CHAPTER 19
Ariana's POV
I wipe my head and crouch on the floor, sitting in the corner, trying to figure out what the hell to even do at this point.It’s been a few days since I was put in this house, and the only person I’ve seen is Mia — which, honestly, I’m grateful for.She’s the only one here who doesn’t intimidate me.
I look up just as Mia walks in...with Matt.
What the hell was he doing here?
“Ariana...”Mia called gently, but I refused to look at them.
“Come on, Ariana, you have to speak to him.”
“Leave me alone.”
“No,” she said firmly.Mia knelt down, taking my hand in hers.“It’s been days, and you still haven’t spoken to anyone except me.Please...talk to Matt.”
I push myself up, trying to get out of her reach — but my head spins and the floor tilts.My balance gives out, and before I can fall flat on my face, Matt rushes forward to catch me.
“Okay,” he mutters, holding me steady.“When was the last time you ate, Ariana?”
I don’t answer.I’m too busy being pissed that he’s even near me.I don’t want him close — not after everything.
“She hasn’t eaten,” Mia answered for me.“All the food I brought her...untouched.”
Matt sighed, lifting me carefully and carrying me to the other room — the one where I was supposed to sleep.The second my head hit the pillow, it felt like a dream.My muscles were sore, my head pounding from hunger, my stomach growling like it might devour itself.
“Ariana, you need to eat,” Matt said softly, trying to get me upright.“Please don’t do this to yourself.”
“Why do you care anyway?”I slurred, my voice heavy.
He didn’t answer right away.Instead, he used a little force to get me to sit up.The moment he did, I was fully awake — glaring at his face as he took a plate of food from Mia.She hovered at the doorway, then left, and somehow that made me feel worse.I didn’t even have the energy to fight anymore.Right now, I just needed food.
“As your therapist, I have the right to be concerned about you,” Matt said as he fed me a spoonful of rice.The taste — plain, simple rice — exploded in my mouth.I didn’t realize how starved I’d been until that moment.
“My therapist?”I scoffed, swallowing hard.I took the plate from his hands, unwilling to sit there and be spoon-fed like a child.He let me, just watching while I ate.“Are you even really a therapist?Is Matt even your real name?”
“Yes, Matt is my name.And yes, I am a therapist,” he said firmly, though his frown deepened.“As your therapist, I want to know how you’re feeling — why you haven’t been taking care of yourself these past few days.”
Before I could snap back at him, he added, “And please...put your anger aside.You can take it all out later, I’ll be here for it.”
I frowned, still chewing, but deep down there was a flicker of relief.Even in this mess, at least Matt was someone familiar — someone who’d listened before.For a moment, this felt like one of our old therapy sessions, just in a nightmare version of my life.
“I feel so betrayed,” I said finally, my voice cracking.“So fucking hurt about so many things.I want everything to stop sometimes, but every time I think about it, I force myself not to...not to do something about it.My head hurts from overthinking, my body’s too tired to keep stressing about things that just keep coming back from the past.”
Tears burned my eyes and spilled down my cheeks, but I didn’t stop.Matt scooted closer, wrapping his hand around mine.He didn’t interrupt — just listened.And that, somehow, made it worse.
“I want to start over,” I whispered, “but every time I try, the past keeps coming back.I kissed you thinking I was over Alessandro, and for a split second...it worked.Until I found out you work for him.”My voice broke again, sharp and bitter.“Why, Matt?Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, Ariana,” he said quietly.“You have every right to be angry with me.I work for Alessandro, yes...but I’ve never met him.When I was first assigned, I was told to be your therapist under his name.I was just following orders.He doesn’t even know I’ve been treating you.”
I stared at him, stunned, tears streaming down my face.
“How?”
