Chapter 13: Shattered Glass
The ballroom shimmered under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers, each light a reflection of the glittering world Aria had been forced to step into. The event was for one of Xiara Corporation's charity foundations—an elegant affair filled with dignitaries, investors, and polished socialites who wore smiles as sharp as knives.
Aria stood near the center of it all, dressed in a sleek navy gown that hugged her form and shimmered like moonlight when she moved. Her hair was pinned up with jeweled clips, a subtle crown for a queen with no throne of her own.
To the outside world, she looked perfect—graceful, poised, and composed. But inside, her chest was tight with nerves. This wasn't her world, and no matter how well she played the part, she still felt like an imposter wearing someone else's life.
Elias was across the room, engaged in a deep conversation with the chairman of one of Xiara's rival tech firms. Even in a tailored suit, he looked distant, almost untouchable. But Aria noticed the way his eyes flicked toward her now and then—brief, watchful glances he probably thought she wouldn't catch.
He's keeping tabs on me, she thought. But not because he cares. It's just image control.
She tried to ignore the ache in her chest and smiled when someone approached—a woman from the foundation committee who began chatting about donations and public image. Aria nodded where appropriate, playing the role she'd been trained for.
The first half hour passed uneventfully. The room buzzed with light conversation, clinking glasses, and the soft strains of a string quartet.
Then it happened.
A sound—sharp, sudden. Glass shattering.
The room stilled for half a second before chaos erupted.
Screams. A flash of movement. Security swarming.
Aria turned instinctively, just in time to see a man break through the velvet rope barrier near the stage. He held a small metallic object—blunt, but unmistakably dangerous. It wasn't a gun, but it was enough to cause damage. He moved fast, erratic, charging straight for Elias.
"No—!" Aria stepped forward before she even realized what she was doing.
In a blur, the man was intercepted by security, but in the scuffle, he swung wildly—and the heavy metal object struck someone else.
Her.
Aria didn't feel the pain at first—just a sudden, shocking pressure to her side and the horrible sound of people shouting. Then came the searing heat, the disorientation, the way her legs folded beneath her like they no longer belonged to her.
She hit the marble floor hard, her breath ripped from her lungs.
For a moment, all she could hear was ringing.
Then Elias's voice—panicked, raw—cut through everything.
"Aria!"
She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was blurring. Blood. She could feel it—warm, sticky, spreading beneath her like spilled wine.
Strong arms scooped her up, and the scent of Elias—clean, sharp, familiar—flooded her senses. She was pressed to his chest, and for the first time, she heard him break.
"Stay with me," he whispered, voice hoarse. "Don't you dare—don't you dare leave me."
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Paramedics rushed in. People were pushed back. Elias refused to let go, carrying her all the way to the ambulance as if letting go would make it real.
Inside the ambulance, his hands trembled. Aria's eyes fluttered open, just for a second. She saw the terror on his face. Not anger. Not control.
Fear.
He cupped her face with a gentleness she had never seen in him.
"I'm sorry," he choked out. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to protect you—"
"Elias..." Her voice was no louder than a breath.
"Don't talk," he whispered. "Just hold on. Please."
Please. A word she never thought she'd hear from him.
She wanted to cry, not from pain, but from the look in his eyes. The truth she had longed to see was finally there—unspoken, raw, and terrifying.
---
The hospital waiting room was a blur of sterile white and hushed voices. Hours passed like days.
Elias sat with his elbows on his knees, blood on his shirt, hands clenched so tight they shook.
The doctor finally came out, and for a moment, Elias couldn't breathe.
"She's stable," the doctor said. "It was a deep wound, but it missed any vital organs. She lost a lot of blood, but she's strong. She'll recover."
The relief nearly brought him to his knees.
---
Later, when he was allowed to see her, Aria lay in the hospital bed, pale but breathing. Her eyes opened slowly as he approached, and for once, he didn't hide behind silence.
He sat beside her and took her hand. No gloves. No pretense.
"You scared the hell out of me," he said, voice thick. "I thought I'd lost you."
Aria studied him quietly. "You care."
It wasn't a question.
His lips twitched, almost bitterly. "Of course I care. I just didn't know how much until I almost lost you."
A pause.
"Why did you step in?" he asked softly.
"Because I couldn't watch you get hurt," she whispered. "Even if you never let me in... I still care."
Elias leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently to her hand.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "For all of it. For pushing you away. For pretending you didn't matter."
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Then don't do it anymore," she whispered. "Don't pretend."
He lifted his head and looked at her—not the stranger he married, but the woman who had somehow become the only thing in his world that felt real.
And for the first time since that tragic loss in his past, Elias Xiara allowed himself to feel everything.