He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 334

Chapter 334

isy’s POV)

I genuinely wanted to walk away.

There wasn’t a single sentence I could imagine Aria producing that would fix anything, that would make the last several months feel different, softer,

survivable in hindsight. Nothing in the English language, or any language, probably.

But I stayed.

I couldn’t have told you exactly why. I just turned away from her instead, facing back out toward the dark, and let the silence stretch between us. A few seconds later, I heard her settle at a distance beside me, close enough that I caught her in the corner of my eye, far enough that neither of us had to fully

commit to this being a conversation yet.

I know there’s nothing I can say, Aria said quietly, “that makes any of this better. Nothing that takes things back to how they were.

It landed strangely, hearing my own exact thought handed back to me in her voice.

“But I want you to know I’m sorry,” she continued. “And I understand if that means nothing to you anymore. Honestly, it has every right to. You have every right to dismiss every word I say tonight. But I don’t have another option except to say them anyway, and hope you don’t.”

I stayed quiet, tension coiling tighter with every sentence.

Imade mistakes. Mistakes that hurt you in ways I’ll never forgive myself for. I almost killed you. Her voice wavered slightly. “As insane as this sounds, I’m grateful you survived. Not because it lets me off easily it doesn’t – but because it means I still have a chance to try to make this right. Without that, I’d have spent the rest of my life drowning in regret until it finally finished the job for me. But none of that changes what I did. None of it undoes how much of a burden I’ve been to someone who never deserved any of it. Especially someone as good as you.”

“You’re not buying me over with sweet words,” I said, sharper than I meant to. “None of this changes anything. I fell for what came out of your mouth once already. I believed you. I won’t make that mistake twice.”

She nodded, something breaking gently across her expression.

“I know,” she murmured. “I understand. I just don’t know what else to do. I know my words don’t carry weight anymore. I know anything I do now looks suspicious by default. She sniffed, quiet for a moment before continuing. “I don’t expect forgiveness. That’s entirely yours to give or withhold. But waiting for it, not knowing, is its own kind of torture, because the guilt doesn’t stop. You never deserved anything I did to you. I was blinded, pushed by my father, chasing something that was never actually going to be given to me. I didn’t see the friendship I was destroying. I only saw the chance to finally be loved by him. I didn’t see the good thing that had already come into my life, because I was too busy chasing something that would never come. I only understood who actually mattered after I’d already chosen to hurt them instead.”

A pause.

“And then it turns out you’re my sister. Which just makes me an even darker kind of demon.

I wanted to turn and look at her. I didnt, not fully cautious, still, unwilling to give that much.

I kam you will doubt me, Aria said. And you’re right to. I know you don’t believe I’m actually here to help. So if this is too much, tell me to leave I dont want to. I don’t want to walk away and spend every day not knowing if you re okay. But if that’s what gives you peace, I’ll go. I’ll keep hoping from a

dietatis instead.

OLG

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15:04 Fri, Sep 4 M.

Chapter 334

Silence followed.

The footsteps, retreating.

I didn’t turn to watch her go. I just listened until the sound faded completely, and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I stood thi

true, the

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