MasukThe Next MorningAria woke up before her alarm.For a few seconds, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.Then she remembered.She was home.A small smile appeared on her face.She turned onto her side and looked around the room.Everything was beautiful. The large windows. The soft curtains. The neatly arranged furniture. Even the flowers on the bedside table.It was supposed to feel like home.But it didn't yet.Maybe it would take time.Five years was a long time to be away from everything.Aria slowly sat up.She touched her face and sighed.Last night had been overwhelming.The celebration.The people.The food.The hugs.The stories.And Damian.She frowned.She hadn't meant to think about him again.But somehow, his name had found its way into her mind before she'd even gotten out of bed.She shook her head.“Enough.”She got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.After taking a shower, she changed into a simple cream blouse and black trousers.When she came downstairs, Eleano
Four Years Later The gates of the correctional facility slowly opened. Aria Carter stepped outside. For a moment, she simply stood there. Free. After five long years, she was finally free. She looked ahead. And then she saw them. Grandma Eleanor. And Ethan Cole. They were standing near the car, waiting for her. The moment Aria's eyes landed on Eleanor, tears immediately rolled down her cheeks. “Grandma…” Eleanor didn't say a word. She rushed toward her. Aria opened her arms, and Eleanor pulled her into a tight embrace. “My darling.” Aria broke down in her arms. “I’m free,” she whispered through her tears. “Yes, my love.” “I’m finally free.” Eleanor held her tighter. Aria cried against her shoulder. Ethan stood beside them, his eyes filled with emotion. When Eleanor finally released her, Ethan stepped forward. He placed a comforting hand on Aria's shoulder. “It's alright now.” Aria looked at him through tear-filled eyes. Ethan smiled gently. “Everything is a
9:00 A.M. — Cross Empire Headquarters The elevator doors opened. Damian Cross stepped out. The employees immediately straightened. “Good morning, Mr. Cross.” Damian gave a brief nod as he walked past them. “Morning.” His assistant followed closely behind him, holding a tablet. “Your meeting with the board begins in ten minutes. The Singapore acquisition documents have also arrived for your signature, and Mr. Harrison is waiting for confirmation regarding the European expansion.” Damian didn't slow down. “Move the Harrison call to noon.” “Yes, Mr. Cross.” “And send the Singapore documents to my office.” “Yes, sir.” Damian entered his office. The glass doors closed behind him. For a moment, silence filled the room. His eyes moved toward the city outside. One year. An entire year had passed. A year since Aria had been taken away. A year since the trial. A year since he had watched the woman he loved disappear from his life. In the beginning, forgetting her had been
One Year Later7:30 A.M. — Women's Correctional FacilityThe sound of the morning bell echoed through the prison.Aria opened her eyes.For a few seconds, she remained still.Then she slowly sat up.One year.It had been one year since the courtroom.One year since the judge had looked at her and sentenced her to five years in prison.One year since she had watched the handcuffs close around her wrists.One year since she had walked away from the life she once knew.Aria looked around the small cell.By now, she knew every corner of it.The narrow bed.The small window.The cold walls.The silence that came after the lights went out at night.In the beginning, she had hated all of it.She had hated waking up there.She had hated the uniforms.The rules.The locked doors.The constant reminder that she couldn't simply walk away.For the first few months, she had counted the days.Then the weeks.Then the months.Eventually, she stopped counting.Not because she had forgotten how long s
5:40 P.M. — Cross MansionThe Cross Mansion was unusually quiet when Grandma Eleanor returned home.For the first time in a long while, there was no sound of conversation coming from the living room.No staff moving about.No music playing softly in the background.Only silence.Eleanor slowly stepped inside.She had barely taken a few steps when she noticed Damian sitting alone in the living room.He was seated on one of the sofas, his tie loosened and the top buttons of his shirt undone.A glass rested in his hand.A bottle of liquor sat on the table in front of him.Grandma Eleanor stopped.Her heart tightened.Damian wasn't drunk.Not yet.But she could tell he was trying to become numb.He lifted the glass and took another drink without looking in her direction.Eleanor stood there for several seconds before walking toward him.She placed her handbag on the table and slowly sat down across from him.“Damian.”He didn't respond.His eyes remained fixed on the glass in his hand.“D
1:30 P.M. — High CourtLucas Walter sat at the defendant's table, his hands locked together.For most of the day, he had watched Aria's case unfold.Now, the attention had shifted to him.And unlike Aria, Lucas had spent years believing he could always find a way out.A loophole.A lie.Someone else to blame.Today, there was nowhere left to hide.The judge opened the final case file.“Mr. Lucas Walter, please stand.”Lucas rose slowly.His lawyer stood beside him.Across the courtroom, Aria watched quietly.Lucas refused to look at her.The judge adjusted his glasses.“This court has reviewed the evidence presented concerning your involvement in the criminal conspiracy with Aria Carter, the fraudulent establishment and operation of AC Holdings, the manipulation of financial records, and the deliberate financial attack against Cross Empire.”Lucas's jaw tightened.The judge continued.“The court has also reviewed your recorded confession and the evidence surrounding the kidnapping and
The next morning.Lucas Walter’s private office.The room smelled faintly of espresso and leather. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, sunlight spilling in, but the mood inside was anything but bright.Lucas stood by the window, arms crossed.Daniel Pete sat casually on the edge of the de
9:30 AM. St. Nicholas Hospital.Aria walked into the fourth-floor wing with purpose. She was dressed for battle in a blood-red blazer and wide-leg trousers, her hair slicked back into a flawless, severe ponytail.She reached the nurses' station, ready to breezily sign in and march to Room 4.But as
2:15 PM. St. Nicholas Hospital, ICU.The rhythmic whoosh-click of the ventilator was the only sound in the dimly lit room.Aria locked the door behind her with a soft click. She moved with the efficiency of an assassin, placing her Chanel purse on the chair and retrieving the vial of muscle relaxan
8:30 PM. The Cross Mansion Aria stormed through the front door, tossing her Chanel bag onto the foyer table with enough force to knock over a small vase. It didn’t break, but the clatter echoed sharply in the quiet apartment.Damian was in the living room, nursing a tumbler of whiskey. He looked u







