Aria's heart stopped for a second. The figure in the doorway was familiar, too familiar. It was someone from a past she thought she had buried forever. Her hands shook, but she forced herself to stay calm.
"Lena…" she whispered, disbelief breaking through her fear.
Lena stepped forward slowly, a gun in her hand, eyes cold and unreadable. "Hello, Aria. Long time no see."
Sebastian's brow furrowed. He looked at Lena, then at Aria, clearly surprised. "You?" he asked. "I didn't expect… her."
Aria's mind raced. Lena had been her closest friend once, someone she trusted with her life. But that trust had been broken. Lena had disappeared for years, leaving nothing but questions. And now she was here, standing with a gun pointed at Sebastian.
"Why are you here?" Aria demanded, voice steady despite her racing pulse. "After all these years, why now?"
