The launch reception ended exactly at 11:00 PM. Aria Thorne sat in the front seat of the secure, black sedan, silent and still. Every muscle felt rigid, but a clean, sharp certainty of victory settled over her. She was still wearing the magnificent Nighthawk Gown. Elias Vance drove with his usual controlled speed.
Talia Hayes, seated in the back, was a wave of bright, loud energy.
"Aria, I am still buzzing! It was magnificent! The silence after your speech? That was the sound of absolute respect," Talia exclaimed, her voice full of pride.
"That Soverkis Volkov, though! The nerve of her! She tried to poison the atmosphere with that rumor. I saw the pure, toxic jealousy in her eyes," Talia huffed. "She's dangerous, Aria, but she made herself look like a common gossip in the end."
Aria looked out the window at the scrolling city lights. "Elias handled her. The threat of the financial investigation was enough."
"Elias's timing was perfect, as always," Talia agreed easily. "But the real win was how you and Jax stood together. The handshake was genius, Aria! It said, 'We are partners, and our foundation is solid.' Silas Trent almost cried with relief, by the way."
Elias spoke up from the driver's seat, his voice low. "It was necessary. Jax Ryland showed rare control. But Soverkis is a corporate predator. She will not stop because she was escorted out."
Talia waved her hand dismissively. "I know! But look at the social media! Everyone is obsessed with the music. The Aether Army is already saying the Valkyrie Collection is the only thing they will wear. It's a massive win!"
Talia's expression shifted slightly. "You know who is definitely not happy right now? Chloe Thorne and Victoria. I bet they are absolutely furious about this success. Especially since Chloe's little design firm is struggling."
Aria offered a quiet reply. "It's been a while since I heard from them, Talia."
Talia, who tracked every whisper online, leaned forward. "Well, you won't hear from Chloe for a while. Remember when she tried to attack Aether's public image a few months ago? The Aether Army fought back so hard she had to go private on all her social media. She is in hiding. They are too busy being jealous of your success to be an actual threat right now."
Elias gave a short, cynical laugh. "Chloe Thorne is a distraction, not a threat. We dealt with a multi-billion dollar corporate hostile. We don't worry about minor gossip."
The subject shifted to the launch's soundtrack and which streaming charts it would break first, finally easing the high tension of the night.
They arrived at Aria's secure penthouse building.
Inside her apartment, the silence felt heavy after the roar of the city and the excitement of the launch.
Aria walked to the kitchen and poured three glasses of expensive, rare whiskey.
"To Vanguard Designs," Aria said, raising her glass. "To independence."
"To independence and to the best legal defense a girl could ask for," Talia toasted, clinking her glass against Elias's and Aria's.
They ate a simple, quiet late dinner of prepared food that Aria's staff had left—roast chicken and a light salad. The talk was easy, focused on normal life, a needed break from the intensity of the launch.
After dinner, Elias stood up. "I need to leave. I have an early meeting to finalize the legal paperwork on the Davies situation. I'm making sure Soverkis is legally locked down by morning."
Elias looked at Aria, his eyes carrying that protective weight. "You won the battle, Aria. Get some rest."
"I will, Elias. Thank you," Aria said.
Elias left, the apartment feeling quieter instantly.
Talia stretched, yawning widely. "That gown was beautiful, but that tension was exhausting. I'm going to shower. I'll talk to you in the morning, CEO."
"Good night, Talia."
While Aria was finally finding a moment of calm, across town, in a luxurious, crowded bar, the new alliance of venom was forming.
Chloe Thorne had seen the news. The success of Vanguard Designs felt like a direct slap in the face to her struggling Thorne Design brand. She sat fueled by envy in a dress that was too bright and too tight, having tracked down Soverkis, knowing the woman in white had been at the launch.
Chloe found Soverkis sitting alone at a private table, sipping clear vodka, her white gown still radiating a cold, defeated anger.
"Soverkis! I saw you there! That bitch Aria... she won, didn't she?" Chloe hissed, sitting down quickly.
Soverkis looked at Chloe, her eyes narrowed. She saw a silly, jealous girl, but also a useful tool.
"She secured a temporary victory, yes. Elias Vance protected her using corporate law like a weapon. She stood there with Jax Ryland, proving their business partnership is sound. She thinks she is untouchable."
