All Chapters of For What Still Burns : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Aria 6 Years Later Elena screams, startling me into a scream and we both scream. It’s high-pitched and chaotic, echoing off the tiled walls of the bakery and startling a poor elderly man in line holding a croissant like it’s suddenly turned into a weapon. “This bakery has a Michelin star, y’all!” Elena shouts, and for a moment, I just blink at her, unsure if I’ve heard right. The room explodes into cheers. Applause rings out like confetti, bouncing between display cases and hanging plants. My staff starts yelling my name, whooping and whistling. Someone starts clapping in a rhythm like it’s a football match. My heart is racing. I can’t feel my legs. “What?” I whisper, looking down at the notification Elena’s shoved into my hand. The words Michelin Guide and Joie Du Sucre are right there on the screen. Real. Unmistakable. “Elena,” I breathe, “we did it. We actually—” “We freaking did it!” she screams again, throwing her arms around me in a tackle-hug that nearly sends us crashin

Chapter 3: AriaAdrian walks me to my door, his shoulder brushing gently against mine as we slow to a stop. The night air is still laced with the perfume of gardenias from the ball, and there's a kind of lull in the silence between us.“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks softly, turning to face me. “It’s been six years. Seeing him again… that must’ve been jarring.”I offer him a smile. “I’m okay, Adrian… really. A bit shaken, sure. But it’s been six years. I’m… unaffected.”He raises an eyebrow. “Unbothered Aria, huh?”I shrug lightly. “Unbothered. Evolved. Transcended,” I add with a dry chuckle.Adrian narrows his eyes at me, unconvinced. “If you’re so transcendent, then why not come out to Xavier’s club with us tonight? You know he likes you. Free drinks, no pretences. Loud music, low lighting, and terrible decisions. What more could a girl want?”I groan, laughing as I lean against my doorframe. “Oh come on. I just want to be home, wash my face, FaceTime my mom, and let the Micheli

FlashbackThe thing about Blackwood Academy was that it never made space for anyone. You either carved a place out for yourself or you vanished into the lacquered hallways and designer uniforms like wallpaper.Aria was determined not to vanish but she was off to a bad start.She was late, first of all. Not by much but just enough to make her feel like everyone was already watching, already whispering. She’d taken a wrong turn trying to find her Honours English class and ended up in what could only be described as the Aristocrat Wing , the marble floors, oil paintings of dead donors, and the distant sound of violin practice bleeding through the walls.This place is ridiculous.She turned a corner ,missed a step and tripped, her satchel sliding from her shoulder, papers scattering across the polished hallway floor. She muttered a curse under her breath and crouched to gather them, cheeks hot, praying no one had seen.Of course someone had.“I don’t think the hallway offended you,” came

AriaThe restaurant is low-lit, all golden warmth and soft jazz, the kind of place that makes you feel like you're living in a Vogue spread. The air smells like truffle fries and overpriced ambition. I'm sandwiched in a booth between two of the most chaotic women I know.Tonight? I’m good. I’ve got a red dress, a tall glass of sangria, and friends who never let me drown.Karissah raises her glass. “To us, French fries, and absolutely no male species”We clink. Hard.Elena laughs into her mojito, eyes sparkling. “You are so extra.”Karissah flips her braids over one shoulder with exaggerated elegance. “Thank you. I do try.”“So,” I say, leaning back. “What’s the latest from the battlefield?”Karissah grins like she’s been waiting all week for this question. “Okay, so remember that guy I told you about…the one with the sleeve tattoos and the six-pack and the vocabulary of a small-town priest?”Elena groans. “Please don’t say you're still talking to him.”“Oh, I’m not talking,” Karissah

FlashbackIt was an afternoon like any other, but Damien couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Aria was sitting on the edge of the fountain, sketching something in her notebook. She was deep in concentration, her fingers moving gracefully across the pages as the soft breeze tugged at her hair, which fell in perfect waves around her shoulders. Damien stared at her, completely absorbed, his thoughts momentarily consumed by how effortlessly beautiful she was. It wasn’t just her looks though she had those, in abundance, but the way she existed in the world, with an ease and confidence that drew everyone’s attention without her ever trying.“You’re doing it again, man,” Jake muttered, nudging him with an elbow. “You’ve been staring at her for the last five minutes. What’s the deal with you two?”Damien blinked, slightly caught off guard. He hadn’t realized how obvious he was being. “What can I say? She’s... incredible.”Jake raised an eyebrow. “Incredible? Dude, you sound like a broken rec