ARIA'S POV

I was woken up not by the soft nudge of sunlight or the persistent ache in my ribs. Not even the quiet hum of the AC or some lingering dream that threatened to dissolve the moment I opened my eyes.

No.

I was woken by yelling, it was loud, crisp, and elegant — the kind of yelling that had years of wealth tucked beneath every syllable. It was not the frantic shrieking of someone unhinged. No, this was calculated fury. The sound of a woman who had never once in her life ...