Aria’s POVAs Jasmine and I walked through the door of our apartment, the smell of Chinese takeout wafted through the air, instantly making me feel more at home. Jessica had arrived earlier and was busy unpacking containers of food on the kitchen counter. She greeted us with a warm smile.“Hey, you
Aria’s POVI was in the middle of testing the latest batch of perfumes when I heard the door to my office creak open. My focus was so deep in the blend of scents—notes of jasmine, sandalwood, and a hint of bergamot—that I barely registered the sound at first. But then, a familiar voice pulled me out
Aria’s POV“Hold on tight, Jasmine!” I shouted over the clatter of the kiddie roller-coaster as it rattled up the first hill. The wind whipped through my hair, making me laugh despite my initial hesitation. Jasmine’s squeals of delight mingled with the clamor of the ride, and for a moment, the worri
Victor’s POVI walked into my favorite café, the one just a few blocks from my office, looking forward to a peaceful, relaxing brunch. I’d been dreading the thought of another dinner with Samuel, a topic my mother usually brought up whenever I was here. Thankfully, today she hadn’t mentioned arrangi
Aria’s POVI paced around my studio, the soft radiance of pendant lights casting a warm halo over the polished wooden floors. The rich, floral notes of Resilience Bloom, Creative Spirit, and Unbreakable wafted through the air, mingling in a symphony of scent that seemed to reflect the very essence
Aria’s POVI returned to my work on the perfume, carefully blending the ingredients. The scents were coming together beautifully, but my mind kept drifting back to Jessica. I needed to make sure everything was on track for the exhibition.“Jessica, while I’m working on this, do you think you could s
Aria’s POVVictor looked up from the pot he was stirring, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Hey, Aria. I’m sorry for the surprise.”“You cook?!” I asked in bewilderment. It was so unheard of that it was the first thing that I blurted out at that very moment. He chuckled. “Well, you could
Aria’s POVI glanced at myself in the hallway mirror, smoothing a stray strand of hair that had escaped my otherwise perfect updo. My reflection stared back at me with a carefully composed smile that hid the swirling nerves beneath. I adjusted the lapels of my blazer, reminding myself that it wasn’
Wendy’s POVIt wasn’t supposed to go this far.I crouched behind the low wall outside the edge of the old warehouse, heart hammering as the rain came down in cold, relentless sheets. The building was dimly lit, tucked away in a forgotten pocket of the city, but I knew what was happening inside. I’d
Samuel’s POV"Wait for me, I'll bring it to you now," I told Aria over the phone, my fingers brushing against the envelope sitting quietly on my desk. Her voice was tight. "Thank you, Samuel. Please be careful.""You too."I ended the call just as footsteps approached my study. I turned, surprised
Aria’s POVI was halfway down the corridor when my phone buzzed again.It was Jessica: Packaging floor. Terminal 4. Now.My heels clicked against the tiles as I turned sharply and practically jogged to the elevator. My chest was tight, my pulse a steady hammer in my ears.I tried calling Wendy again
Aria’s POVI locked my office door, pretending to take a call as I slid the flash drive into the secure offline laptop Jessica and I used only for emergencies. The light blinked once, then twice, and the folder opened.I held my breath as the contents loaded.Documents. Dozens of them.At first glan
Samuel’s POVI wasn’t exactly sure what brought me to the Velvet Vibe office that morning.Maybe I wanted to check in on the tech team after the breach. Maybe I wanted to make sure Aria was okay, after everything. Or maybe—and this was harder to admit—maybe I just wanted to see her.I walked in, and
Aria’s POVMy phone buzzed on the table, vibrating next to my untouched coffee.Victor.I answered quickly. “Hey, everything okay?”“I’m really sorry, love,” he said. “I won’t be able to drop by the office. Emergency meeting with the board. One of the European partners is threatening to pull out unl
Aria’s POVThe smell of buttery pancakes and fresh strawberries filled the air as I poured a generous drizzle of maple syrup onto Jasmine’s plate. She beamed up at me, still in her pajamas, her feet swinging under the breakfast table.Victor was making coffee, humming to himself, hair slightly tousl
Aria’s POV"Okay, so we've locked the backend to only three admin logins," Jessica muttered, her eyes glued to the screen. She had dark circles under her eyes and her fourth coffee of the day in hand. "I had the IT team purge the cloned QR redirect code from our database. But if the data's been stol
Aria’s POVThe laughter in the room was easy, flowing like music that hadn’t been played in far too long. It was the kind of afternoon I had only dreamed of during those long, uncertain nights. One filled with light, warmth, and peace.But what caught my eye most wasn’t the cake or the wine or even