Chapter 37: Aria Vale's Unspoken Feeling.

February 6, 6:00 PM. Residential District of Dreamside, not far from Amara’s house.
Vincenzo sits in his sleek silver BMW, phone pressed to his ear, staring at Amara’s house. He wears loose dark pants and a blue t-shirt.
“Hello, Frank?” he says, voice tight. “Listen, we’re fucked. They’ve been prepping all day. I managed to run home and… This crazy woman keeps telling me they’re just gonna show Marisol some photo and shit. She thinks I’m an idiot! She’s going for a brawl, I know it. Why the hell does she even need that Māori giant?!” He almost shouts, meaning Ākuhata Mahuta.
Frank Astley, the Hollywood producer who’s worked with Becky’s team for years, laughs on the other end.
“What are you laughing at?!” Vincenzo snaps. “Two cosmetic divas are about to give each other a bloody meat-makeup and you think it’s funny? Becky’s your favorite actress—she looks good in your movies. Even I admit that, and I’m no fan of those stoner comedies!”
Frank’s voice stays amused. “Relax, man. Becky’s got this. She’s playing a game—she wants Marisol to think she’s completely out of control so she catches her off guard. That’s why she brought the big guy. It’s all part of the plan.” He holds back another chuckle. “And go easy on the stoner comedies. I make good money from them, and Becky looks great in them.”
Vincenzo runs a hand through his hair and checks the house again. “Yeah, well, I hope you’re right. Becky’s a live grenade in there.” He sighs. “I don’t get what’s happening. Either I’m burning out and turning into a stupid, grumpy, scared old man at thirty, or this ‘we don’t love paparazzi’ town is finally losing it. It’s six o’clock on a residential street in Dreamside and you know what’s going on? Nothing. Fucking nothing. Feels like everyone here sleeps fifteen hours a day. Beautiful closed-off place, no trash like regular L.A., but everyone’s quietly going crazy like it’s a mental hospital.”
He digs into the glove compartment, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, lights one, phone still pinched between shoulder and ear. “This morning I looked like an idiot showing up at that student dorm where Becky lives with the other kids playing adults. Yeah, their Château des Rêves. Fucking ridiculous—a celebrity’s manager has to ask the mansion staff where the celebrity is because he can’t reach her. What a disgrace.”
Frank sounds amused but understanding. “Yeah, that place is nuts. But it works for them. They’ve got their little world.”
Vincenzo blows smoke out the window, eyes still on the house. “It’s not a world, it’s a fucking cult. Five or six hundred people in that mansion and they all look like they’re on some weird drugs.” He taps ash out the window. “Anyway. I’ll let you get back to it. Just wanted to check if I’m overreacting.”
Frank chuckles. “Nah, you’re not. Becky’s always been… creative with her methods. But she knows what she’s doing. Keep your head down and stay close. You might need to pick up the pieces when it’s over.”
Vincenzo rubs his temple. “Yeah. I see.” He takes another drag.
“Alright, I gotta go. I think I’m about to witness a fucking spectacle.” He ends the call, pockets the phone, and tugs at the collar of his t-shirt. Becky promised no bloodshed, but knowing her, there’s no guarantee.
February 6, 8:00 PM. Cocoavilla, big lounge on the third floor.
Brian, in a loose dark t-shirt and baggy dark shorts, opens a can of soda and drains it in a few seconds. “Damn, those girls are straight-up animals.”
He sits on the soft yellow couch next to Aria, who stares at one fixed point, thinking hard. “Ari, hey, I’m saying I just fucked your horny girlfriends,” he says, meaning Lottie and Corin. “Now let’s drop the games. What the hell did Cheryl come up with? Some game in tunnels under a long-abandoned military base… I mean, of course I play along when the girls are around…”
He glances toward the hallway, hoping they’re still asleep after sex, and drops to a whisper. “We already have everything going great. Kate and I are getting closer, and Alex, if he doesn’t disappear completely, will just quietly step aside. Without any extra drama and…”
Brian pauses. “Homewrecking. And I don’t think playing games in some Korean series style about competition shit is gonna help with that. How many people do you and Cheryl want to involve on February 16? Why exactly am I on the same team as Kate? How does the draw work? And who are you teamed with?”
