THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN의 모든 챕터: 챕터 41 - 챕터 50

The low murmur inside the hall shifted the moment Vanessa walked in.It was not announced. No name was called. Yet something in the air changed instantly. Conversations softened. Heads turned. Even the servers slowed their steps as Vanessa crossed the entrance with a calm confidence that made it clear she was used to being noticed.Her dress was elegant, fitted perfectly, catching the lights without looking excessive. Her hair framed her face effortlessly, and her expression carried the ease of someone who belonged among powerful people. She did not scan the room or hesitate. She walked forward as if the night had been waiting for her.A staff member approached her quickly.“Ms Vanessa, please come with me.”Vanessa nodded and followed without question.Straight toward the VIP section.Aria felt her breath hitch.Her eyes followed every step Vanessa took, her focus narrowing until nothing else in the hall mattered. Investors sat upright as Vanessa passed. A few exchanged polite greeti

“Did you see that, Marcus?” Luca said, his voice tight with restrained excitement.Marcus laughed from the passenger seat, leaning back as the city lights slid across the windshield. “I saw everything. Victor’s signature alone could bury them. Ethan is finished if this comes out.”Luca kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel. “Not yet. We still need Aria to move carefully. Tonight was only the beginning.”Marcus nodded, tapping his phone. “She will not believe how clean the access was. West wing security is weaker than it looks. They rely too much on reputation.”“That is their mistake,” Luca replied. “They think power makes them invisible.”The car rolled smoothly through the quieter streets now, away from the noise of the conference. Luca exhaled slowly, the tension he had carried for hours finally easing.“We should call her,” Marcus said. “She deserves to know we succeeded.”“In a moment,” Luca answered. “Let me get us home first. I want a clear head when we talk.”Th

I ended the call with Luca slowly, my fingers lingering on the screen as if it might burn.Everything went well… until they hit a teenager.That sentence echoed in my head, louder than the music in the hall, louder than the polite applause that followed another meaningless announcement. My chest tightened. I tried to breathe normally, but the air felt heavy, almost suffocating.I slipped my phone back into my clutch and that was when I noticed it.Three missed calls.Unknown number.My heart skipped. Once was coincidence. Three times was intention.I barely took two steps before my shoulder slammed into someone.A sharp gasp followed, then the unmistakable sound of liquid splashing.“Oh my God,” a woman exclaimed.I looked up just in time to see red wine spreading across a cream colored designer dress.Vanessa.She froze, staring down at herself, then slowly lifted her head. Her eyes met mine, and for a second, recognition flickered. Then anger took over.“Are you blind?” she snapped.

~ETHAN'S POV~I felt the applause thinning out, the kind that comes when a ceremony is almost done and people are already thinking about drinks, handshakes, exits. The lights above the hall were warmer now, less intimidating than before. Victor stood close to me, his smile still fixed, his palm resting lightly on my shoulder as if to remind everyone that this moment belonged to us.“You did well,” he murmured. “They swallowed every word.”I nodded, my lips curving into something that looked like gratitude. Inside, I was already counting what this victory cost me.My phone vibrated in my pocket.Once. Then again.I frowned slightly. No one was supposed to call me now. I slipped the phone out discreetly, angling the screen away from Victor. Unknown number.I ignored it.It rang again.Victor leaned closer. “Everything alright?”“Of course,” I said quickly. “Probably a congratulatory call.”I stepped a little aside, just enough to answer without drawing attention. The moment I pressed th

~ARIA'S POV~The door closed behind me with a soft click, and for the first time since the evening began, the silence felt real. I leaned my back against the wood for a moment, breathing in slowly, letting the weight of the night settle into my bones. My feet ached, my head throbbed lightly, and my chest felt tight with everything I had swallowed back at the conference.I walked into my room and turned on the lamp beside the bed. The familiar glow spread across the walls, steady and calm, nothing like the harsh lights of Donovan Corp. I slipped off my shoes first, then my dress, letting it fall to the floor. The fabric felt heavier than it should have, as if it carried the stares, the whispers, the lies I had endured. I did not bother folding it. Tonight was not for order.I went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The sound of running water filled the space, drowning out the echoes of applause, Ethan’s voice, Victor’s satisfied smile, Vanessa’s slap, Daniel’s sudden pr