Chapter Ten
Aria’s POV
Taylor‘ s aura flared in response, and the crowd fell silent. “Aria belongs to no one. She chooses her path.”
I stared at Nicho, my heart heavy. There had been a time when I would have done anything to hear him say these words. But now? Too much had happened. The bond we might have shared had been severed the day he turned his back on me.
“I’m sorry, Nicho, I said softly, stepping closer to Taylor. “It’s too late.”
The pain in Nicho’s eyes was unbearable, but I forced myself to turn away. Taylor wrapped an arm around me, his presence grounding me as he called for the guards to escort Nicho out.
This time, Nicho didn’t fight. He let the enforcers drag him away, but not before casting one last, desperate glance my way.
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Chapter Ten
The ceremony resumed, though the tension lingered. As I accepted Taylor‘ s mark, I felt the faintest flicker of regret. But it was quickly overshadowed by a sense of purpose.
Afterward, when the guests had dispersed and the formalities were over, Taylor turned to me. “You should speak to him,” he said, surprising me.
“What?” I asked, stunned.
“He’s clearly not going to let this go. It’s better to resolve it now than to have him disrupting things later.”
I hesitated but nodded. Taylor was right. Nicho wouldn’t stop unless I made things absolutely clear.
Outside the hall, the night was cool and quiet. I found Nicho sitting on the stone steps, his head in his hands. When he heard my footsteps, he looked up, his face bruised from his earlier scuffle with the guards.
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“Aria,” he began, but I held up a hand.
“No, Nicho. You need to listen,” I said firmly. “I’m not coming back to you. You made your choice, and I’ve made mine. Taylor may not be my fated mate, but he respects me. He’s willing to build a life with me, and that’s more than you ever offered.”
His eyes darkened with pain, but he didn’t interrupt.
“I wanted you, Nicho. More than anything. But you didn’t want me. And I won’t spend the rest of my life waiting for someone who can’t see my worth.”
He stood, towering over me, his wolf barely contained. “Aria, you don‘ t understand. The rejection… It was the biggest mistake of my life. I’ve been broken ever since.”
“That’s not my burden to carry,” I said, my voice soft but resolute.
For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then his shoulders slumped, and
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the fight drained out of him. “I just want. you to be happy,” he said hoarsely.
“I will be,” I replied, stepping back toward the hall. “Goodbye, Nicho.”
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