ARIA'S POV
The limo ride to the press conference was quiet at first. The tension between us wasn’t sharp, it was more like a low hum, like static clinging to my skin. Kane sat beside me, calm as ever, scrolling through his tablet. Meanwhile, I was still caught in the echo of the almost-kiss. His breath, his closeness. The way he pulled away like it meant nothing.
Why did it sting? Why did it feel like rejection?
"I need you to stay close to me.." he said suddenly, eyes still on the screen.
I turned to him, blinking out of my spiral. "What?"
"At the conference, stay close. Let me take the lead when questions come flying. Just… trust me" he said, not unkindly just Kane-like. Flat and calculated, but there was something there… something softer beneath it all.
I nodded, not because I wan
