After they returned to the Moran estate, Liam exhaled in great relief the moment his eyes caught on Jack. He was bruised and hurt but they’d survived more together. He strode towards them and gently patted Zion’s shoulder. “You all right, son?”Zion pressed his palms to his temples. “I’m fine.” He said in much relief and glanced at Jack. “Glad you’re back.”Jack forced a small smile. “Glad to be back.”Liam and Jack strode towards the medical room. He needed to be treated and Liam still had some questions for him about Lucian. Later, after they had finished having breakfast, Liam asked Zion to join him in the drawing room which was located at a private corner of the estate. Zion hesitated at first. A conversation with his father always resulted in an argument and he wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. But still he followed.Liam closed the door behind them as soon as Zion walked in and gestured to a pair of chairs. “Sit.”Zion sank into one, the weight of unspoken words lingerin

The morning found Aria in bed, wrapped up in floral sheets, staring at the ceiling. She’d been awake for about an hour now, rethinking her decisions. She knew it was the right thing to do; Zion didn’t need all the drama that came with her life, but why did she feel this way? Why did she feel guilty over choosing not letting him get hurt? After searching for that answer for a while, she finally heaved a deep sigh and got off the bed. Maybe it was all this bedrotting that made her feel like that. She wondered.On her way to the bathroom, she walked past her laptop and saw the half-finished message she had written for Zion. At that moment, she felt a sharp relief. One more glass of wine and she may have been foolish enough to press send.And now, instead of sending it, she closed the lid and walked past it. Enough waiting. It was time she stopped hiding behind guilt, doubt, and feelings she didn’t fully understand. There were questions still haunting her. And now, more than ever, she nee

Aria’s thoughts were anything but calm the next morning. She stood in front of her mirror, looking at her reflection with a keen look. She could not recognize herself anymore. The old Aria was gone, but she still could not recognize this new one. Maybe it was the old clothes. They didn’t feel right anymore. The plain black turtleneck, the worn-out boots, the coat she’d been wearing since her last safehouse escape. She looked in the mirror and shook her head. She wasn’t that same girl anymore. She was a new woman now. One that could be dangerous.She traced a finger down her collarbone, touching the gold Carpi pendant that now felt more like armor than an heirloom. If you’re going to start a war, she thought, you better look like someone who wins. With that thought, Aria searched through her old wardrobe, picked the best outfit she could find, and headed out. An hour later, she walked into the most exclusive boutique in Ivory Heights, the richest district in the city. The kind of place

Aria’s phone has been blaring with calls since the moment she left the car park, and every time she ignored it. As soon as she got home, she went straight to her room, and again her phone suddenly rang. She chewed her lip and stared at the screen until the call stopped. This was the third time he had called in the last twenty minutes. The first two she’d managed to ignore, but this one lingered longer.When it stopped ringing, Aria slowly sat down at the edge of her bed. Her eyes burned, but she blinked the sting away. She wasn’t going to cry. Not tonight. Not anymore. This was her choice, and she had to handle it with grace.Suddenly, her phone lit up again with a new message, but she didn’t have to open it or even glance at it to know what it said. She knew it was from Zion and surmised that he would probably say something like, “Please talk to me.” Or “I didn’t expect to see you last night.” Or maybe even worse.Aria took in a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself, closin

After that night at the gala, Aria had been constantly anticipating Lucian’s move. She had John’s men stalking every corner of the city, keeping their ears to the ground on any information that circulated. She knew Lucian was coming for her and he would strike as hard as he could. She stood quietly on the new rooftop of her apartment. Since her last press conference, she had to change her location. She knew that all her enemies would be coming after her now and she needed to stay one step ahead.Things had changed a lot more from that day. Aria knew she had gotten more deeper into this and though she missed Zion, she had chosen this war over love, and deep down she was afraid that Zion might not recognize the person she had turned into. Suddenly she could hear footsteps slowly approaching her and she turned to see John Doe standing behind her.“We made contact,” he said softly.Aria raised a brow, looking straight at him. “And?”“My agents stirred things up just like you planned. One