Page 106 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
Crispin, who was right next to Aria, reached for her hand.
Dorian turned to Aria. "There is no way to make this sound any better. It's Ophelia... She passed away in her sleep a week ago."
Aria froze.
"She had pneumonia. The doctors said it was peaceful. She...she asked to speak to you. I didn't know until after."
The words hit her like a punch to her chest.
Dorian reached into his coat and handed her a sealed envelope. "There's something in the will for you. She made sure it was known. I don't know what it is."
Aria stared at it, heart hammering.
"She said you were one of the few people who actually listened to her," Dorian added. "She liked you. A lot. Her lawyer would like to speak to you as soon as possible."
She couldn't speak, just nodded, tucking the envelope to her chest like a precious gift.
She wished she had listened to what Ophelia had to say, but now it was too late.
That evening, Crispin sat in the study with his laptop open, face unreadable.
Aria found him there, staring at a paused video call screen.
"What is it?" she asked.
He leaned back, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
"My father's been pressuring my mother. She's withdrawn her vote."
Her breath stuttered.
"There's going to be another board meeting. They want me out completely. It’s like a joke."
He didn't sound angry. Just tired, resigned.
"I don't know what he's promised her, but it worked. And now...everything's back on the line."
Aria sat beside him quietly, laying a hand over his. "We'll face it together," she said.
He nodded, but didn't speak.
And later, when she glanced towards the envelope Ophelia had left for her, still untouched on the desk, she wondered if the ghosts of their past were done with them yet or just beginning to circle closer.
Chapter 55
Aria
That evening, he returned earlier than usual, his jacket draped over one arm and a kind of nervous purpose in his step.
"Come with me," he said, leading her to the sunroom. "I have something to show you."
The air was warm and golden, shadows from the garden creeping across the flagstone floor. He sat on the wide window bench and pulled her down beside him.
Then he said, too casually, "Put your hand in my pocket."
But there was that nervous twitch of his eyelid.
Aria blinked. "What?"
