Chapter 20%
Nick opened it and scanned the first page.
“What is this?”
“It’s the agreement between Aria and me,” Mrs. Fusco said softly. “After Gianna passed away, I was desperate to find someone I could trust to raise Jayden. The only person I could think of was Aria. I had sponsored her through school for five years and she was about to leave the country for graduate studies. But I–out of selfishness–I asked her to stay
Nick stared at her, stunned. “So. you convinced her to marry me?
“I made her a deal,” Mrs. Fusco said softly. “If she agreed to stay and marry you, to help raise Jayden for five years, then after that, her debt to me would be considered paid in full. She’d owe the Fusco family nothing. She could walk away as a freewoman.”
Nick stared at the pages, unable to speak. I
“I always thought that maybe, over time, things would change,” Mrs. Fusco went on. “That maybe you two would fall in love, that maybe she’d want to stay. But the moment those five years ended, she came to me and said she was done. She didn’t even hesitate.”
Her voice cracked slightly. “Whatever kindness she showed you and Jayden–trust me, I saw it all. She may have just been fulfilling a contract, but she played the part of a devoted wife and mother better than anyone else ever could.“I
Nick stood there, completely still, like the ground had disappeared from beneath his feet. He’d never Aria–gentle, quiet always putting them first–had been playing a role the entire time?!
All that affection. all those moments. Were they all just part of the deal?
He felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
r seen this coming.
Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees in front of his mother. His voice was hoarse. This is my fault. I’ve had five years and I still couldn’t make Aria fall in love with me. But Jayden’s in a coma now. The doctors say the only chance he has to wake up is if Aria comes back”
He swallowed
try?“g
hard, eyes red. “I already called her. She won’t come. But maybe she’ll listen to you. Please. Can you t Mrs. Fusco’s face softened, but her eyes still held a quiet, sorrowful resolve. “Aria doesn’t owe us anything anymore, Nick,” she e said, her voice low. “And the look on her face that day–it was unshakable. She was done. I’m not sure she’ll ever come back
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the window as memones flickered behind her eyes. Then she continued, quieter now, as though speaking more to herself than to him.
“But since Jayden is my grandson and since he’s all I have left of my daughter… so yes. I’ll try.”
She pulled out her phone with steady fingers and dialed Aria’s number.
Aria’s POV: I
I had just arrived at my destination when my phone rang
The moment the bus stopped, I grabbed my suitcase and got off. Just as my feet hit the ground, my phone buzzed in my pocket. When I saw the caller ID, I already had a feeling what it was about. Nick must’ve failed to convince me and gone running to Mrs. Fusco.
Even now, no matter how far I tried to distance myself, I could never really cut ties with the woman who once helped me survive the darkest moments of my life. That debt was impossible to fully repay, no matter what our agreement said. So when her name popped up or my screen, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore it.
I picked up. “is everything alright, Mrs. Fusco?”
“Ana,” she said gently. “Nick told me everything about what happened. I… I want to apologize on their behalf. I know we agreed that after the five years, your debt to us would be cleared. And it is. But Jayden… he’s in bad shape. He needs you. The doctors say only you might be able to help”
She paused, her voice tight with guilt. “I know it’s not fair to ask. And I hate going back on my word. But… for the sake of the boy I raised after Gianna died–for my daughter’s child–fm asking. Just one last time. Could you see him?“%
I could hear the strain in her voice. This wasn’t a woman trying to manipulate me–this was a mother on the verge of desperation, tom between pride and love. And despite everything, I couldn’t bring myself to turn her down.
I nodded, though she couldn’t see me. “Alright. il come see him after the tour ends.”
This trip was just a one–day sightseeing tour to a nearby city. I returned that night and the very next morning, I boarded a flight back to
Briswell:
When I arrived at the Fusco residence, it was exactly as I imagined “.
Ande from Mrs. Fusco, Nick was also there I
It had only been a little over two weeks, but he looked like a different man–worn down, pale and haggard. He was nothing like the confident, proud man I’d left behind
