TIARA MCKENZIE'S (SOLA FRITZ'S) POINT OF VIEWThe wheels kissed the tarmac like they knew not to test me. Paris sparkled ahead, all runway lights and velvet pretense. I didn't exhale until the jet settled. Beneath that skyline, glittering like a lie, I already felt the pull. Not romance. Not nostalgia. Just war.I stepped out wrapped in a trench that made statements without needing subtitles. The cameras clicked so fast the air itself stuttered. Paparazzi screamed my name like I owed them blood. I didn't glance back. Let them play catch-up with silence.Security parted the chaos, and I walked like I owned every damn tile beneath me. The terminal reeked of airport perfume and ambition. Somewhere behind me, someone whispered, "That's her." No fucking kidding. The city had been waiting.I caught a glimpse of myself in the polished glass wall before stepping into the car. Eyes guarded. Jaw locked. I looked every inch like the threat I'd spent years becoming. My phone pinged in my clutch.
SOLA'S POINT OF VIEWThe flight home was sterile, thick with false calm. Every vibration of the engine felt exaggerated, like the plane itself was trying to whisper something to me. The air smelled of recycled nerves and cabin pressure, but it was the quiet that unnerved me most. There were no crying babies, no loud businessmenbusinessmen, just silence and the low hum of something I couldn't name. I stared out the window as clouds broke around us, feeling the gravity of everything I had left behind.Shanghai shimmered below in its smog-laced glory, the city slipping away like a half-remembered lie. Eli's face flashed behind my eyes, that smirk, that stare, that f**king cryptic way of speaking like he knew exactly what would happen next. His words clung to me, wrapping around my ribs and sinking in deep. We hadn't touched, not really, but I felt the echo of him in my bones. I hated how much I remembered.The tea beside me had long gone cold. I hadn't taken a sip, hadn't moved beyond th
TIARA MCKENZIES' POINT OF VIEWShanghai's skyline pierced the clouds like blades of steel. Towering high-rises gleamed beneath a cloudy afternoon sun as my flight descended onto the tarmac. The transition through customs had been seamless. Just another perk of flying under an alias reinforced by layers of digital camouflage and legal paperwork. A black car waited for me at the arrivals gate, sleek and spotless. I offered only a brief nod to the driver before sliding into the back seat, my silicone mask warm against my skin, topped with a silk scarf and oversized tinted glasses.The ride through the city was a blur of glass towers, neon reflections, and electric signs. My coat was crisp and belted, my gloves tight. I played the part well. Power. Authority. Intimidation. The weight of it never lessened, no matter how many times I wore the armor.We pulled up to the hotel, one of the city's most opulent, shielded behind tall hedges and tinted windows. Inside, the concierge greeted me wit
SOLA FRITZ'S (TIARA MCKENZIE) POINT OF VIEWThe drive home was slow, the city lights of Manila blurring behind the tinted windows of the car. I sat in the backseat, my fingers tightening around the edge of my coat as thoughts spun violently in my head. I replayed every moment of the board meeting. Eli's voice still echoed in my ears. The way his gaze cut straight through the mask like a blade.How did his name escape my radar? I reviewed every board document. Every acquisition report. I signed off on every shareholder adjustment. Elijah Rivero's name had never once appeared until today. Had he hidden behind a proxy investor? Was he planted long before I even knew it? My grip on the coat twisted. That wasn't the only question clawing at me.Was he the one who left the message on Genesis's drawing? Was it a warning or a threat? And if it was him, what was he trying to do? If he was truly hunting the remaining Irenic members, what did he want with us? Closure? Revenge? Justice? Or was I
TIARA MCKENZIES' POINT OF VIEWThe Manila sunset bled gold across my office windows, spilling over the endless sea of blueprints and investment reports stacked on my desk. I sipped from my now-lukewarm mug of coffee, the bitter taste grounding me as I flipped through fabric samples, market trend reports, and investment proposals for the upcoming spring collection under Sola Fritz. Every detail needed to be perfect. The fabric texture, stitching quality, logistics partnerships, marketing rollout schedules. I cross-referenced financial statements with supplier quotes, making quick annotations with a red pen, muttering corrections under my breath. There was a steady rhythm to it: review, correct, approve, repeat. My fingers flew over the keyboard, cross-referencing supplier invoices with updated logistical contracts. Digital swatches flickered across the screen, projected beside real samples laid out meticulously across my desk. I glanced up briefly at the spreadsheet pinned on the wall,
TIARA (SOLA'S) POINT OF VIEWThree years had passed.The shadows of the past still lingered, but time had carved out a peaceful life far away from the bloodshed. In a private, tucked-away neighborhood in Manila, surrounded by swaying mango trees and bougainvillea-draped fences, we found something we never thought we'd have again.Peace.It wasn't the flashy kind, or the kind that came with security details and steel walls. No, it was simpler than that. It was the smell of breakfast drifting from the kitchen. The distant laughter of children playing down the street. The soft clink of coffee mugs on ceramic tiles. The morning radio buzzing with upbeat tunes and gossiping anchors.I stood on the balcony of our modest, modern house. The sun warmed my skin, and the wind ruffled my loose white shirt as I sipped on hot tea. Behind me, I could hear the gentle hum of life inside. Somewhere, tucked into a quiet corner of the house, she was probably coloring with Cameron, her little giggles brig