THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN의 모든 챕터: 챕터 51 - 챕터 60

~ETHAN'S POV~Ethan stood near the exit long after the last applause faded, watching security complete their rounds. The guards nodded with practiced loyalty, doors were sealed, lights dimmed in sections, and the once buzzing hall slowly returned to silence. Everything was in order. Perfect. Just the way he liked it. Control was power, and tonight he had held it firmly in his hands.Vanessa slipped her arm through his as they walked out together.“You did well,” she said, her voice smooth, pleased. “Everyone was impressed.”Ethan allowed himself a small smile. “They should be. This was my night.”Outside, the cool air brushed against his face as he opened the car door for her. Vanessa slid in gracefully, the faint scent of wine and perfume lingering around her. He closed the door, walked around, and took his seat behind the wheel. As the engine came alive, so did the thrill pulsing through his chest.They drove off, the city lights blurring past them.Vanessa leaned back, crossing her

~LUCA'S POV~My eyes opened and the ceiling stared back at me, but my mind was already elsewhere. A hospital room. White sheets. A girl I had knocked down by mistake and left behind with an apology that felt far too small for the moment it belonged to.I sat up slowly, running a hand over my face. Sleep had not done much for me. The image of her lying still on the road had replayed itself too many times in my head. I told myself she was fine. She had been conscious. Her father had not shouted. The doctors had not rushed her into emergency. Still, the weight stayed.“I should go see her,” I muttered to myself.The decision felt settled the moment I said it out loud.I pushed myself out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom. The water from the shower came down warm and steady, washing over my shoulders as I stood there longer than usual. I tried to clear my head, but my thoughts kept drifting back. I wondered if she had slept at all. If she was in pain. If she hated me for what hap

Vanessa’s heels clicked sharply against the polished floor as she strode into Harboline Imports, the exhaustion from last night’s stay at Ethan’s apartment barely registering. The echoes of her shoes seemed louder than her thoughts, and she caught a few curious glances from colleagues as she passed by. Her hair was perfectly in place, makeup flawless, but her eyes carried a burning edge that hinted at the tension beneath.She reached Aria’s desk and paused. The chair was empty. She narrowed her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips.She thinks she could just stroll into work whenever she pleases?The thought alone made Vanessa’s blood simmer with quiet anger. She tightened her grip on her handbag and marched straight toward Rowan’s office. The door opened with a soft creak, and there he was, seated behind the desk, papers stacked neatly, completely absorbed in some documents.“Mr. Rowan,” she began, her voice sharp yet controlled. “I need to talk to you about Amelia. She is not here

“Finally,” the voice on the other end said, urgent and impatient. “I want my share, Ethan. I want it now.”Ethan’s jaw tightened. He spoke low, controlled, every word deliberate. “You have my attention. How much exactly are we talking about?”“Thirty thousand dollars. And I mean thirty thousand right now,” the voice snapped. “Don’t test me, Ethan. You know what happens if you step out of line.”Ethan ran a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. The weight of this call pressed down on him, sharper than any deal he had ever negotiated. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. This was the same person who had warned him, the same person who had been quiet until now, watching him grow more successful than expected. Trust was thin. Danger was close.“All right,” Ethan said finally, his tone low, precise, almost cold. “I’ll need your account number.” He jotted it down quickly, his sharp eyes scanning the numbers as he typed them into his secure banking app. The tension in his shoulders eased fractio

“Miles?” Clara’s voice cut through the low hum of the classroom, sharp and deliberate. She tapped her pen against her notebook. “Miles, are you even listening to me?”Miles did not respond. His eyes stayed fixed on the empty seat beside him, where Anna usually sat. A subtle tension curled around his jaw as his mind wandered. Was she home safely last night? Was she hurt? The memory of her stumbling slightly while jogging last weekend replayed vividly in his thoughts. He could not shake the feeling that something about her safety now depended on him.Clara leaned closer, her voice dropping just enough to sound conspiratorial. “Miles, you know you are thinking about her again, right? Do you ever think about anything else?”Miles’s gaze flicked briefly toward her, but his face remained neutral, unreadable, almost cold. No smile, no glance, nothing.Clara huffed, crossing her arms. Deep down, she knew what he was trying to do get too close to Anna, too protective, too involved. And that th