---- Chapter 11 Chloe' s POV: The children whimpered, huddling behind my legs as Aria' s voice rose to a fever pitch. "Get ahold of yourself, Aria," | said, my voice low and steady, a stark contrast to her hysteria. "You' re scaring the children." "Scaring them?" she shrieked with laughter. "You faked your own death and framed me for fraud, and you' re worried about scaring some brats?" "| didn' t frame you," | replied, my voice cold as stone. "I just took back what was mine. When you steal something, you have to live with the consequences." Her face contorted in a snarl. "This is all your fault! Everything was perfect until you decided to play the victim!" She lunged at me, her hands clawing for my face. | instinctively pushed the children further behind me, unable to dodge in time. Her nails raked down my arm, drawing blood. "Stop it, Aria!" | yelled, but she was beyond reason, lost in her rage. She shoved me hard, sending me stumbling backward into a paint-splattered easel. The children screamed. Lily, sobbing, ran forward and started pummeling Aria' s leg ---- with her tiny fists. "Leave her alone!" Aria froze, looking down at the child as if seeing her for the first time. Then her fury redoubled, and she raised her hand to strike the little girl. In a flash, | scrambled to my feet and threw myself in front of Lily, taking the blow on my shoulder. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, but | held Lily tight. "If you don' t leave right now," | gritted out through the pain, "I am calling the police." "You can' t hide forever!" she spat. Sudden, heavy footsteps pounded outside. The door flew open again. It was Jase, his face a thundercloud. Without a word, he grabbed Aria' s arm, pulling her away from me. "What do you think you' re doing?" he demanded, his voice a low growl. Aria struggled, recognizing him from the coffee shop. "Oh, look at you," she sneered. "Already replaced him. You never loved Gabriel, did you? You' re just a pathetic slut!" "That' s enough," Jase said, his grip like iron, positioning himself between us. But before he could drag her out, another figure filled the doorway, his shadow falling long across the room. My heart stopped. It was Gabriel. ---- His eyes, wide and haunted, found mine. They were filled with a chaotic mix of shock, relief, and a soul-deep agony. "Claire," he breathed, his voice a raw, broken whisper. "You' re alive. Thank God." Aria saw her chance. Her face crumpled, and she ran to him, grabbing his arm. "Gabriel, she attacked me! She' s trying to ruin me!" she sobbed, clutching her pregnant belly. | just stared at them, a cold wave of déja vu washing over me. I'd seen this play before. | took a deep breath, the pain in my shoulder a dull throb. "Both of you," | said, my voice flat and final. "Get out of my studio." Gabriel didn' t even look at Aria. His gaze was locked on me, his eyes pleading. "Claire, please. It was all my fault. All of it. Let me fix this. Give me another chance." A cold, bitter laugh escaped my lips. "A chance? You don' t get another chance, Gabriel." "But | was wrong!" he cried, his voice desperate. "| was a blind, stupid fool. | didn' t realize what | had until you were gone." Aria shrieked, "What about me, Gabriel? You told me you loved me!" "Be quiet, Aria," he snapped, his voice like a whip, not even glancing at her. The cruelty was breathtaking. ---- | shook my head, a profound sense of pity and disgust washing over me. "Consider me dead, Gabriel. We both need to move on." "No!" he choked out, taking a step toward me. "I won't lose you again." At that moment, Aria completely snapped. With a wild scream, she grabbed a heavy wooden stool and swung it directly at my head. Gabriel moved faster than |' d ever seen him move. He threw himself in front of me, taking the full force of the blow across his back. He crumpled to the ground with a groan of pain. Jase lunged forward, finally restraining a struggling Aria as security guards, alerted by the commotion, rushed in. They dragged her out, her screams and curses echoing down the street. The studio fell into a stunned silence. Gabriel pushed himself up, his face pale with pain. He looked from me to Jase, who now had a protective arm around my shoulders. The hope in his eyes died, replaced by a bleak understanding. "Please, Claire," he whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. "Don' t make me live without you." Jase' s voice cut in, quiet but sharp. "Have you once stopped to think about what she wants? Or is it still all about what you need?" ---- The question hung in the air, a final, damning indictment. Gabriel had no answer. | met his gaze, my own eyes clear and steady for the first time in years. "It's over, Gabriel. It' s been over for a long time." | looked at the man who had caused me so much pain, the man who had just saved me, and | felt... nothing. Just a vast, empty peace. "l don' t want you to find me again. | don' t want you to be my burden, and | certainly won' t be your salvation. Go live your life." His face crumpled. He finally understood. It wasn't a negotiation. It was a verdict. He gave a single, shuddering nod. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He turned and walked out of my life, his shoulders slumped in utter defeat. A few days later, | saw the news. Aria Avila had been formally charged with assault. The article noted that the primary witness pushing for the prosecution was her ex-husband, Gabriel Holmes. He had finally chosen a side. Lily ran into the studio, her face bright. "Miss Chloe! Jase is here! He wants to know if you want to go to the park!" | looked up and saw Jase standing in the doorway, the afternoon sun creating a halo around him. He wasn't offering grand gestures or desperate promises. He was just offering a simple, quiet moment of happiness. ---- | took Lily' s hand, my heart feeling lighter than it had in years. | walked toward him, out of the shadows of my past and into the warm, welcoming light. This was my life now. And for the first time, it was completely, unequivocally mine. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!