By the time Aria stepped out of the car, her head was pounding.
The drive back had felt longer than it actually was. Every second inside that car had been filled with the echoes of her parents’ voices. Their words didn’t leave her. They never did. They stayed, repeating themselves over and over, digging deeper each time.
The guards opened the door for her, but she barely noticed. She walked past them without a word, her steps quick, uneven.
Inside the mansion, everything looked the same.
Clean. Quiet. Controlled.
Like nothing had happened.
But she didn’t feel the same.
Her chest felt tight. Her throat burned. Her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. Not here. Not where anyone could see.
She just needed to get to the room.
That was all.
One step. Then another.
She didn’t look arou
