CHAPTER 402

ARIA’S POV

As I leave the office, my mind is swirling with thoughts about Adam. Neal had called earlier, sounding both annoyed and baffled, telling me that Adam had reached out to him. Adam had the nerve to ask Neal to convince me to return his calls.

He claimed they were urgent, but I knew better than to believe his desperation. It’s just like Adam to try every possible route to get my attention. His persistence doesn’t surprise me anymore; it frustrates me. He has always been this way—relentless, never taking no for an answer. But this time, it feels different. It feels intrusive, even manipulative.

When I finally get home, I head straight to my room and lock the door behind me, needing a moment to myself. As I sit on the edge of my bed, the memories of the past weeks start to flood back. I’ve tried so hard to bury them, to focus on the present and not let the past weigh me down, but now they’re all coming back, vivid and unavoidable.

I think back to the plane crash and the terrifyi