The invitation came on a dull gray morning. Aria opened her door to find a simple, handwritten note in front of it. She glanced around, wondering who it was from and hoping to find any lead, but there was no one in sight. Reluctantly, she reached out and picked it up, opening and reading the message. “Verona Art Gallery, 7 p.m. Business and beauty can mix. Z.M.”Aria couldn’t help but laugh as she read the text. Zion was subtle as always. She tucked the note into her jacket pocket and shook her head. Still, curiosity got the better of her, and soon her insecurities too. She knew it wasn’t a date, but for some reason, she still felt the pressure of one and didn’t want to appear scruffy or out of place, so she spent a little time getting her makeup and finding the perfect dress.That evening, she stepped into the Verona Art Hall, its marble floors glowing under soft lights, and the quiet hum of rich conversations filling the air.Zion spotted her first, leaning casually against a tall

The early morning wind swept through the docks like a whisper. Jack stood by the edge of the shipping yard, his coat whipping around his legs. In front of him, there were crates that were marked with fake business logos, being quietly loaded onto black trucks.He wasn’t much surprised. Disappointed maybe, but not surprised. After his years of service to this city, he knew things like these were bound to happen. He pulled out his phone and snapped a few quick photos and then he made the call.Liam picked up on the first ring, his voice expectant and anxious, “Tell me what you found.”“We’ve got a problem.” Jack responded, “It seems the Tribunal is trying to rally up again and this time it’s not through politics. They’re currently shipping weapons enough to arm a full rebellion.”Liam remained quiet when he heard those words. His intuition was never wrong, and with the recent events happening in the city, he knew the Tribunal would be somehow involved. He took a deep breath and his on

About two days later, the media rants about Aria was only increasing. She had decided to stay completely away from public and see if things would cool off. But still, they weren’t. The radio stations were still vibrant with commentary and forums discussing what her return meant for the city. That morning, Aria woke up and decided to go through the headlines. It was her first mistake for the day. She read the first few headlines and thought it was just a few opinions, but the more she scrolled down, she found that all the headlines were like that. Her heart began beating heavily. Nothing had changed. Everyone was still talking about her. She tossed the phone away in frustration and groaned in annoyance. However, shortly after, it started buzzing again. Aria did not bother to look at it. She thought it must have been Zion, but when she glanced at the screen, she saw an unidentified number.She hesitated for a moment, but then reached out and grabbed the phone. Slowly she raised it an

Mia had been watching Zion carefully for days since the day she saw Aria walking out of the house. For a moment, she was surprised to see her sneaking out, but she didn’t mind. He was quieter, distracted, and always lost in thought, barely speaking during family dinners, and skipping meetings, brushing her off with half hearted smiles.At first, she thought he was just overwhelmed, but the press and the pressure from it. The weight of his legacy could crush anyone. But that was when she saw it. A message that was left open on his study tablet, and the only name that was there was AriaShe didn’t need to see more, particularly after their last experience. Mothers always knew about things like these. They could sense it. When she saw how invested Liam was in Aria, she could tell. But now, he was silent, and she knew exactly what that silence meant.She had tried speaking to Zion the day before. “You seem different,” she said gently, sipping her tea across from him in the courtyard.He

Zion spent the whole night thinking about that night, replaying it in many different ways. Was there something he could have said differently? Could he have been gentler on her? The whole night felt like a torment. Zion had promised that he wouldn’t let himself go back to her so soon. But the thought lingered with him until he couldn’t bear it any more. He wanted to know why she would betray him this way. He picked up the phone to call her, but suddenly threw it away. There was no point calling her, she betrayed him and whatever he did or said to her, she deserved it.However, the whole time Zion couldn’t sleep. The sun barely rose the next morning, but he was already on his way to Aria’s door. He needed to confront her about this. He needed to give her the grounds to say her real truth. He knocked on the door twice, his heart racing at the thought of what he was going to say. How he was going to handle this. Before he could land on a definitive thought, Zaria opened up the door sli