ARIA'S POV

His hand rested just behind my back, not quite touching just hovering there with practiced poise. Everything with Kane was always calculated.

We descended the grand staircase like two perfectly sculpted mannequins on display.

At the entrance, the limousine waited.

And then the chaos began.

Flashes burst like tiny explosions. The moment the doors opened, we were swallowed by the frenzy.

Reporters' voices clashed like a choir of vultures, mics jutted toward us like ...