(Burn the Bridge Properly)
Aria Larkspur had always believed in one thing—
If you're going to leave, don't leave cracks behind.
Burn the bridge.
Watch it collapse.
Then walk away like you never needed it.
—
The car sped through traffic, tension thick enough to choke on.
Dominic Reyes sat beside her, calm on the surface, lethal underneath.
"Driver," he ordered, voice low but dangerous, "shake him off."
Behind them—
A black Porsche.
Persistent.
Annoying.
Pathetic.
Inner monologue:
Ethan Vale, CEO of Vale Corporation… reduced to tailing cars like a rejected ex in a bad drama. Impressive downfall.
Her phone buzzed again.
And again.
And again.
She stared at it.
Familiar number.
Familiar mistake.
Still calling.
Still hoping.
Still not getting the hint.
"…You going to answer that?" Dominic asked, glancing sideways.
Aria tilted her head slightly.
"Yeah," she said. "Let's end this properly."
—
The call connected.
No greeting.
Just breathing.
Uneven.
Desperate.
"Aria…" His voice cracked like something already broken. "Don't go. Please. Just—talk to me."
She almost laughed.
Almost.
"Stop following us."
Direct. Clean. No emotion.
"That's not an answer!" Ethan snapped, frustration bursting through. "You don't get to just walk away like this. We're not over because you say so."
Aria looked out the window, expression unreadable.
Still trying to control the ending, she thought. How very on brand.
"You're right," she said calmly. "We're not over because I say so."
Hope flickered instantly on the other end.
Wrong move.
"—We're over because I don't want you anymore."
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
She could almost hear his world crack.
Good.
—
"You don't mean that," he said hoarsely. "You can't—after everything—"
"After everything?" she cut in, voice sharpening. "You mean the lies? The manipulation? Or the part where I conveniently existed for your benefit?"
That hit.
Hard.
"I said I was wrong!" he snapped, losing control. "What else do you want from me?"
Inner monologue:
Accountability. Too bad it's out of stock.
"I want nothing," she replied.
And somehow—that hurt more.
—
She ended the call.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't linger.
Rolled down the window—
And tossed the phone out.
Gone.
Like him.
—
Dominic raised a brow.
"That was dramatic."
She smirked faintly. "Closure should have style."
—
Behind them, the Porsche didn't slow down.
Of course it didn't.
Men like Ethan Vale didn't understand endings.
They negotiated.
Delayed.
Denied.
Until reality forced their hand.
—
At the airport—
He caught up anyway.
Because obsession doesn't respect distance.
—
"Aria!"
She stopped.
Annoyed.
Not shaken.
Big difference.
Ethan looked wrecked—tie loose, eyes red, composure shattered.
Good.
Let him feel it.
"You're not leaving," he said, like saying it would make it true.
She blinked.
Then smiled faintly.
"Oh? Are you stopping the plane too, or just embarrassing yourself here?"
Savage.
Public.
Unforgiving.
—
His hand grabbed her wrist.
Tight.
Desperate.
"I'm not letting you go."
Inner monologue:
You already did. You just didn't notice when it happened.
"Let go," she said softly.
"No."
She sighed.
"Mistake."
—
"Dominic."
One word.
That was enough.
Phone in hand within seconds.
Ethan frowned.
Too late.
—
"Hello," Aria said smoothly into the receiver. "Yes, I'd like to report harassment—"
That did it.
His grip loosened instantly.
She pulled free.
Graceful.
Untouchable.
—
"You'd really do this to me?" he asked, voice hollow.
She stepped closer.
Just enough.
Looked him straight in the eye.
And ended him properly—
"You were never worth keeping, Ethan."
—
No hesitation this time.
No glance back.
No second thoughts.
—
As she walked away, she only thought one thing—
Finally… silence.
---
Behind her—
Ethan stood still.
Like everything inside him had collapsed at once.
Lucas approached slowly.
"…Sir?"
No answer.
Just a hollow stare at the sky.
Planes taking off.
Leaving.
Taking her with them.
"Why…" Ethan whispered. "Why doesn't she want me?"
Lucas hesitated.
Then lied gently.
"She just needs time."
Even he didn't believe it.
But Ethan did.
Of course he did.
Because hope—
Was all he had left.
—
"Take me back," Ethan said eventually, voice empty.
"To Vale Residence."
—
The car drove off.
Sun setting.
City moving.
Life continuing.
—
And somewhere in the sky—
A plane cut through the clouds.
Carrying Aria Larkspur further away.
Not just from the city.
But from everything—
He could no longer reach.