Aria stared at the file on the table like it was a live grenade.
The beige folder had no title. No name. Just a red stamp:
CONFIDENTIAL.
And inside... answers she never thought she'd find.
She looked at Damien, who stood nearby, his arms crossed, jaw tense. "Where did this come from?"
"Marcus intercepted it. Kieran was trying to leak it anonymously to the press," Damien replied. "We stopped it just in time."
Aria's hands shook as she reached for the flap. "And you think it's about Elena?"
"I know it is."
The first page was a scanned copy of an autopsy report. Dated over a year ago.
Name: Elena Lawrence
Cause of Death:Originally ruled as accidental overdose.
Note (Confidential Addendum):
"Toxicology inconsistencies found in liver and bloodstream. Traces of two compounds Phenoxilate-9 and Zedrilin suggest external administration."
Conclusion (Hidden Memo):
"Overdose highly unlikely to be self-inflicted. Recommend full homicide investigation."
Aria's breath caught. Her throat closed up.
It wasn't just an overdose.
It was murder.
Damien stepped closer. "There's more. Keep reading."
The next page was a photo. Grainy, but recognizable.
Kieran Maddox.
In the hallway of Elena's hotel the night she died.
Timestamped just two hours before she was found.
"No…" Aria whispered. "She… she said she had a date that night. She wouldn't tell me who."
Damien nodded. "It was him."
"Why didn't anyone investigate this?" Aria cried, eyes wide with fury. "Why was this buried?"
"Because Harrison Voss paid the coroner's office to silence the results. He didn't want a scandal tied to his business partner."
Aria's heart thundered. "They killed her. And they got away with it."
Damien looked her in the eyes. "Not anymore."
Later that night, Aria sat alone in the nursery they were preparing. The tiny crib, the pastel walls it all felt surreal.
Her hand rested on her belly, the baby kicking gently beneath her skin.
"Your aunt was brave," she whispered. "She died because someone didn't want her truth to come out."
Tears streamed down her face.
"But you… you'll be born into a world where we fight back."
Meanwhile, across town…
Kieran slammed the glass door of his penthouse shut.
"You said she'd fold!" he shouted at Harrison. "Instead, she's more dangerous than ever!"
Harrison sat calmly, sipping scotch. "Aria is a spark. But sparks die fast when you flood them with fear."
Kieran gritted his teeth. "She's not afraid."
"Then make her afraid."
Kieran leaned over the table. "You've seen what she's capable of. This isn't the girl from a few weeks ago. She's not running anymore."
Harrison's eyes narrowed. "Then we don't chase. We destroy."
They looked at the folder in Kieran's hand the same autopsy file.
And smiled.
The Next Morning
Damien walked into the living room holding his phone. "You're trending again."
Aria didn't look up from her tea. "Good or bad?"
"Mixed. But mostly good. People are asking questions about Elena's case now. Some journalists are demanding the file be released publicly."
Aria placed her cup down. "Let's do it."
Damien paused. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "The world deserves to know. And my sister deserves justice."
He stepped forward. "If we do this, it becomes war. Kieran won't back down. Harrison won't either."
"I'm not afraid of them," she said firmly. "Not anymore."