The Web Tightens

Aria woke up the next morning with a sense of urgency. Samuel’s cryptic revelation about Alex and Julian echoed in her mind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that every piece of the puzzle was within reach—she just needed to put them together. But tackling Julian alone was out of the question. She needed allies.

Her first stop was Ethan. The library was practically empty that morning, and she spotted him at a corner table, surrounded by notebooks and his laptop. His brow was furrowed, his pen moving furiously across the page.

“Morning,” Aria greeted cautiously as she approached.

Ethan looked up, his sharp gaze softening slightly when he saw her. “Morning. You look like you didn’t sleep.”

“Neither did you,” she countered, gesturing at the cluttered desk.

He smirked faintly. “Fair enough. Let me guess: this is about Julian.”