CHAPTER 17
Ariana's POV
What...?
I try to process this.How could I?The man I’d been worried sick about for days was now standing in front of me like he was meant to be here.My heart dropped when Matt gave me that small, reassuring smile — except I wasn’t reassured.Not even close.Something was off, painfully off.Matt shouldn’t be here.This place was dangerous.
My stomach twisted as I watched him, tuning out everything else around me.
“Matt...?”I whispered.
“You’ll have someone by your side twenty-four-seven,” Salvatore said flatly from behind him.“No need to worry about being alone, fiore.”
My gaze snapped to him just as he straightened, stepping toward the door.My jaw fell open when I realized what was happening.He looked at Matt — they exchanged a knowing nod — and then Salvatore turned and left with his men, the same men who’d cornered me minutes ago.
When the door shut, the silence weighed a ton.
Matt walked toward me, crouching slightly.“Ariana, I’m here.Don’t worry.”
He reached for my hand, but I jerked away.My breath hitched as confusion and dread tangled in my chest.“Matt, what’s going on?Where were you?Why are you here?”
He hesitated, then said quietly, “I work with Alessandro.”
My whole body froze.My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.
“What?”I croaked.“Matt, what are you talking about?”
He edged closer, but I slid away from him.The space between us wasn’t nearly enough.The truth hit me like a punch — Matt, my therapist, my friend, the one person I thought was safe — had been lying to me this entire time.
“I’m sorry it came to this,” he said softly.“I should’ve told you before, but I knew you’d cut me off.And that’s...not healthy.”
I stared at him, trembling.The room spun.“You’ve known Alessandro all this time — while I was telling you about him?”My voice cracked under the weight of betrayal.“You knew?”
Matt didn’t hesitate.“Yes.”
The word gutted me.My chest caved in as the tears spilled over.The one person I trusted most had been part of the same world that ruined me.Everything I’d confessed to him — every nightmare, every fear — he already knew.
“I...I can’t believe you,” I whispered.“You lied to me.You lied to me for years.”
He tried to reach for me again.“Ariana, please don’t cry.I can explain.”
I pulled away sharply, shaking my head.“I don’t want to hear it, Matt.Just leave me alone.”
“Ariana, no—”
“Matt, just go!”
He lingered a moment, guilt painted all over his face, before he finally turned and walked out.The sound of the door closing behind him left the air heavy, suffocating.
