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The Man in Chains
Author: Pen_ed
last update2025-09-02 00:14:16

Aria

The text stopped me instantly. I must have read it five times, trying to comprehend what it meant, but whichever angle I looked at it, one thing was clear: there were layers to this text.

For a second, I thought I had misread it, that maybe the exhaustion was playing tricks on me. I had just finished making my coffee, humming to myself, trying to shake off the stress of Mara’s call about the breached accounts. I thought maybe I could still salvage the morning, maybe keep myself from spiraling. But then the screen lit up with that message from an unknown number, and everything in me froze.

The mug trembled in my hand, and I set it down quickly before it shattered.

For a long moment, I just stared at the words. They weren’t random. They weren’t some spammer playing games. This was directed at me. The timing was too perfect. My name was forged on withdrawals. My company was bleeding money. And now, a message like this? It couldn’t be a coincidence or mistake. This was deliberate. Pe
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  • A Stain on Her Name

    AriaI hated being back here, but I had no other choice. The prison smelled like bleach and rust and of juvenile junkies. The officers were surprised to see that I was back, but Lucian? Well, he had a calm look on his face like he expected to see me right back here.I heaved a deep sigh and sat across from him, my eyes watching him keenly. His wrists were chained, and his dark eyes fixed on me like I was the only thing keeping him entertained in this miserable place. His smirk stretched wider the longer I stayed silent and then he finally leaned forward and said,“You must really love me, coming back here twice in such a short time,” he drawled, his voice smooth, mocking. “Tell me, Aria, what happened to all that pride?”I ignored him, or at least tried to, keeping my hands folded tightly on the table. I had promised myself I wouldn’t let him get under my skin this time. I came for answers, not to be toyed with.But before I could speak, my phone buzzed on the metal surface between u

  • Strings Pulled Tight

    ZionIt started small. First it was in the little things I noticed when I wasn’t even looking for them. Aria had always been composed, sharp, and unshakable in a way that drew people to her. But lately, she was different, distracted, and tensed. It was almost as if her mind was carrying a weight too heavy for her shoulders, and no matter how much I tried, she wouldn’t let me carry it with her.I asked her one night after dinner when it was just the two of us at home.“What’s wrong?”She didn’t even look up from her glass of wine. She just gave the same generic answer she’d been giving me every time I asked that question. “Work stress.”Still, I didn’t buy it. I could tell she was lying, her tone was too clipped, and her eyes often darted away too quickly. But I let it go, because pushing Aria to have a conversation when she wasn’t ready never ended well. At least in my experience. Still, the distance was there and I could feel it, growing, stretching, silently like a plant in the dirt

  • Whispers of Ellen

    EllenTonight was proof that my plan was working, and I was very satisfied with the results I was getting. Every move, every whisper, every smile I’d planted over the past months had blossomed exactly as I intended. Aria was cracking, her company was under siege, her reputation was fraying, and her relationship with Zion? Well, that was starting to strain under the weight of secrets she couldn’t afford to tell him.I’d been patient long enough. That was always my strength. Sixteen years by Zion’s side had taught me that timing was everything. You don’t charge in headfirst; you wait. You listen and take notes when no one else was paying attention. And when the moment comes, you pull the right string and watch the whole tapestry collapse. So that’s exactly what I did.I knew she’d immediately think Lucian was her enemy. That he was the one pulling the strings behind her unraveling. How sweet. It’s just what I wanted her to believe. Let her waste her energy blaming a man behind bars whil

  • The First Cut

    SavannahThree days had passed after the gala, but the fire and rage inside me hadn’t cooled. If anything, it had gotten worse.I’d tried to bury myself in work, pretending the message hadn’t rattled me, pretending Ellen’s smile and unnatural closeness to Zion in my living room didn’t haunt me. But the world had a way of shoving truth into your face, especially when you least wanted it, and lately I’d gotten enough doses of truth to make a girl bitter.That morning, I woke to my phone buzzing nonstop. I rolled over grudgingly, wondering who or what it could possibly be about this early in the morning. I squinted my eyes, staring at the screen, and that’s when I saw it. Slowly, my eyes widened in curiosity from the urgent alerts from my building manager. By the time I picked up, his voice was shaking.“Miss Carpi… Please accept my sincerest apologies. I called as soon as I got the news, but you need to know. It seems your apartment…your system’s been breached.”My pulse spiked when I

  • Jealous Fire

    AriaThe message burned a hole in my chest the longer I stared at it. I could feel an uncontrollable anger rising as my blood boiled. Whoever this was, they weren’t just stealing from me; they were enjoying it. They were taunting me, turning my own life into a game. And I hated games I couldn’t control.I couldn’t stand it anymore. I felt the sudden urge that I needed to do something. Anything to reclaim control of my business, and so I left the gala early, slipping out before the music stopped, anger pulsing through every step I took. The night air was cold, but it didn’t cool the fire racing under my skin.The drive home was silent, and my mind was racing, just like the city lights that blurred past, but all I could hear was the echo of that message. ‘Closer than I think. How close could they possibly be?’By the time I pulled into our driveway, the fury had settled in my chest like hot coal, and all I wanted was some silence, a glass of wine, and maybe five hours of sleep if I coul

  • Mirror Games

    AriaThe first rule in my world was simple: never let them see you sweat. That’s why I decided to throw a gala.I told myself it was just another night of champagne and silk dresses, another night of polite laughter echoing off crystal chandeliers. But really, it was damage control. Rumors about the Carpi family’s assets had been spreading like wildfire, and I couldn’t afford to look rattled. The whispers about breached accounts, disappearing funds, and forged signatures had to be drowned out by louder sounds, music, deals, and alliances.So, I staged the gala anonymously. No official name tied to me, no direct signature. The invitations just read “A Night of Rebuilding Trust.” It was subtle, but effective, and everyone who mattered knew whose hand was behind it, and that was enough.By nine o’clock, the ballroom glowed with gold lights, and the floor shone like a polished mirror. There were waiters gliding with trays, the laughter rose and dipped, and strings of conversation about po

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