Fina couldn't pinpoint when the pain of betrayal had started to feel like a dull ache, but it had. She lay in bed that night, her brothers' quiet footsteps fading into the distance as they went to their own rooms. The house was still, and it was in the silence that the full weight of everything hit her once again.

She kept replaying the moment when Aiden had kissed Sophia, that image burned into her mind like a scar. Aiden's warm lips against hers, his hands that had once held her so gently now tangled in someone else's hair. It didn't matter how much he apologized, the betrayal cut too deep. She felt small and insignificant, like she had been played for a fool.

Her phone buzzed again, and she flinched, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Aiden's name on the screen.

Why do you keep calling? she wondered. But this time, instead of hanging up, she stared at the screen, her finger hovering over the "answer" button.

The decision felt heavier than it should. She had to know why. She had to hear him admit the truth. Did you love me at all, or was I just a placeholder?

Fina took a shaky breath and pressed the button.

"Aiden?" Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Fina," Aiden's voice crackled with the weight of regret. "I've been trying to reach you for hours. I need to explain what happened."

"Explain?" she repeated bitterly, feeling that same rush of heat surge through her veins. "What is there to explain, Aiden? You kissed her. You didn't push her away. You let it happen."

"I never meant for you to see that," Aiden replied, his voice desperate. "I swear, Fina. It wasn't what it looked like. She kissed me. I didn't know how to react. I was stunned."

Fina closed her eyes, clutching the phone tighter. "That's not good enough, Aiden," she said, the words tasting like acid. "You should've pushed her away. You should've told her to stop. But you didn't."

"Fina, please... I don't know what else to say. I care about you. I care about you so much."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes, but the tears kept coming. "I don't know if I believe that anymore. I don't know if I can."

There was a long silence, and for a moment, she wondered if Aiden had given up. But then he spoke again, quieter this time.

"I messed up. I know I did. But I need you to understand, Fina. What I feel for you—it's real. All of it. I don't want to lose you over something like this. Please. Let me prove it to you."

Fina's heart was a mess of emotions—anger, hurt, longing. It was the ache in her chest that made her squeeze her eyes shut, as though it could force the pain to disappear.

"I don't know, Aiden. I just... I don't know if I can trust you again," she said, her voice breaking.

Without waiting for a response, she ended the call. Her hands were shaking, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Her phone buzzed again, but this time, Fina ignored it. She didn't want to talk. She didn't know what to say to make sense of any of it.

Later that Day

Fina had made up her mind. She was going to find clarity in herself, away from the noise. She had to get away from it all, so she decided to take a walk.

She stepped outside, the cold air biting at her cheeks, and wandered through the quiet streets, away from the world that had once seemed so sure. The weight of Aiden's words still clung to her, but it was Isabella's voice from earlier that kept coming back to her. You're not alone, Fina. We're here for you.

Her phone rang again. She ignored it.

The walk was meant to clear her mind, to find a sense of peace. But as she reached the park, a familiar voice called her name.

"Fina?"

She froze, her heart leaping into her throat. She turned, and there was Aiden, standing a few feet away, his expression torn between hope and despair.

"I didn't know where else to go," Aiden said, his voice heavy.

Fina's stomach twisted, the last vestiges of her control beginning to crumble.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aiden took a step forward, then stopped. "I needed to see you. I needed to tell you, face to face. I am so sorry, Fina. For everything. For hurting you. For not being the person you needed me to be."

She swallowed hard, the words stinging. She wanted to hate him for what he'd done, to tell him to leave and never come back. But the ache in her chest—what he had once made her feel—held her back.

"I don't know if I can forgive you," Fina said, her voice thick with unshed tears. "I don't know if I can trust you anymore."

Aiden's face fell, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Please, Fina. I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I love you. And I will wait for you to be ready. No matter how long it takes."

Fina turned away from him, walking toward the exit of the park. But as she reached the gate, she stopped.

Maybe

Maybe, one day, she would trust him again. But today wasn't that day.

She couldn't forgive him yet.

Back at Home

Fina had barely stepped through the door when her phone rang once more. She saw the caller ID—this time, it wasn't Aiden. It was Isabella.

"I'm sorry, Mamma," Fina said when she picked up. "I just needed time to think."

But Isabella's voice was filled with concern. "Sweetheart, I understand. But we found something out—Aiden isn't the only one at fault in all of this. You need to know what's been happening."

Fina paused, the world suddenly tilting beneath her feet. "What do you mean?"

Her mother's voice dropped lower. "There's more to this story than you know. And I think it's time you understood what's been going on behind the scenes..."