The Zenith Records party finally wound down around 3:30 AM. Outside the Royal Opera House, the London night was cool and quiet, a great change from the loud music and bright lights of the last few hours. The crowd's leftover energy felt like a static charge in the chilled air.
Aria Thorne and Elias Vance were the first to leave, their black private car waiting quietly around the corner. They needed to get back to New York right away. Aria's Vanguard Designs launch was coming soon, and Elias was still managing the crisis with the media company.
In the back of the car, the silence was thick and heavy, filled with things they were not saying. The only sound was the quiet hum of the electric engine and the soft shhhh of tires on damp asphalt.
Elias had watched the whole scene in the velvet alcove. He saw the crack in Aria's usually strong shield, the moment she lost control. He had seen the way Jax Ryland looked at Aria—not just with a star's normal interest, but with a fierce, possessive focus that worried him deeply. He saw how Aria's calm broke when Jax spoke to her, the unexpected laugh, the subtle change in her posture after she came back from the private room. Elias gripped his briefcase, his knuckles white against the dark leather.
Elias's Thought: She's lost focus. The money problem was a tactic; Ryland is a feeling. She is letting him too close, and he is a chaotic person whose goal is to ruin all the control we've built. I must create distance. I can't control her choices, but I must remind her what the mission needs most.
"The Vanguard launch," Elias began, his voice low and cold, measured to cut through the stillness. His eyes, fixed on the passing streetlights, avoided Aria's. "I do not like the contract you signed tonight, Aria. Ryland is a burden, not a benefit. You know his goal is personal, not professional."
Aria, still feeling the powerful effects of the close time she had just shared with Jax, the deep kiss, the feel of his hands on her waist, the total acceptance in his eyes when he gently touched her scars, met her non-blood brother's gaze steadily. She was tired from the late flight and the sudden intensity, but her mind was sharp and clear. She lifted her chin, putting on her professional look again.
"His performance is a multi-billion dollar benefit, Elias. And it is a contract I signed for Vanguard Designs, not for Vance Global," Aria stated, using her business power, letting her high position feel heavy between them. "I am launching a high-end, secret company that deals with quality and safety. We don't need mass market attention; we need the attention of the world's quiet leaders. Having Aether perform at the private unveiling makes sure the only people who hear about Vanguard are the most powerful people in the world. It's brilliant marketing."
Elias finally turned his head, his blue eyes sharp with frustration and real concern. "I respect the plan, Aria. I always do. But I cannot watch while he uses our company, our lives, as a stage for his fixation on you. He is careless. His chaos spreads quickly. I can't stop your choices, but I will not hide that I am unhappy with this partnership."
Aria softened her voice slightly, seeing the deep root of his protective feeling, a trait born from years of relying on each other to survive. She leaned forward, closing the space between them. "I understand why you feel protective, Elias. But you must trust my decisions. I am a capable operator; I do not start a partnership I cannot manage. Jax Ryland knows the rules of the game now. I promise you, I have set the terms of our relationship."
The unsaid truth was that the terms had been set in the velvet alcove, a promise of openness and desire, and they were far more private and scary than Elias could possibly think.
Aria's Thought: The terms are that I am all in with him. The terms are that I will not let Elias hurt him. I have given him the final key, access to my most guarded secret. Now, I must watch for betrayal, but my gut tells me this risk is worth taking. He is worth the hard life I have lived.
It was nearly 4:00 AM when the Aether convoy pulled up to the private Hampstead Heath mansion. The party had taken all the adrenaline the boys had. They were running on fumes, pure emotional energy, and the tiredness from the demanding video shoot of "The Break."
Jax, Kellan, Rhys, and Nick stumbled out of the car, their perfect tuxedos now slightly messy, showing their deep exhaustion. They moved through the quiet, rich house like sleepwalkers, the silence inside muffling their footsteps.
"I think I could sleep for a week," Rhys mumbled, taking off his sapphire waistcoat as he walked toward the main staircase. His usual happy energy was completely gone.
"You earned it, Rhys," Kellan replied, running a hand through his bright hair. "That was a good show, boys. But I'm dead." Kellan paused, looking straight at Jax. He had seen the focused, almost desperate look in his bandmate's eyes when he left the alcove. "You good, Jax? You look like you've been run over by a truck."
Jax nodded, offering a tired smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, but a deep, private sense of victory and happiness settled over his face. "I'm better than good, Kellan. Just tired." He felt the total physical exhaustion, but under it, his mind was buzzing with the memory of Aria. The feel of her body, the sight of her scars, and the great trust she had given him were clear in his mind. He felt a deep, certain sense of having crossed a point of no turning back in his life.
Jax's Thought: Everything before tonight was meaningless. Now there is only Aria. I have her contract, and she has my truth. The rest is just business, and I will destroy the business for her if I have to.
