The tension in the room didn't fade.
If anything, it thickened.
Lena stood her ground, arms crossed, refusing to let the woman's presence intimidate her this time. Yesterday, she had felt overwhelmed. Out of place. Small.
Not today.
Today, she was ready.
"Good luck with that," Lena repeated calmly, lifting her chin slightly.
The woman's eyes narrowed, clearly not expecting resistance. For a brief moment, silence stretched between them like a drawn wire, tight and dangerous.
Then—
Aiden stepped forward.
"That's enough," he said, his voice low but commanding.
Both women looked at him.
The difference was obvious.
Lena looked at him with expectation.
The other woman looked at him with something far more complicated.
"You shouldn't be here, Vanessa," Aiden added.
So that was her name.
Vanessa.
The woman let out a soft laugh, though it carried no humor. "I shouldn't be here?" she repeated. "That's funny, coming from you."
Aiden's expression remained unchanged. "Leave."
Vanessa ignored him.
Instead, her gaze shifted back to Lena, sharp and deliberate.
"Do you even know who he is?" she asked.
Lena didn't flinch. "Yes."
"No," Vanessa said, taking a step closer. "You know what he wants you to see."
Lena's jaw tightened slightly. "And you think you know better?"
"I don't think," Vanessa replied coolly. "I know."
The confidence in her voice was unsettling.
Not because it sounded arrogant—
But because it sounded certain.
Lena glanced briefly at Aiden, expecting him to shut this down completely.
But he didn't.
He was watching.
Observing.
Like this was some kind of test.
That realization alone made something twist inside her chest.
Fine.
If that's how he wanted it—
She would play along.
"I'm listening," Lena said, her tone steady. "Go ahead."
Vanessa smiled faintly.
"Oh, you're brave," she said. "I'll give you that."
"I didn't come here for compliments."
Vanessa's smile faded slightly.
"Then let me make this simple," she said. "Men like Aiden don't fall in love."
The words landed quietly.
But heavily.
Lena didn't react outwardly, but something inside her shifted.
Not because she believed Vanessa—
But because a small part of her already knew that.
"This isn't about love," Lena replied.
Vanessa tilted her head. "Then what is it about?"
Lena hesitated.
Just for a second.
And Vanessa caught it.
"That's what I thought," she said softly. "You don't even know what you've gotten yourself into."
"I know enough," Lena shot back.
"Do you?" Vanessa challenged. "Do you know how many people have tried to get close to him? How many have failed?"
"That's not my problem."
"It will be," Vanessa said. "Soon enough."
"Vanessa."
Aiden's voice cut through the tension again.
Sharper this time.
A warning.
She finally turned to him.
"You're making a mistake," she said quietly.
"That's not your concern."
"It used to be," she replied.
Something flickered between them.
Something unspoken.
History.
Lena noticed it immediately.
And suddenly—
Things made a lot more sense.
Vanessa let out a slow breath, straightening slightly.
"Fine," she said. "I'll leave."
But as she walked past Lena, she leaned in just enough to whisper—
"Be careful. He destroys everything he touches."
Then she walked out.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Lena stayed where she was, her thoughts racing.
Then she turned to Aiden.
"You didn't deny it," she said.
Aiden didn't look surprised by the question.
"I didn't need to."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Lena stared at him, frustration building again.
"Who is she?" she asked.
"A distraction."
"That's not true," Lena said immediately. "There's history there."
Aiden didn't respond.
And that?
That was answer enough.
Lena let out a breath, running her hand through her hair.
"I'm not stupid, Aiden," she said. "If I'm going to be dragged into your life like this, the least you can do is be honest with me."
"I am being honest."
"No, you're being selective," she corrected. "There's a difference."
Aiden's gaze sharpened slightly.
"You're asking questions that don't concern you."
"They do concern me," Lena insisted. "Because whatever this is—" she gestured between them "—I'm part of it now."
Aiden stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
But intentionally.
"You're part of the agreement," he said. "Nothing more."
The words were cold.
Precise.
And they hit harder than she expected.
Lena swallowed, forcing herself to stay composed.
"Right," she said quietly. "The agreement."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
But the atmosphere had changed.
There was distance now.
A clear line drawn between them.
Later that night, Lena couldn't sleep.
Vanessa's words kept replaying in her mind.
He destroys everything he touches.
She turned in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Why did that bother her so much?
It shouldn't.
This wasn't real.
None of it was.
And yet—
Her chest felt tight.
Unsettled.
Unable to take it anymore, she got up and walked out of her room.
The penthouse was quiet.
Too quiet.
Until she noticed a faint light coming from the living area.
Aiden.
He was sitting on the couch, his laptop open, his expression focused.
Working.
Of course he was.
"Do you ever sleep?" Lena asked, breaking the silence.
He looked up briefly.
"Sometimes."
She walked closer, stopping a few feet away.
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
Aiden closed his laptop slowly.
"Because of what she said?"
Lena hesitated.
Then nodded.
Aiden leaned back slightly, studying her.
"You care too much about what others think."
"It's not that," Lena said. "It's just—"
She stopped, unsure how to explain it.
"Just what?" he asked.
Lena exhaled softly.
"She sounded like she knew you," she said. "Not the version everyone else sees. The real you."
Aiden didn't respond immediately.
And that silence?
It said more than words could.
"Is she right?" Lena asked quietly.
Aiden's gaze locked onto hers.
And for a brief moment—
Just a moment—
Something in his expression shifted.
Something raw.
Something real.
But then—
It was gone.
"You're asking dangerous questions," he said.
Lena's heart skipped slightly.
"Maybe I want dangerous answers."
Aiden stood.
Now they were close again.
Too close.
"You won't like them," he said.
"You don't get to decide that."
A pause.
Heavy.
Charged.
"Go back to your room, Lena," he said finally.
And just like that—
The moment ended.
Again.
Lena stared at him for a second longer, frustration and something else mixing inside her chest.
Then she turned and walked away.
But this time—
It felt different.
Because now she knew something for sure.
Aiden had secrets.
Dark ones.
And the more she tried to understand him—
The deeper she was going to fall.
And that scared her.
Almost as much as the way she was starting to feel about him.