if he hadn't seen me literally drowning. As if he hadn't been the one to hurt me the moment I stepped into that house six years ago. The list could go on.

So he was being unfair.

"You lied... You're just using me, controlling me, all to protect your family's image and keep up appearances around them. You keep ruining me, and I let you," I muttered, pulling at my hair as self-hatred rose like bile in my throat. "The neighbors were right. We're just pawns to the elite. I've been so naive. How did I let myself get into this?"

His grip around my wrist loosened. I didn't try to pull away however, because what would be the point, for there were men nearby ready to follow Aaron's every word?

Then his warm hands cupped my face gently. I closed my eyes as the tears kept falling.

"That's not true," he said softly, his words making my head shake, as if I could somehow block out the lie and protect myself. But who was I kidding? I knew I couldn't escape my feelings for him. He had seeped into every part of me, become an integral part of my life.

"I want to love you, Liv. God, that's what I'm doing," he said with intensity. "I want to be the fuel that ignites a fire in you, and the strength you carry to heal from your pain. I want to be your rock, your steady pillar, to guide you toward a power you can't even imagine. I want to show you what you're capable of. But we have to follow a process. There are steps we need to take before we can get there. I need time, baby, and I promise you, I'll pull you away from any source of pain and make you the happiest woman alive."

A sob ripped from my chest.

I slipped out of his hold without resistance and stepped into the car's soft glow. The door shut behind me, granting me a second to breath in privacy, until the next door opened on the other side.