Chapter 38
Yuna
“That’s The Dangerous Part”
The next evening felt… peaceful.
I didn’t feel like I was fighting to get out of here.
Emily had a lot to do with that.
I’d spent the entire day with her and Lil Z, and I had to admit something I didn’t expect.
Having her here felt better than if Ares had let my cousin come.
I loved my cousin, but she would’ve brought drama, questions, and a thousand opinions about everything going on in my life.
Emily brought calm.
She laughed easily. Talked about regular shit. Let Lil Z run around the estate freely now that my momma was gone, and honestly, her and Zay weren’t wrong for keeping him away.
Right now, we are sitting on the balcony outside my room, feet soaking in warm bowls while two quiet women work on our nails.
The staff here barely spoke English.
Which made the whole thing feel even more private.
Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way" drifted out from somewhere inside the house.
The sky was turning pink and gold over the water.
And Lil Z was running back and forth across the secured balcony with a toy car in his hand, making engine noises under his breath.
Emily watched him with that soft smile she always had when she looked at her son.
I noticed it a lot today.
The way she loved him.
The way she moved was slower sometimes because of her disability, but she never complained about it.
She didn’t let it define her.
Not once.
“I like you here,” I admitted quietly.
Emily looked over at me.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
She laughed softly.
“Well damn. That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “It’s been comforting having you and Lil Z here.”
She smiled, leaning back in the chair.
The nail technician finished painting the last coat on my toes and stood up quietly with the other woman.
They spoke softly in French to each other before gathering their things and stepping back inside.
Now it was just the two of us and the sound of the ocean.
Emily stretched her legs out.
“You never answered my question from last night.”
I looked over at her.
“What question?”
“Why did your mama keep talking about arranged marriages?”
I let out a slow breath.
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “About that.”
Emily waited.
I glanced toward the balcony door just to make sure nobody was nearby.
Then I looked back at her.
“I know my brother likes to keep things away from you,” I said. “He thinks he’s protecting you.”
Emily nodded slowly.
“He does.”
“But as a woman,” I continued, “and as your friend, I’m not going to do that.”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Do what?”
“Lie to you.”
I leaned back in my chair.
“My family does arranged marriages with other families to gain power.”
Emily blinked and sat up straighter. “Wait. Are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
Her face twisted in confusion. “And your mom keeps bringing that up because…?”
I swallowed.
“Just know it isn’t Zay. I’m the one who’s supposed to do it.”
Emily stared at me. “With who?”
My eyes drifted toward the ocean for a second before I answered.
“Ares.”
Emily leaned forward slowly.
“You’re telling me you’re being forced to marry him?”
“Yeah.”
“Like, actually marry him?”
“Yeah.”
She shook her head. “Wait… hold on.”
Her brain was clearly trying to catch up.
“You don’t want to be with him?”
“No.” I laughed softly, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “I mean… I had him before. One night in Vegas. But… I barely know the man.”
Emily leaned back in her chair again, staring out toward the water.
Little Zay ran past us again, completely happy in his own world.
After a few seconds, she spoke again.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Please.”
She turned toward me. “I heard things about Ares through the girls in the modeling industry.”
My eyebrows lifted slightly.
“What things?”
“That he treats women good.”
I frowned. “Girl, money don’t make a man good.”
She shrugged.
“I’m serious. I’ve heard people say he’s charming. That he’s respectful. He doesn’t hit women. He knows how to love.”
I rolled my eyes a little.
“Emily, that man had six girlfriends. That’s not love.”
“If you say so, sis,” she said calmly. “But from what I can tell, he’s not using his power to treat you like shit.”
I didn’t respond.
She continued.
“Look… You know I’ve been with Zay since we were teenagers. I know what it looks like when a powerful man doesn’t respect women.” Her eyes softened slightly. “Ares doesn’t look at you like that.”
I picked at the edge of the towel wrapped around my calf. “You don’t know him. He’s not Zay.”
“Neither do you.”
Emily leaned forward a little.
“You’re walking into something big,” she said gently. “I can see that much.”
I looked down at my hands.
“But don’t walk into it already hating the man.”
Across the estate somewhere below, I could see lights flicking on around the property as the sun finally dipped under the horizon.
My eyes wandered across the grounds, and I noticed Ares.
Walking across the courtyard below with Zacian, both of them deep in conversation.
Even from this distance, he carried himself like a leader.
We watched them for a moment.
Emily spoke quietly beside me.
“Sometimes the man you’re scared of loving is the one who ends up protecting you from everybody else.”
I didn’t answer.
Because the dangerous part wasn’t that Emily might be right.
The dangerous part was realizing how easy it would be to find out.