ARIA
The doors close, cutting off her screams.
The ballroom remains silent for a heartbeat.
Then the whispers explode.
I'm frozen, unable to move or speak. That was my sister. My twin. And she just...
"Aria." Dante's voice cuts through my shock. "Breathe."
I realize I'm not breathing. I gasp, pulling air into my lungs.
"I need... I need to..."
"Come with me." He's already guiding me toward a side exit, away from the staring crowd. "Now."
We slip into a private corridor. The sounds of the gala fade behind us, as it is replaced by blessed quiet.
"I'm sorry," Dante says. "Viktor was supposed to prevent that. She must have found a way past..."
"She looked insane." My voice is shaking. "Dante, she looked completely unhinged."
"She's self-destructing. Exactly as I predicted she would
