The mansion was too quiet.
Aria stood in her room with the envelope still clutched in her hand, her fingers stiff, nails digging into the paper. She hadn't opened it. Couldn't. Every time she thought about it, she saw Darius's face — not the cold, controlled mask he showed the world, but the fury that had cracked through when Victor baited him.
Her pulse still hadn't slowed.
She dropped onto the edge of the bed, staring at the dark window where the fog pressed against the glass. Out there, the city never slept. But up here, wrapped in silence, she felt cut off — from the world, from certainty, from herself.
Her thoughts spiraled. Darius's voice — Don't listen to him.
Victor's smile — Tell me you haven't wondered.
She had wondered. Too many times. Why Darius locked entire rooms in the mansion. Why hushed phone calls ended when she walked into the room. Why his enemies seemed to know more about him than she did.
The silence pressed down until it felt like the walls themselves were watching. She rose, restless, pacing. The envelope burned against her palm like a brand.
One tear, she thought. One rip and I'll know everything.
Her hands trembled. She slid her thumb under the seal. Stopped. Her chest heaved with a half-sob.
If she opened it, she crossed a line she could never return from. If she didn't, she was already drowning in secrets.
A soft knock at the door snapped her upright. Her whole body went cold.
"Aria." Darius's voice, low. Too calm.
She froze, envelope tucked behind her back as if it were contraband.
The door didn't open. He was waiting for her to answer. She didn't move. Didn't breathe.
After a long silence, he spoke again — softer this time, almost human. "Don't let him get between us."
Her throat closed. She wanted to demand answers, to scream, to tell him she was already caught between him and Victor. But the words stuck.
When his footsteps finally retreated down the hall, she collapsed back onto the bed, pressing the envelope against her chest. Her eyes burned.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
And Aria realized the truth: the envelope wasn't the only thing sealed shut.