The night air was thick with the kind of tension that made Aria’s skin crawl. She stood in her penthouse living room, the light was dim and the headlines from the evening’s news displayed from her muted TV. Daniel’s face was everywhere—on the news, on social media, in whispers that floated through her firm.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, Jerry’s final words from earlier kept replaying:
"Someone who believes in you. That’s enough for now."
She should have pushed harder. Demanded more. But the tenderness in his voice had quieted her doubts—for the moment.
She sprang out of her thoughts as the sound on the door came through. Knock.
She hesitated.
Then again—firmer this time.
Crossing the room, she opened it cautiously.
Isabelle stood there, wrapped in a navy trench coat, hai
