Semua Bab THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN: Bab 11 - Bab 20

~SIENNA'S POV~Time here had no meaning. The men who took her rarely spoke; their voices came muffled through the steel door, sharp and hushed, followed by the sound of keys jingling and boots scraping across the floor. Every few hours, they’d shove a tray of food toward her greasy, cold, untouched. She refused to eat. Refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.Her throat burned from thirst, yet she turned away from every glass of murky water they left. Her lips were cracked, her skin pale, her once-bright eyes dimmed but still defiant. The bruises on her arms told stories of struggle of how she’d fought when they dragged her off the street, blindfolded and gagged, before throwing her into this underground cell.Occasionally, she could hear the distant hum of engines above, the faint rumble of voices — proof that she wasn’t buried too deep beneath the city. She tried counting the seconds between sounds, desperate for something to anchor her sanity.That evening, the

The academy’s courtyard was alive with chatter. Students in new uniforms, parents adjusting ties and fixing hair, teachers directing the crowd with rehearsed smiles. The banners read Matriculation Day, but the tension and excitement beneath them felt far more personal.Chairman Victor Haynes stepped out of his car to a wave of bowed heads and murmured greetings. Staff members straightened themselves the moment they spotted him. Respect followed him like a shadow.But the real center of attention was his son, Miles Haynes, an 18-year-old teen unimaginably privileged, and very aware of it.His posture was perfect, his uniform flawless, his eyes sharp. A group of boys whispered near the entrance, giving him a wide path as he walked with his chin held just slightly higher than necessary.“Move,” Miles said flatly when a one student blocked his way without noticing. The boy scrambled aside, stuttering apologies as Miles passed without a second glance.Victor watched him with a quiet, unrea

The room was still, suffocating, and coated in the smell of damp concrete. Sienna sat on the cold floor, wrists bruised from the ropes.Tonight, there were only two masked guards assigned to her but one had stepped out, leaving the younger one behind.He sat slouched in a metal chair, his arms folded, his mask crooked on his face as if he had worn it for too many hours. His eyes fluttered open and closed in slow, unsteady intervals. He was losing the fight against sleep, and Sienna knew it.She watched him carefully, letting her breathing stay shallow, almost trembling. Then she whispered, letting her voice crack in just the right places.“Please. I need to use the washroom.”The guard did not respond at first. His head dropped forward before he jerked upright, blinking in confusion. Sienna repeated her plea, softer this time, as if her strength was slipping away.“Please. I can’t hold it. I am begging you.”He rubbed his forehead with the back of his glove. His movements were sluggis

The cold evening air bit into Sienna’s skin as she sprinted barefoot across the rough ground, her breath breaking in sharp bursts. For a moment she thought she had outrun fate. The trees thinned ahead. Freedom was so close she could almost taste it.Then she heard it, the furious shout behind her.“THERE SHE IS!”Her heart stopped.Heavy footsteps thundered after her. Branches slapped her arms as she pushed forward with everything she had left. But exhaustion was eating her alive. Days of refusing food and water had drained her strength. Her vision blurred. Her legs wobbled. She stumbled forward, desperate, terrified.A hand caught her wrist like a steel trap.“No,” she whispered, voice cracking.She was yanked backward so violently she fell to her knees. Gravel tore her skin. Another hand fisted her hair, dragging her up. She cried out, unable to swallow the pain anymore.“You thought you could run?” the leader snarled. His mask couldn’t hide the venom dripping from his voice. “You r

Victor sat at the head of the polished table, his expression sharp as he reviewed the latest financial documents. Ethan stood beside him, arms folded, trying to calm the tightness in his chest.“We are approaching the end of our grace period,” Victor said, shutting the folder. “The debts must be settled soon. Our partners agreed to cover us temporarily because they profit from our illegal operations, but their patience is running thin.”Ethan leaned forward. “We need a fresh investor. Someone credible enough to distract the board and wealthy enough to stabilize our accounts.”Victor slid a new file across the table. “Caleb Ryder. Independent, ambitious, and hungry for recognition. If we make him feel valued, he will think this partnership elevates his status.”Ethan flipped through the file, nodding. “He has the money. He has the ego. All we need is the right pitch.”“Exactly,” Victor said. “Call him.”Ethan dialed the number, putting the phone on speaker. The line rang twice.“Caleb R