Chapter 143

• ARIA'S POV
• Linda’s sudden breakdown into tears left me frozen, the weight of her confession crashing over the room like a wave. Her emotional words rang in my ears, each one crafted perfectly to squeeze sympathy from Dante and the crowd.
• “I swear on the goddess, I did it to protect you, Dante!” she cried, holding onto his arm like a lifeline. “Ralph had threatened to kill you if I didn’t do what he wanted. Everything I said to him, everything I did… it was all to keep him calm, to deceive him. You have to believe me!”