The four of them separated to their suites, falling asleep right away, leaving the glamour and chaos of the party behind them.
Meanwhile, Soverkis Volkov was across town, driven by a cold, jealous anger that burned hotter than any fire. She was not sleeping. She was on a secure call to her private jet service. She had seen the close greeting, the subtle touch, the way Kellan had protected Jax from her. But most importantly, she saw the look of ownership on Jax's face when he looked at Aria.
Her anger, fueled by jealousy and the threat to her power, had reached its highest point. She ordered her jet, a huge Bombardier Global 7500, to be ready right away. She was flying to New York.
"I will not let that corporate snake win," Soverkis hissed into the satellite phone, her voice tight and dangerous. "If Ryland wants to play in the deep end of the pool, I will make the Vanguard launch fail."
Aria and Elias were driven directly to their separate, secure suites at the exclusive London hotel. They left each other with a short nod, the distance in their manner showing their disagreement. Each went into their private space.
Aria went straight to the shower, letting the strong hot water wash away the remaining tiredness and the faint, expensive scent of Jax's cologne that was on her skin and hair. She leaned her head against the cool tile, closing her eyes and letting the memories rush back: the deep kiss, the complete trust, the way he had honored her scars with his lips. The quiet moments in the alcove felt like the only real, unplanned moments of the entire trip.
Aria's Thought: I haven't felt this relaxed, this heavy with happiness, since I was a child. He makes me feel safe, even though I know he is the biggest risk to the life I have carefully built. This deep peace is a weakness I need to control, yet I cannot make myself stop it.
She spent a full hour in the bathroom, doing her careful skincare and then styling her dark hair into a professional, sleek ponytail that showed power and efficiency.
She moved to her suitcase to choose her travel uniform. She chose tailored black denim jeans, cut from a perfect material that stretched with her movements, a soft cashmere grey turtleneck that provided warmth without being bulky, and comfortable, yet strong, black leather ankle boots with quiet, reinforced soles. She then moved to her accessories. She slipped on a minimalist Patek Philippe women's watch, an expensive timepiece that cost more than a small home but drew no attention. She checked her bag, making sure her passport and hidden utility knife were both in their proper, secure spots. This gear reminded her of her mission life.
Meanwhile, in his separate suite, Elias had woken exactly at 8:00 AM, driven by an internal clock sharpened by military training. He completed his hard, solitary workout before entering the bathroom. He came out, shaved and clean, ready to put on his clothes of power.
At 9:45 AM, Elias knocked once on Aria's door.
He looked perfect, despite the late night. He wore dark navy chinos, pressed to a sharp crease, a crisp white button-down shirt, starched just so, and a tailored charcoal grey blazer cut from Italian wool. Around his wrist was a custom-made Rolex Daytona in platinum, a gift from Aria years ago, marking a successful, dangerous mission.
"Ready, Aria?" he asked, his tone strictly business, the tight mask of control hiding his lingering concern.
"Ready," she confirmed.
They walked to the elevator, keeping a physical distance that showed their relationship, close in goal, distant in feeling.
"Breakfast will be served on the jet," Elias informed her. "Mr. Davis has the schedule set for immediate departure."
They were driven directly onto the tarmac at a private London airport, where Elias Vance's Gulfstream G650ER jet waited, shining under the morning sun. The cabin was a study in beige leather and polished dark wood, the best example of controlled luxury.
Inside the luxurious cabin, already flying above the clouds and heading west, a perfect table was set for two.
A quiet and efficient flight attendant served them: fresh scrambled eggs with chives, delicate slices of smoked salmon, and a bright platter of fresh tropical fruits, along with rich, black espresso.
Elias ate carefully, the movement of his fork precise and controlled, reviewing a tablet full of Vance Global financial data. His posture was stiff, unwilling to fully relax even at 41,000 feet, his entire body language showing distrust.
Aria ate slowly, sipping her espresso. She found the food tasteless, her stomach still fluttering with nervous energy, the kind that signals a major strategic move is underway. She pretended to review a digital sketchpad of dress designs, but her focus was elsewhere, on the coming clash of her personal and work worlds.
"You seem distracted," Elias observed finally, not looking up from his tablet. He hated the lack of influence he felt over her thoughts.
"Just sorting out my schedule for the week," Aria lied smoothly, setting her fork down. "There are three big issues at Vanguard Designs that need my immediate attention, not counting the final fitting of the Nighthawk."
Aria's Thought: The lie is easier than the truth. He cannot handle the idea that my deepest bond now belongs to the man he dislikes most. I must use Vanguard as a corporate shield until I can make this new reality stable.
The flight was six hours of this controlled silence and intermittent work. The business look was firmly in place, separating them from the shared, dangerous truth of their recent actions in London.