Aria finally focuses on him, long nails clicking against the can in her hand. “Because it’s not just about you, Brian. It’s about all of us.”
She leans back, crossing her legs. The slit in her white miniskirt rides up dangerously high. “You, me, Kate, Alex… we’re all connected now. Cheryl just wants to make sure that connection stays… exciting.” Her smile is sharp as she sips. “And since you’re the new player, you get Kate’s team. I get Alex’s.”
Brian raises an eyebrow. “So let me get this straight. You’re putting me and Kate together, and you and Alex…” He falls silent a couple of seconds, then lets out a strange chuckle. “Wait… You and Alex… Why exactly you and Alex? Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for Alex…”
He straightens, runs a hand over his face, and looks at her. “Are you in love with Alex? For real?”
Aria’s face shifts for a second—an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t answer right away. She turns the can in her hands, watching condensation bead and roll down the aluminum. “You ever wonder why I helped you get close to Kate so easily, Brian?” Her voice is soft but edged with something unreadable.
Brian almost jumps. “Fuck, are you serious right now? So I confessed to you back in September that I liked Kate—and you decided to use it to your advantage? You fell for your best friend’s boyfriend and now…”
He searches for the words, then continues. “…So you’ve been using me—and still are—as some kind of battering ram? Meaning all of this isn’t for me and Kate, but for you?”
Aria doesn’t answer at once. She sets the can on the coffee table with deliberate care, then turns to face him fully, crossing her legs the other way so the slit shifts. “You asked why I helped you, Brian. I told you why.”
She speaks quietly, but there’s an undercurrent of something dangerous—like a cat playing with a mouse. “I wanted to see what would happen. I wanted to see if Kate really loved Alex. I wanted to see if you were as serious as you said you were.” She leans in slightly, brown eyes holding his. “And most of all… I wanted to see if Alex would let it happen.”
Brian chuckles, looking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows where the February California sun has already set, plunging Dreamside into darkness.
“Yeah… And why couldn’t you just tell me everything from the start? Isn’t that the whole point of open relationships—to talk about shit like this right away?”
He looks at her as if trying to see through her. “And how long has this been going on? Never mind!” He waves it off. “Like we already said… ‘We’ve gone too far to stop now.’ Something like that.”
He sighs. “And? I don’t understand one thing. In the everyday sense and the legal sense: what’s going to happen with me, Kate, and Alex? Why are you so sure she’ll leave him? They’re not married, not in a civil union—but they’ve been together four years… I don’t get it. You’re so sure about this, like it’s some axiom. Like ‘2+2=4’. You can destroy everything for everyone right now—and stand there with an innocent face like you had nothing to do with it. Right? What exactly are you planning to do with Alex? I don’t understand your plans at all. You and Cheryl are cooking something up—and I find out at the last moment and am supposed to just go along with it!”
Aria’s smile doesn’t waver, but a new intensity enters her gaze. She leans back against the cushions, stretching her arms along the backrest behind her head. The motion makes her midriff top ride up, revealing a sliver of bare stomach. She doesn’t adjust it.
“I’m not the one destroying anything, Brian. That’s not my job.” She speaks more quietly now, but it’s precision, not softness. “I just see things clearly. You want Kate. I knew that the moment you told me about her in September. And I know she wants you too.” Her fingers drum lightly against the couch. “As for Alex…” Her smile shifts, just slightly. “He’s a smart guy. He’s not blind. He sees what’s happening.” She pauses, watching his reaction. “And he wants to see it through. He wants to know what happens next.”
Brian exhales through his nose, shaking his head. “You’re enjoying this too much, Aria.” There’s an edge to the words, but no real anger—just frustration. “This isn’t a fucking game. This is people’s lives.”
Aria tilts her head, considering him. “Isn’t it? Isn’t everything a game, Brian? Just some games are more fun than others.”
