Aria avoided Liam as best she could for the rest of the week, keeping her head down, drowning herself in tasks that felt endless. Still, she could feel his presence in every corner of the office—the weight of his stare when he passed, the tightening of air when he entered a room.

Friday evening, just as she was about to leave, his voice stopped her cold.

“Aria. My office. Now.”

She froze, clutching her bag, pulse racing. There was no avoiding this. Without a word, she followed him inside. He shut the door behind her, the soft click sounding more like a lock on a cage.

He moved behind his desk, his posture rigid, eyes sharp with something colder than before. “Sit.”

She did, folding her hands tightly on her lap to hide the tremor in her fingers.

For a moment, he said nothing. The silence was deliberate, suffocating, meant to wear her down. Finally, he leaned forward, his voice low but cutting. “You will end this pregnancy.”

The air left her lungs. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” His gaze didn’t waver. “You will make an appointment. Quietly. Discreetly. I’ll cover the cost and any time you need off. No one will ever know.”

Her stomach twisted. “You’re not serious.”

“I am.” He straightened, his tone as unyielding as stone. “You’re young. You have a career ahead of you. Don’t throw it away for a mistake. Especially not one that could ruin both of us.”

Aria’s chest burned as anger bubbled to the surface. “Ruin you? This isn’t just about you, Liam. This is a life. My life. And now, whether you like it or not, yours too.”

He slammed his palm on the desk, the sound reverberating through the room. “Don’t twist this. You think you understand my world? You don’t. If this gets out, the board, investors, the press—everything I’ve built will be jeopardized. I won’t allow it.”

Her throat tightened. “So I’m just collateral damage? The girl who made the wrong choice, who has to fix it so your empire doesn’t crack?”

His eyes blazed, but he kept his voice steady. “If you care about your future, you’ll listen. End it. Walk away. Pretend this never happened.”

Tears stung her eyes, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “You can say it a thousand times—it won’t make it less real. I’m pregnant. That won’t disappear because you ordered it away.”

“Then you’re a fool,” he said sharply. “Do you have any idea what raising a child on your own would look like? The cost, the struggle? Do you want to be chained down for the rest of your life because of one reckless night?”

Her voice trembled, but her conviction didn’t falter. “If that’s what it takes, yes. Because I can live with struggle. I can live with people judging me. But I won’t live with the regret of erasing something that didn’t deserve to be erased.”

For the first time, a crack appeared in his mask. His jaw flexed, his breath sharp, as though her words had landed somewhere he hadn’t expected. He turned away, staring at the skyline, his shoulders stiff.

“You don’t know me,” he muttered.

Aria rose slowly, her palms pressed flat against the edge of his desk. “I know enough. Enough to see you’re terrified—not of me, not of this child, but of what people will think when they see you’re human after all.”

His head snapped toward her, his glare scorching, but she didn’t flinch.

“You can order me around in this office, Liam. But you don’t control my body. You don’t get to dictate this choice.”

He stepped closer, towering over her, his voice a razor’s edge. “If you keep it, Aria, you’ll regret it. I swear to you, you’ll regret it.”

Her heart hammered, but she held her ground. “Maybe. But if I do what you want, I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. And that’s something I won’t survive.”

The tension snapped like a pulled wire. His hand twitched at his side, as if he wanted to reach for her, but he stayed frozen.

Aria grabbed her bag from the chair, her hands steadier than she expected. “This conversation is over.”

She walked toward the door, each step heavy but certain. At the threshold, she paused, her voice soft but resolute. “You don’t have to be part of this. But you won’t erase it.”

The door closed behind her with a firm click.

That night, she sat curled on Mia’s couch, legs tucked beneath her, nursing a mug of untouched tea. Mia studied her with worried eyes.

“What did he say?”

Aria stared into the steam rising from the cup. “He gave me an ultimatum. Either I abort or… or I’ll ruin his life.”

Mia’s jaw dropped. “Unbelievable. That man is heartless.”

Aria’s throat tightened, but she managed a bitter laugh. “He’s terrified. More of his reputation than of me. Or this baby.”

“Then forget him.” Mia reached for her hand, squeezing it. “He doesn’t get to dictate your choices. You’re stronger than he thinks.”

Aria swallowed hard, her chest aching. “It’s just so hard, Mia. Part of me… part of me wanted him to at least care a little. But he doesn’t. Not at all.”

“Then make him irrelevant. He’s not worth your tears.”

Aria leaned into her friend’s shoulder, the tears finally spilling. “I just don’t know how I’m going to do this alone.”

“You won’t be alone.” Mia’s arms wrapped around her tightly. “You’ve got me. And whoever else you need, we’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

For the first time all week, Aria let herself cry without restraint, the sound raw and aching. She didn’t know what the future held, only that she couldn’t—and wouldn’t—bend to Liam Voss’s ultimatum.

No matter how much it cost her.