CHAPTER 407

ADAM’S POV

When Aria calls me, it is as if the world pauses for a moment. The sound of her voice, though formal and distant, still carries the weight of all the emotions I have been suppressing. I can tell she is trying to keep things strictly business, but even so, I am overwhelmed.

This is the first time we have spoken since everything fell apart, and it takes all my strength to keep my composure. She has figured out what is happening. The sudden and brutal drop in the stock market value isn’t just a random fluctuation—it is sabotage. Aria has always been sharp, and I am not surprised she has connected the dots.

“I have to come because matters are getting worse.”

We arrange to meet at my office, and the atmosphere is painfully formal when she arrives. Her posture is stiff, her words carefully measured. She thanks me for “accepting to meet her,” as if we are nothing more than business associates.

The barrier between us is evident; a thick and impenetrable wall that keeps any semblanc