Brian lets out a heavy sigh. “All my conversations with you on these topics always end the same way—you answer the same thing, just with different words. Ari, I’m a busy man. I have music. I have boxing. I have basketball. My career and my creativity only have my name and my pseudonym. You’re maximally independent from obligations, Miss photographer and model with your own modeling agency. I don’t hide behind Prevale Agency like you or behind Sogni Nudi like Alex. I am my own brand. In that sense I’m similar to Kate.”
He pauses. “Although Kate has Swag&Pop and her benefactor Dara behind her. Anyway, what I mean is that playing all these teenage games… is exhausting. I love Kate. I want to be with Kate. I want to build my career normally. That’s all I want.”
Aria angles her face, observing him with half-lidded eyes. “It’s not a game, Brian. That’s the problem.” She moves closer, speaking quietly. “You’re the one making it a game by thinking you can control how it plays out. That you can just decide you want something and make it happen without consequences.”
She extends her hand, fingertips grazing the side of his face. “But people don’t work like that. People don’t slot neatly into the boxes we want them to.” Her thumb brushes his cheekbone for a second. “Kate doesn’t either.”
Brian doesn’t pull away, but his jaw tightens. He whispers, “I’m just scared that nothing will work out. And that I won’t end up with Kate. She has such a tight bond with Alex. You know, if Kate was just some regular girl—I would’ve just turned on the typical gangsta shit and… But I’m not a gangsta. That’s just an image. I’m a creative person. Just like Alex. And that’s the problem.”
Aria’s fingers slide from his face to his shoulder, gripping lightly. Her expression doesn’t change, but there’s something almost tender in the way she looks at him. “I know,” she says softly. “That’s why this is so complicated.” Her thumb moves in slow circles against his shoulder. “But don’t you see? That’s what makes it interesting.”
Brian exhales sharply, shaking his head. “Interesting for who? You?” No real accusation—just exhaustion. “I love her, Aria. I don’t want this to be some fucking game for you.”
Aria doesn’t answer right away. She shifts closer, her knee pressing against his thigh. “You think I don’t know that?” she murmurs. Her fingers tighten on his shoulder. “I’ve known you love her since September, Brian. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to enjoy watching how it plays out.” She moves even closer, her other hand resting lightly against his chest. “You say it’s not a game. Maybe not for you. But I’ve always liked watching people try to fit into new roles.” Her nails scrape lightly through the fabric of his t-shirt. “Watching you and Kate try to figure out what this is… watching Alex decide whether to hold on or let go…” Her lashes lower just a little. “It’s fascinating.”
February 6, 8:00 PM, Dreamside, LaShawn and Shanice’s house.
“Shanice! Have you seen my ‘Isabelle’? I can’t go play golf with the guys tomorrow without my favorite club!” LaShawn Williams shouts to his wife.
LaShawn Williams, a 76-year-old former famous African American rock musician under the stage name LaShoonters and now a successful landscape painter and author of philosophical novels, is rummaging through the room on the second floor of their house, groaning and rubbing his old joints.
“Isabella, LaShawn,” Shanice Williams corrects from the kitchen below, her tone warm but firm. “You’ve been calling it that for thirty years.”
LaShawn pauses mid-bend over a golf bag in the corner of the room. “Well, Isabella sounds Italian and sexy. I named it after the lead singer of the Italian band Mango. You know, the one with all the boobs.”
Shanice sighs loud enough for him to hear, but speaks calmly. “I know which Isabella you’re talking about, LaShawn. And I know exactly what you’re thinking when you say it.”
LaShawn straightens up, grinning. “Here she is! My beauty!” He kisses the golf club. “Next time I really need to put the bag in a more visible spot…” He pauses. “And why do I even have two golf bags? Well, at least it’s not three…”
LaShawn is about to leave the room when he catches a light in the window out of the corner of his eye. The curtains here are almost always open—no one sleeps in this room, and it serves as storage, the usual fate of houses in the Residential District of Dreamside where there are always more rooms than people.
He walks to the window and peers into the darkness. A few seconds later he notices the light is on in the first floor of the neighboring house where their neighbor Sarah lives. He looks closer and sees a female figure pressed against the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
LaShawn adjusts the collar of his green shirt and whistles. “Well, damn…”
With his still-good eyesight he can make out that the girl is completely naked. It’s Sarah.
