The weight of the file on her pillow pressed down on Aria like a curse.
She stared at the thick manila folder long after Julian's silhouette disappeared down the hallway. The room was cold—too cold for June—and the city lights outside blurred into a mosaic of gold and shadow. Her heart beat too fast, but the questions twisted tighter than the cuffs Julian had once slapped on her wrists.
Why was her father's ledger in Julian's possession?
What secrets had he been hiding all along?
And most terrifying of all—how deep did their connection go?
—
She tore open the folder, hands trembling.
The first page was a handwritten ledger, precise and neat, the ink faded but the intent clear. Names, numbers, transactions—money funneled through offshore accounts, bribes disguised as "consulting fees," and worse. Her father's name appeared near the top, along with Julian's.
Aria's breath caught.
This wasn't just a ledger.
It was a map of betrayal.
She flipped through pages filled with familiar names, all tied to a web of corruption, greed, and power.
Then her phone buzzed—a message from an unknown number.
"You're playing a dangerous game. Stop before it's too late."
Her hands shook. Who was watching her?
—
Julian's office door clicked behind her.
She barely had time to shove the folder under the bed before he stepped in, calm but unreadable.
"Found something interesting?" His voice was low, teasing—but there was an edge, razor-sharp.
Aria swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze.
"I know about the ledger," she said flatly.
He raised an eyebrow. "You're quicker than I thought."
"Why do you have it?"
"Protection." Julian stepped closer, eyes darkening. "Not for me. For you."
She laughed, a bitter sound. "Protection? By spying on my family? On me?"
"On you."
He stopped inches from her. "Aria, you're not a pawn. You're a queen. And queens need shields."
She wanted to scream, to fight, but all she did was shake her head.
"You don't get to play savior. Not after everything."
Julian's jaw tightened, but he didn't push. Instead, he reached out, fingers brushing her cheek—soft, almost tentative.
"Then tell me what you want," he whispered.
Aria's breath caught.
"I want the truth," she said.
—
Julian hesitated.
Then, for the first time, the mask slipped.
He sat down, palms on the desk, looking smaller somehow.
"You want the truth?" he said, voice rough. "The real truth?"
Aria nodded, every fiber taut with anticipation.
Julian's story spilled out—shattered memories, broken promises, and a darkness buried beneath layers of wealth and power.
How his father had built an empire on deceit, how Victor Lane was once his closest ally, then bitter enemy.
How Aria's family was tangled in the same web, victims and perpetrators alike.
"But I never wanted you to get caught in it," Julian said, voice cracking. "I tried to keep you safe."
She stared at him.
"Safe?" The word tasted like poison.
"How many lies did you tell me? How many times did you let me believe you were the only thing I could trust?"
Julian's eyes burned.
"Because I am."
The room seemed to shrink around them.
—
Suddenly, the office door slammed open.
A man stepped inside.
Tall. Broad. Dark eyes that glittered with menace.
"Julian," he said, voice cold as ice. "We have a problem."
Julian's face hardened.
"Is this about the merger?"
Wider than she expected, Julian's world was more dangerous than she imagined.
The man nodded.
"They've leaked. Someone's trying to sabotage the deal."
Julian's hand clenched into a fist.
"Do you know who?"
The man glanced at Aria.
"Maybe. But it's not just business anymore. It's personal."
—
The threat wasn't from outside.
It was from within.
Someone close.
Someone who wanted them both broken.
—
Aria felt the sting of betrayal closing in.
And somewhere deep inside, a fire lit.