“I know that.” That’s why it hurts so much, and my brain is working in overdrive.

“If you know, why don’t you act?” she asks with genuine curiosity as if all of this is too easy.

“I can’t do an arranged marriage when I already have someone else in my heart.”

“That’s why it’s better to have no one in your heart. Those who show weakness lose.”

“It depends on who you show that weakness to, Teal.”

She gives a sharp nod and sidesteps me to walk towards her room.

I’m tempted to follow and ask her why she’s been in such a pissed off mood today — more than usual — but I choose to give her space.

Besides, I’m too caught up in my own head right now.

My phone vibrates.

My heart jumps with joy at Aiden’s name.

Aiden: Come out the back entrance.

I don’t even think about it. I jog down the hall and straight to the back door used by the staff.

The moment I step outside, a strong hand wraps around my mouth. I gasp, but the sound is drowned into the skin.

The hard, strong skin I recognise.

My gaze meets Aiden’s for the briefest second, and excitement whirls into my bones.

I barely get a glance before he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder like a caveman.

Squealing, I hold on to his back with both hands. “W-what are you doing, Aiden?”

“I’m kidnapping you, sweetheart. It’s been long overdue.”

26

Elsa

I’m being kidnapped.

How does someone react when they’re kidnapped?

It’s not like I have the manual or something. Considering my relationship with Aiden, I should’ve probably bought the thing.

Deep down, I knew he’d do this someday. I knew he’d give the world his middle finger and whisk me away on his black horse.

Like an old-fashioned kidnapper, Aiden tied my hands in front of me so they’re lying on my lap. He also covered my hands with a blanket so no one would see what he’s done.

I should be thankful he didn’t strap my mouth with duct tape. But then again, that will draw people’s attention and Aiden is too smart for that.

The car speeds into the distance like a wrecking ball. Aiden’s complete concentration is on the road. There’s no tick in his jaw or a twitch in his left eye.

If I didn’t know better, I would say he appears serene. Peaceful even.

Oh, who am I kidding? There’s no such thing as peaceful with Aiden. Not when I’m sure he heard all about the engagement.

For the past hour or so, I’ve been thinking about what to say, but I’m distracted by his scent and sheer presence.

I’m lost in how his dark jeans tighten around his muscular thighs and how his grey pullover brings out the metal colour of his eyes. His hair is dishevelled in a sexy bedroom kind of way, though some tiredness is wearing down his expression.

I heard the flight from China to England is more than twelve hours. He must be exhausted. Still, I relish in the fact that he came to me first.

He crossed the seas for me.

Despite the circumstances, the breaths I take are deeper, cleaner, and so damn liberated.

The itch to hug and kiss him writhes inside me like I’m possessed. I want to run my fingers through his hair, feel his slight stubble against my cheek, and let him own me.

All of me.

I had an epiphany during this separation and the subsequent marriage proposal with Ronan. I’ve always belonged to Aiden and he’s always belonged to me.

It started ten years ago and has been ongoing since.

I was just too stubborn — and scared — to admit it.

The fact that Aiden’s not saying anything about the engagement is putting me on edge.

Aiden’s silence is a lot worse than his words. His silence is the calm before the storm and the wind before the hurricane. It’s feeling your limbs shake right before an earthquake.

The road becomes deserted the longer we travel. I thought he’d take me to the Meet Up, but we left London altogether.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“A kidnapper doesn’t tell their victim where they’re going.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You know I had nothing to do with the engagement.”

Silence.

“Dad only asked for my opinion.”

“What was your response?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

“So you’re considering it.”

Shit. I didn’t want him to get to that conclusion. “Of course not.”

“You know what’s the difference between you and me, Elsa?” His voice is rough, commanding, and hard. “I’m all in, but you always have a foot out. Even when we’re together, that brain of yours is always thinking of an escape plan.”

His words hit me harder than they should.

That’s it.

All this time, I’ve always fought the idea of Aiden and me — even subconsciously.

“You didn’t give me strong reasons to trust you,” I whisper. “It’s not like I resisted you without a reason.”

“Are we playing that game? Because I had a stronger reason to hate you.” The calmness of his voice draws chills over my skin and down my spine. “You reminded me of the woman who destroyed my childhood, but I didn’t let my hate win. You let your distrust win every fucking time.”

“Aiden —”

“I chose you, Elsa.” He cuts me off, gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles turn white. “I chose you over my mother’s memory, my father, and everything I fucking know. But you never chose me.”

“I wasn’t going to agree to the engagement.” My voice trembles despite my best efforts to remain unaffected.

“You didn’t refuse either. If it were me, I would’ve done it on the spot.”

“Like you did with Silver?”

“That was fake and it happened long before you came along. It meant fuck all and you know it.” His eyes meet mine, dark, hard, and almost black. “But you were biding your time. You are thinking about something that should be non-negotiable.”

“I was thinking about a way to refuse without hurting my dad. I finally have him back, and I can’t cause him or his company any harm.”

He barks a humourless laugh that scrapes over my skin like daggers. “Your father, the company, your new family. They all come first. Where do I fit into your list of priorities, Frozen? Am I a fucking afterthought?”

“That’s not true.”

How the hell do I tell him that my world revolves around him when he’s so frustrating right now?

Damn him and the way he gets under my skin.

“While I was on the other end of the world, thinking about ways to come back to you sooner, you were thinking about your engagement,” he hisses the last word as if it leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

“I was thinking about you, dickhead! I was thinking about how my life is an empty shell without you in it. I was re-reading your texts in class because I couldn’t stop missing you. I had to run in the rain like a lunatic because of thinking about you. So don’t sit here telling me that you’re an afterthought, Aiden. If you were, I wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.”