ARIA

The doors close, cutting off her screams.

The ballroom remains silent for a heartbeat.

Then the whispers explode.

I'm frozen, unable to move or speak. That was my sister. My twin. And she just...

"Aria." Dante's voice cuts through my shock. "Breathe."

I realize I'm not breathing. I gasp, pulling air into my lungs.

"I need... I need to..."

"Come with me." He's already guiding me toward a side exit, away from the staring crowd. "Now."

We slip into a private corridor. The sounds of ...