“No,” I said flatly.
“It’s been three years...don’t you want to know if she’s alive or dead?”
That made me look up — glare sharp enough to cut.“Bin the fucking files,” I said coldly.“Bin everything.I don’t care.”
Whether she was alive or buried didn’t matter.What mattered was this — my family, my men, my mafia.I was holding this empire up with my own two hands, and no one else was gonna do it for me.
Ariana was a ghost.And ghosts don’t deserve space in my world anymore.
CHAPTER 12
Ariana's POV
“So, Ariana, I’m pleased to say there’s been major improvement.”
I straightened in my chair, pulling my hands out of my lap.I’d been waiting half an hour for Matt to come back with my test results, and hearing him say that now—after all this time—should’ve made me feel better.It didn’t.I bit my lip, looking up at him, frowning.
It still wasn’t enough.
Why wasn’t it ever fucking enough?
Matt stood in front of me, grinning like I’d just won a medal.He was proud, I could tell, but when I didn’t mirror the smile, he crouched down and rested a hand on my knee, eyes soft.
“Nothing’s perfect, Ariana.Improvement takes time.So does practice,” he said gently.
I gave him a weak smile.He stood, grabbed the report, and started pacing with that usual energy of his.
“The results are outstanding.You’re making real changes.Keep this up and you’ll be out of here soon—no more clinic visits!”
Panic hit me fast.My chest tightened.I shook my head and stood, words tumbling out before I could stop them.
“Matt, I don’t want to stop seeing you,” I said, voice cracking.“I n-need y-you.”
He set the report down, reached for my arms.
“Hey, hey...it’s okay.I’m not going anywhere.If you need more time, you’ll have it.I only meant that once you’re fully recovered, you won’t need me anymore.Do you understand?”
