Against the marble floor echoed the sound of her heels, through the empty law office as Aria stood in front of her desk, the files from the latest case spread out in front of her. Her gaze was unfocused, distracted and distant. The burden of the last few weeks and past months had taken its toll, and she felt herself being lost in it. She had won, yes. But what is the cost?
She had everything she wanted—control, power, the company—yet, deep down, the emptiness remained. The echo of Daniel’s betrayal, the war she had waged, and the persona she had built—it all left a void inside her. She wanted to scream, to break free from the cage she had locked herself in. There was nothing to break out.
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.
"Jerry’s here."
The message was from one of her assi
