Chapter 91 Chapter 91

Chapter 91 Chapter 91
Aria’s POV.

Breakfast was so awkwardly quiet that every scrape of cutlery and clink of glass seemed too loud. 

Valentin wasn’t there.

That should have made the table feel lighter, but somehow it did the opposite. She looked up when I came in and smiled, “Good morning, Aria.” 

“Morning.” I smiled back.

I took my seat and reached for the coffee while Marie finished setting down the rest of my breakfast. The room stayed quiet for a moment, the silverware making small, tidy sounds against the plates, until Cecilia cleared her throat. 

"Did you sleep well?" she said.

"Yeah. You?"

She nodded once, "Very well. Thank you."

I glanced down at my plate and took a bite that I barely tasted. My head kept drifting back to last night, to Adrien’s voice in the dark, Esme acting off. 

Cecilia’s voice pulled me back.

"Adrien was home late yesterday,  he had practice."

"I know. The semifinals are today."

"Of course." She smiled. "He's going to do well."

"He is," I said as I finished my eggs and started on the toast.

I was almost done with my meal when Cecilia cleared her throat

"Aria."

I looked up.

She had her hands around her cup still, looking at me with an expression like she was trying to decide if the moment was right.

"I wanted to ask you something,"

"Okay."

"There's a function. Next week." She paused,. "A charity luncheon… something I attend every year. I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me."

I looked at her, visibly confused.

"Why?" 

It came out more blunt than I meant it to, but she didn't flinch.

"Because I'd like you there," she continued. "That's all. You don't have to. I just… I'd like you to come if you want to."

I looked at her properly then. There wasn’t any of the usual carefulness in her voice, no hint that this was some sort of test or trap. 

If anything, she looked almost uncertain, which made the whole thing feel stranger than if she had just asked me outright and been done with it.

"I'll think about it,"

Something loosened slightly in her expression, almost like she had been bracing for a different answer.

"Thank you," she said taking a sip of her coffee.

I pushed my chair back.

"I'll let you know when I’ve made my decision," 

Then I took my plate to the side and went upstairs.



That was weird, I thought, standing in my room as I was pulling out my uniform.

Not bad-weird necessarily. Just…unexpected. Cecilia asking me to go somewhere with her. Choosing a Tuesday morning over breakfast to do it, with Valentin conveniently absent.

I decided to get over my thoughts and focus on  getting dressed.

My phone buzzed, my eyes travelled to the screen.

It was a text from Camille 

okay so hear me out. We have like three free periods this morning because of the semi final stuff. Why are we going to school?? Meet me in the park instead, we'll do something fun and go in later

I stared at the text, then at my half-done uniform.

Then back at the text.

I typed back I'm so in. where are we going.

A few minutes later I was in the limo, giving the driver Camille’s location while the city rolled past the windows in soft grey light. By the time we reached the amusement park on the edge of Paris, I had almost managed to stop thinking about everything else.

Camille was at the entrance gate when the car pulled up, already bouncing slightly on her flats.

"Finally," she said, grabbing my arm the second I got out.

"You said dress cute, I had to reconsider my entire wardrobe…"

"You look great. Come on..."

She pulled me toward the ticket booth.

"Have you heard anything?" I said. "About the game?"

"Nothing yet. Théo said he'd text the second it was over." She shook her head. "I can't even think about it. I'm so nervous for them."

"Me too." I looked at her. "I haven't spoken to Adrien since yesterday morning. He's been completely in practice mode."

"Good," she said. "That's good. That means he's focused."

"I know." I exhaled. "I just really want him to win. He's worked so hard for this."

"He's going to." She said it so much confidence. "Théo and Jules too. They're going to qualify."

We paid for our tickets.

As the cashier handed back the change,  Camille suddenly turned towards me and she took a breath like she was about to speak and had only just realized she needed to.

“I told her,” she said.

I looked at her. “Told who?”

“Esme.”

The words took me a second to land.

I stared at her. “You what?”

Camille’s ears went pink immediately, which told me she was more nervous about this than she wanted to be.

"Last night. I texted her." She was trying very hard to look casual and failing completely. "I told her I liked her."

I was still staring at her when the rest of it clicked into place.

“And?”

Her whole face changed. The smile that spread across it was so big and so obvious that I felt my own face break into a grin before I could stop it.

“She likes me too,” Camille said, like she still couldn’t quite believe it herself.

I made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a squeal and grabbed both of her hands. “Camille.”

“I know.”

“No, seriously. Camille.”

“I KNOW.”

She covered her face with both hands.

I laughed.

"Okay, Where is she now?"

"School. She has morning classes." Camille dropped her hands. "She said it's annoying she can't be here."

"Tragic," I slapping my hands on my forehead dramatically.

"Very." She linked her arm through mine. "Come on. Ferris wheel first."

"I've never been on a Ferris wheel," 

She stopped walking, then she turned to look at me.

"You've never…"

"Never."

"Aria." She grabbed my arm with both hands. "You have never lived. Come on!"



The Ferris wheel was enormous.

Standing at the base of it, watching the carriages rise one by one into the grey sky, I realized the ride wasn’t really the point. It was being tucked away in a tiny carriage with someone, suspended above the rest of the world for a little while.

"Get in," Camille said.

"I'm getting in."

"You're standing there like you're making a decision…"

"I'm processing…"

"Aria. Get. In."

I got in.

The wheel crept upward. The park fell away beneath us, then the rooftops, until the city opened around us. From up here, Paris looked almost monochrome, every building blending into the next, and yet it was beautiful in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay what?"

"Okay this is actually nice."

She grinned. "I told you."



After the Ferris wheel we did everything else.

The rollercoaster, Camille screamed on the first drop and then immediately demanded a second go. The spinning teacups, which were objectively for children

Something that shot us straight up and straight down that I will never speak of again. Food from a cart , it was so good Camille tried to steal mine.

By midday my cheeks hurt from laughing and by the time Theo called, we were sitting on a bench near the food stalls with our legs stretched out in front of us and our drinks sweating in the afternoon heat.

Camille answered on speaker.

The moment Theo’s voice came through, both of us were already shouting.

“We qualified!”

Camille screamed so loudly I nearly dropped my cup.

“What?”

“We qualified,” Theo said again, he breathless and loud, clearly grinning from whatever chaos was happening on his end. “Party tonight. You both have to come.”

Camille nearly bounced off the bench. “Obviously.”

There was more shouting in the background, Jules was yelling something I couldn’t make out, and Theo laughing so hard he could barely answer properly before he hung up.

Camille turned to me with both hands pressed to her face.

“We’re going tonight.”

“Of course we are.”

She looked like she might start vibrating."We need to go home and nap…"

"Yes absolutely we need a nap before a party this is not even a question."

We were both talking at the same time and neither of us cared.

I called my driver and Camille called hers.

We headed home soon after that, both of us still buzzing from the park and the news and the general happiness of the day.

I spent the ride back thinking about Camille and Esme and how ridiculously bright her face had looked when she said she liked her back, and by the time I got to the mansion I had already decided I was going to do my best not to let my suspicion ruin whatever this was for her.