Aria hadn’t been in the garage when he climbed out of the car. She’d been missing from the barriers, missing from hospitality. When she finally reappeared in the corridor she’d been tight-lipped, eyes glassy, anger rolling off her in waves he couldn’t place at the time.
She’d drunk faster than usual at the after-party. Laughed too loud. Stayed close to him but felt miles away.
Then she’d knocked on his door.
Naked under the robe.
The realization landed like a cold fist in his gut.
It hadn’t been about him. Not really.
It had been about Min-Jae. About making him jealous. About proving something to a man who’d already moved on.
A revenge fuck.
Nothing more.
The lazy satisfaction in his chest twisted into something sharper—anger, yes, but underneath it a raw, unexpected hurt that caught him off guard.
He stared at the photo another second. Ji-Yeon’s perfect smile. Min-Jae’s easy confidence.
Then he dropped the phone onto the mattress like it burned.
If that was how she wanted to play it—using him as a weapon to hurt her ex—then fine.
He knew the score now.
He wasn’t going to be anyone’s rebound. Not even hers.
But he also wasn’t going to let her walk away clean.
Not after the way she’d come apart under him. Not after the way she’d said his name like it was the only word she remembered.
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
Shower first. Cold one.
Then he’d figure out how to handle the rest.
Because this arrangement?
It wasn’t fake anymore.
And the playing field had just changed.
???
Chapter Twelve
Jax
The next couple of days were a masterclass in avoidance.
Aria vanished into her suite. Studio meetings, emergency vocal coaching sessions, last-minute tour negotiations. She answered his texts with single words—“Busy.” “Later.” “Okay.”—or sometimes just a heart emoji that felt more like punctuation than affection.
He didn’t chase her.
He didn’t need to.
