Katelynn Sanchez.
Aria's pupils contracted. The name felt like a snake coiling around her heart, squeezing tight.
Perfect timing.
She took a deep, steadying breath, forcing down the rage that threatened to erupt. She composed her features into a mask of fragility and fear.
"Let... let her in," Aria said, her voice a carefully constructed tremble. She needed to see her. Needed to see the face of her "best friend" on the very first day of her long, orchestrated demise.
A moment later, the door opened. Katelynn swept in, a vision in a white sundress, her face a perfect portrait of concern.
"Aria! Oh, my God, are you okay?" Katelynn rushed to her side, grabbing her hands. Her eyes were already welling up with practiced tears. "I heard Mr. Sinclair took you, and I've been trying everything to get in here to see you."
Aria looked at the flawless performance and laughed silently, a bitter, cold sound in her mind. This was the face that had fooled her so completely.
"Katelynn..." Aria let herself fall against her, her body "trembling." "I'm so scared. Julian... he's like a madman."
"I knew it!" Katelynn's voice was filled with righteous indignation. "He's a control freak! Aria, you can't stay here. You have to get out!"
Katelynn helped her to a nearby sofa, then leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Listen to me, I've already talked to Ethan. We're working on a plan to get you out. You just have to pretend to obey him, keep him calm for now."
The exact same words as last time. Aria wanted to applaud the perfect recitation of the script that had led her to ruin.
"Really?" Aria looked up, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears, a carefully crafted hope dawning on her face. "You'll really help me?"
"Of course! We're best friends, I would never abandon you!" Katelynn vowed, her eyes darting around the room, subtly taking in the opulent decor.
A flicker of raw envy and greed crossed her face.
Aria saw it. And the last bit of warmth in her heart turned to ice.
Just as Katelynn was about to launch into the details of her "rescue plan," the grand doors to the sitting room swung open without a sound.
Julian Sinclair IV stood there. He'd changed into a dark gray cashmere sweater and trousers. The loss of blood had left his face pale, which only served to amplify the dark, predatory intensity in his eyes.
He didn't look at Aria. His gaze, sharp as shards of glass, was fixed solely on Katelynn.
Katelynn's expression froze. The righteous anger vanished, replaced by a flash of panic and unease. She scrambled to her feet, twisting her hands together nervously.
"Mr... Mr. Sinclair. I was just worried about Aria..."
Julian's eyes remained on her for two long seconds. It wasn't a look of anger or annoyance. It was the look one gives an inanimate object, something of no consequence.
Katelynn felt a prickle of fear crawl up her spine. The rest of her words died in her throat. She had only ever seen this man in magazines, a titan of finance, remote and untouchable. Up close, his presence was suffocating. He was taller, more imposing, a dangerous combination of ruthless power and cold, ascetic beauty that made her heart skip a beat and her own reflection feel cheap.
Suddenly, she understood her jealousy. It wasn't just for Aria's money. It was for the fact that a man this powerful would focus his entire, obsessive world on her.
"My girl," Julian finally spoke, his voice quiet but carrying the weight of an unbreakable command, "doesn't need outsiders to worry about her."
He walked to Aria's side, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder in a clear, possessive gesture.
Aria felt the slight pressure of his fingers. She fought the urge to flinch, instead leaning into his touch, a silent act of compliance.
"Miss Sanchez," Julian's gaze shifted back to Katelynn. "Visiting hours are over."
The dismissal was brutal, unequivocal. Color flooded Katelynn's face, a humiliating patchwork of red and white. She didn't dare argue.
She snatched her purse, forcing a smile that was more of a grimace. "Well... Aria, I'll... I'll come see you again soon."
She practically fled the room.