"Well, she isn't! You know my family history. I know her weaknesses," Chloe spat. "My mother, Victoria, and I, we hate her. Her business is the only thing she cares about. Thorne Design is what my mother and I built, and Aria just comes in with her Valkyrie nonsense and steals the spotlight."
Soverkis's eyes suddenly gleamed with dangerous interest. Her tone shifted from anger to strategy, pivoting to the useful intelligence Chloe had just offered. "Thorne Design," Soverkis repeated, a strategic confirmation. "You still operate that label?"
"Yes, it's high-end, but we focus on traditional luxury, not her stupid structural style," Chloe corrected.
Soverkis leaned forward, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "He will defend her money. But the family name? That is Aria's personal risk. If you want to hurt her, Chloe, you don't attack her bank account. You attack her name and her brand. Jax Ryland is obsessed with her. If he sees any weakness in her design or her family, he might pull away. Tell me everything about your family's business. Tell me every pressure point you have on Aria."
Chloe smiled, a petty, jealous smile. She was happy to betray her stepsister. Soverkis now had a new, sharp weapon: inside information and a family rival to use against Aria's reputation.
Back in her penthouse, Aria walked into her bedroom. She closed the door, the final lock clicking into place. She felt the heavy silk of the Nighthawk Gown finally peel away from her skin as she slipped out of it. It fell to the floor, a pool of black light.
She stepped into her shower, letting the water run hot and long. She scrubbed away the makeup, the hairspray, and the corporate armor.
Wrapped in a thick, simple white cotton robe, she walked to her bed. She saw the notification: Jax Ryland, 3 missed calls.
Her heart gave a solid thump. She didn't hesitate. She called him back.
Jax answered on the first ring, his voice raw, loud, and immediate.
"Aria! Finally! I needed to know you were safe after that viper left."
"I'm safe, Jax. She is gone. Elias handled the legal threat. The sales are closed. The launch was a success," Aria confirmed.
"I know the launch was a success. I was there. I saw the way you faced her. You are fire, Aria," Jax said, his voice dropping to a low, burning intensity. "But listen. I have been running on adrenaline and anger since I saw her. I need to see you. I need to know you are real, not just the CEO in the perfect black dress."
Aria felt the heat rush through her. The control she had maintained all day was finally breaking.
"I'm not the CEO right now, Jax," Aria whispered. "I am just the woman who is tired, and who just took off her armor."
"Then let me see you without the armor," Jax pressed, his voice full of desperate need. "I'm at my place. It's secure. Drive here now, Aria. I need you to be here. I need to feel the stability we promised each other."
Aria knew the risk of driving across the city alone, but the desperate need for him, the need to shed the control of the day and find release with the one person who saw her completely, was too strong.
"I'm coming now, Jax," Aria said simply.
She ended the call, pulling on a black trench coat over her white robe. She grabbed the keys to her secure, black sports car.
The drive across Manhattan was a silent, fast blur. Aria moved through the secure city.
She reached Jax's secured penthouse building. She used the private code he had given her.
Jax was waiting at the private elevator doors on his floor. He was wearing nothing but dark trousers, his chest bare. He looked raw, vulnerable, and completely desperate.
The moment the doors opened, the outside world vanished.
Jax didn't speak. He reached out and gently took the lapels of her open trench coat, drawing her in until they were inches apart.
"You came," Jax breathed, his voice thick with relief.
"I came," Aria confirmed.
He reached up, cupping her jaw gently. He kissed her then, a long, deep, searching kiss that was a mix of relief, hunger, and silent promise.
"I was so angry," Jax murmured against her lips. "She tried to damage the one thing I love most. Your strength."
He slipped his hand under the trench coat, his fingers finding the soft cotton of her robe, then the smooth, bare skin of her shoulder.
"The whole world saw your armor tonight. I need to see the woman inside it," Jax whispered, his lips moving down her neck.
He pulled her closer, their bodies pressing together in a desperate embrace.
Aria pulled back the slightest bit, her eyes dark and focused. "Show me, Jax. Show me the foundation you promised."
Jax picked her up easily, his strength a solid comfort, and carried her across the polished floor toward the bedroom.
He set her down slowly inside the room. The scent of him, woodsy, clean, and warm, enveloped her. He looked down at her, his eyes full of powerful, unspoken love.
"Right now, the world can wait," Jax murmured, his hands moving to the tie of her robe.
Aria reached up and caught his face in her hands, meeting his gaze with an equal measure of intensity.