جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 100

Aria's POV Maya's last words hung in the air for a while. I didn't give an answer, not right away. I only tapped my fingers on the steering wheel–slow, steady taps that helped my hands from trembling. My breath felt too tight. Finally, I turned to her. "I'll be right back Maya." Without waiting for a reply, I opened the car door and stepped out into the afternoon sun. The air felt heavy as I moved, more like all the thoughts from the warehouse had followed me, clinging fast to the back of my mind like shadows I just couldn't shake off. "No," I whispered to myself as I tried to push it all down, pushing it harder than I had pushed anything in the last few years. 'Not here,' I thought. Not in front of my kids. I inhaled deeply as I walked into the school hallway, letting the familiar smell of fun crayons and disinfectant settle my nerves. Fellow parents chatted outside classrooms, teachers called out instructions, and little feet thudded on polished floors. Everything looked nor

Aria's POVThe noise from the production unit surged around us, but even in all that, Frost's voice carried straight to me as it always did. "Aria?" Maya turned to the direction of the voice, forcing a brightness into her eyes that I knew just wasn't real. I did the exact same, lifting the smile that I'd worn back with the kids. "Frost," I greeted, raising a hand quite cheerfully despite the tightness in my chest. "You came." "Yeah, always at the oddest hours," Maya joked loudly, nudging him with her elbow. He chuckled, then glanced around. "I feel like I just stepped into a metal hurricane." "Well, that's Stone Magic for you," Maya replied. "You're welcome, Frost." He nodded, and just as he mouthed a thank you, I reached for a warm and steady hand. "Come, let's go somewhere quieter. The kids would love to see you." I tugged him along with me, and he didn't resist. He never did with me. We made our way through the corridors, the powerful noise dimming bit by bit until I final

Kyril's POV "We'll be in touch," I said, ending the phone call. Then, I turned around and walked back into my chambers. Sienna was still there, now sitting on the bed and staring at the empty space before her. She wore a half-wounded and half-calculating facial expression, and as soon as I walked in, she turned her gaze to me, more like she was expecting an apology. She got none of course. I said nothing, not even a word. I simply went to the corner where my shirt lay, picked it up, and slid it over my shoulders. Then, I turned around and left her there in silence. The hallway strangely felt colder than it had minutes ago. Every echo of my steps drummed into my skull, quite heavy like ancient battle drums. I walked into the main sitting room and sank into one of the big sofas, running a hand over my face. Then slowly, I shut my eyes. Just for a moment, I convinced myself. Just a breath. But the moment I blinked, I wasn't in the sitting room anymore. No, I was back in my old ch

Kyril's POVMother chuckled softly, the sound tinged with dry amusement. "Always one step ahead of himself, aren't you, Kyril?"Before I could respond to this, she turned eyes to my beta."Marcus," she said, "please leave us. I wish to speak with my son privately." "No," I opposed, the word escaping me instantly.Both of them turned to me in surprise."You will say whatever you have to say," I continued, looking directly at her, "in the presence of my beta and me." My mother paused, and I could see irritation as it flickered across her eyes. But she was quick to mask it behind a slow exhale and a courteous nod. Then, she stole a brief glance at Marcus."My lord," Marcus said, stepping forward. "I must leave you both to–" "Stay," I cut in, my eyes not leaving my mother. She shifted her weight, discomfort tightening the lines around her lips. This pricked me, and just as I was about to turn to Marcus and dismiss him away, she finally spoke."Fine, then."With that, she took a small,

Aria's POV Maya pushed herself to her feet too. "Go on, you two. I'll head back to the company and figure out how to clean all that up."  Before we left, we approached the intensive care unit.  Damon lay motionless on a bed, wires and tubes connecting him to several machines that beeped steadily. His eyes were shut, his chest barely lifting under the sheets.  I placed my hand on the glass, whispering a silent prayer. Then we left.  ------- The drive to the school was awfully silent. Frost didn't press me to speak or play music with the radio