LUCA
The headline ticker scrolled relentlessly at the bottom— “Mason Auriélle CEO Caught in Explosive Scandal: Fans Demand Justice.” The studio footage looped again and again and I saw people screaming, throwing fruit, bottles, anything they could grab. I imagined Aria standing there alone in the middle of the chaos, trying to shield her face while the crowd roared like animals.
My heart broke at the news.
Darrel didn’t say a word. He just watched with me, jaw tight, until the segment ended and something else came up. When I finally looked at him, his eyes were already on me.
“Go,” he said quietly. “I won’t stop you this time.”
I didn’t wait for more. I bolted from the laundromat without saying a word more.
The human world felt darker than ever at that moment. You could be the stron
