All Chapters of THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

~ARIA'S POV~The phone started ringing while water rushed over my head, warm and steady, drowning out everything else. At first I ignored it, thinking whoever it was could wait. Then it rang again, sharper this time, vibrating against the sink outside the shower. My heart skipped. Something about the timing felt wrong.“I am coming,” I muttered, rushing through the last rinse.By the time I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped out, the call had ended. I reached for my phone with wet fingers and frowned when I saw Luca’s name. Before I could overthink it, I hit redial.“Luca?” I said the moment he picked up. “What is it?”“Turn on the TV,” he replied, his voice tight but controlled. “Channel Seven News.”“What happened?” I asked, already moving toward the small table where the remote lay.He did not answer. The line went dead.“Luca?” I said to the silent phone. “Luca.”I stood there for a second, towel clutched to my chest, my heartbeat loud in my ears. The room felt suddenly sma

The kitchen was quiet, wrapped in a calm that only late evenings seemed to offer. Rowan stood by the counter with one hand resting on the marble surface as the kettle finished heating. The soft yellow light above him brushed over his relaxed frame, catching on the faint lines of concentration on his face. He wore a loose night wear shirt, slightly wrinkled from wear, the fabric falling comfortably over his shoulders. His lounge pants sat low on his waist, casual and unbothered. His hair was a mess of dark strands, one thick lock falling stubbornly over his right eye, giving him an unintentionally alluring look. His face carried no stress, only a quiet thoughtfulness that had become his signature.He spooned coffee into it with practiced ease, poured hot water, and stirred slowly, watching the steam rise as if it carried his thoughts with it.He added a slice of buttered toast on a small plate, lightly browned just the way he liked it. Simple comforts. Things that required no effort t

~MARGARET'S POV~I woke with a strange sense of restlessness, the kind that sat quietly in the chest and refused to be ignored. The curtains in the hotel room were half drawn, letting in soft morning light that brushed across the polished floor and the neatly made bed. I reached for my phone almost instinctively, Ethan’s name already forming in my mind before my fingers touched the screen.One missed call. Then another. Then a third.I frowned.“Ethan Cole,” I murmured to the empty room, my tone already sharpening, “when did you become this difficult to reach”I pressed call again and lifted the phone to my ear, pacing slowly near the window. It rang. And rang. Then went silent.I pulled the phone away and stared at it as if it had personally offended me.“So now you are too busy for your aunt,” I said aloud, folding one arm across my chest. “Or have you suddenly forgotten who raised you when no one else wanted the responsibility”I sat on the edge of the bed, shaking my head. My irri

“Do you have any idea what you are doing right now” Victor’s voice thundered through the phone as he paced across the length of his bedroom. “I paid you to clean this mess, not to sit there and tell me it is complicated”On the other end, the blogger sighed, his tone cautious. “Sir, the story is already everywhere. Multiple platforms picked it up within hours. Even if I post a counter piece, people will question it. The evidence looks convincing”Victor stopped walking. His grip tightened around the phone. “Convincing” he repeated slowly. “You mean the lies look convincing”“I am saying the public believes it,” the blogger replied. “Trying to erase it completely will only raise more suspicion”Victor laughed sharply, a sound that carried no humor. “So this is what my money bought me. Excuses”“Sir, please,” the blogger said. “I am doing my best. These things take time”“You have twenty four hours,” Victor snapped. “Twenty four. I do not care what you do. Twist it. Rewrite it. Turn me

~ARIA'S POV~“Good morning, Amelia,” someone said softly as I passed.I paused for half a second, surprised, then smiled. “Good morning.”Two steps later, another voice followed. “Morning, Amelia.”I smiled again, nodding. By the time I reached the elevator, I had greeted at least five people. My smile stayed on my face, but confusion stirred inside me. This was not how it usually went. People were polite before, but distant. Today, their eyes held warmth. Some even looked relieved.When I reached my desk, my colleague from the next cubicle hurried over with a cup in her hands.“I thought you might want coffee,” she said brightly. “It is still hot.”“That is kind of you,” I replied, touched. “But I am fine, really.”“Are you sure,” she asked. “You look like you could use it.”“I promise,” I said with a small laugh. “Save it for someone else.”She smiled and nodded before walking away.Another voice chimed in from behind me. “Amelia, are you free for lunch later”I turned to see two co