Aria had classes in the morning.
The moment she stepped into the classroom, her eyes instinctively swept around in unease. She felt as though people were whispering about her, about her family, about how her mother died.
She knew some days ago, her father had blocked every news agency from reporting this news of her mom's death, buried every rumor before it could spread. Still, fear clung to her chest.
"Aria!"
She flinched slightly before looking up. Rowan was standing beside her, she moved a little and he sat beside her.
"Rowan… I thought you weren't coming today." She tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
He studied her face closely. "You have dark circles. You're not sleeping well. Or…" His voice softened. "Is your new family not treating you right?"
Aria hesitated.
Should I tell him?
She stared at Rowan, her closest friend since childhood, wondering if she should finally let everything spill out.
But what could he do? Nothing. Telling him would only drag him into her mess and she didn't want that.
"No," she said quickly. "They're treating me well. I just… haven't been sleeping properly. I guess it's normal, after everything that happened."
Rowan didn't look convinced.
"You know," he said quietly, "my mom still wants you to come live with us."
Her heart tightened.
Rowan had always been more like a brother to her. His mother treated her like her own daughter, she was warm, protective, safe towards her.
"I'll be fine," Aria said softly. "I just… need time."
Sterling Group: Conference Room
The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy, suffocating.
Some teams members sat stiffly around the long table, their eyes darting toward the man seated at the head. Adrian Sterling hadn't said a word since the meeting began. His expression was cold, unreadable.
Several people glanced at Ray, silently begging for an explanation.
Ray avoided every gaze.
Wrong day, he thought. Very wrong day.
After a long, unbearable minute, Adrian finally spoke.
He lifted a hand toward the large screen.
"Begin."
Acquisition team leader swallowed and stood, walking toward the screen. The logo of NovaCore Technologies appeared, the tech company Sterling Group has been trying to acquire.
"Our offer to NovaCore…" His voice wavered. "It was leaked."
Silence slammed into the room.
"Leaked?" Adrian slowly lifted his gaze.
Ray felt a chill crawl up his spine. That calm tone was a warning.
"Yes, sir. Before the deal was finalized, another company matched our offer, and raised it."
Adrian let out a low laugh, completely devoid of humor.
"So," he said softly, "we lost it."
"Yes, sir. To Westbrook Holdings."
The air instantly turned deadly.
Adrian's expression darkened.
"This deal was confidential," he said quietly. "Only a handful of people knew about it."
His eyes swept across the room.
"Which means," he continued, voice dangerously calm, "someone here betrayed the company."
Several executives stiffened, their faces draining of color.
"Have you all forgotten," Adrian said slowly, "the consequences of leaking company information?"
Suddenly, a phone rang.
Every person at the table froze, instinctively checking their phones even though none of them matched the ringtone.
The sound came from the head of the table.
Adrian glanced down at his phone, the caller was
Kate 💕
His jaw tightened. He exhaled sharply and ended the call without answering, irritation flashing in his eyes.
He looked back at the team leader.
"Find who leaked the information. I don't care how long it takes," Adrian said coldly.
"If you fail, you and your entire team will take responsibility, and get ready to lose your jobs.
The team leader's and the team members face went pale.
"Meeting adjourned."
Adrian said as he stood up, grabbed his phone, and walked out without another glance. Ray immediately followed.
The moment the doors closed, chaos erupted.
Panicked whispers filled the room as the team members turned toward their leader, fear written clearly on their faces.
They all knew it.
If they failed, their jobs gone!