“Shanice! Someone’s fucking our friend Sarah! He’s got her pressed right against the window glass and is going at it full force!” he shouts with a grin. “Looks like our little girl finally found herself a guy!”
Shanice appears at the bottom of the stairs, drying her hands on a towel. She looks up with a slight frown. “LaShawn, you can’t just—“
“I’m not doing anything wrong!” he defends himself cheerfully. “I was just looking out the window! And I saw something interesting!” He nods toward the window. “Come on, come see!”
Shanice sighs again, sets the towel aside, and climbs the stairs with measured steps. At the top she walks over and stands beside her husband. She gives him a sidelong glance, then turns to the window. After a few seconds her frown deepens.
At the same time Alex continues fucking Sarah, her breasts rubbing against the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window in her first-floor bedroom. LaShawn and Shanice cannot see Alex himself—besides, they don’t know him and have never even heard of him.
LaShawn laughs. “Hehe! Finally! I’m happy for her! If it’s gotten to this point—the guy’s probably really great. Probably someone from her school, someone she works with. Maybe one of the young teachers. Or maybe not so young. Well, it was only a matter of time before someone shoved their ‘cucumber’ into the sweet ass of this administrative assistant of the art class!”
Shanice makes a disapproving sound. “LaShawn, really? You don’t have to say it like that.”
“What?” He shrugs. “It’s true. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I’m glad someone finally took her to bed. She’s always seemed so reserved, like she was waiting for someone special. Well, it looks like she found him!”
He chuckles and nudges his wife’s side with his elbow. “Come on, admit it—you were wondering too, weren’t you? About who would finally get her?”
Shanice crosses her arms but doesn’t deny it. She watches the scene below for a few more seconds before turning away.
“Can’t really see the guy,” LaShawn says, still watching. “But he’s fucking her good. Tomorrow the poor girl won’t be able to sit down. Probably Black or Latino. Well, either way, you won’t be jealous anymore.”
He smirks at Shanice. “Especially after the way you were staring at us last weekend during the barbecue when I was grilling meat with her. But don’t worry, my ebony butt, you’re always number one with me!”
Shanice shakes her head, but a small smile appears. “LaShawn, please. I was just being polite. And I have no interest in your friend Sarah. But I do worry about her. She’s so quiet and reserved. I hope this guy’s not taking advantage of that.”
LaShawn waves a hand. “Pfft, look at her! She’s into it! She’s pressed right up against the glass and he’s got her bouncing like a basketball. And those tits—he must be enjoying those. I wonder if he’s even bothered to get her on the bed yet or if he just started in the window like that.”
He glances at his wife’s figure in white home pants and an orange shirt. “By the way, maybe you could be my basketball tonight too?” He waggles his eyebrows. “After all, we’re not getting any younger. We might die without fucking enough!”
Shanice gives him a tired look, but she doesn’t refuse right away. “LaShawn, we just finished dinner.”
“And what? You think that means I can’t get it up?” He laughs. “Hell, I could go twice right now if I wanted to! The problem is that you don’t always want to!”
Shanice sighs and turns from the window to face him. “That’s not true. I just don’t always want to in the middle of the afternoon when you bring it up.”
LaShawn shrugs. “Well, if we waited until after dark every time, we’d be doing it twice a week at best. And then what would happen to this?” He gestures at his crotch with a grin.
Shanice rolls her eyes, but her tone softens. “Fine. But not here. Let’s go to our room at least.”
LaShawn nods enthusiastically. “Great! Our room! Our bed! I’ll get you up there in a second!” He turns to the window one last time, where Alex continues thrusting hard against Sarah’s back. “Well, looks like our little neighbor’s having fun. I wonder if he’ll make her come in the window or if he’ll at least get her on the bed first.”
Shanice follows his gaze, then shakes her head. “Come on, LaShawn.”
February 6, 8:00 PM, Château des Rêves, Amy’s office.
Amy sits at her desk and sighs. She wears a loose white shirt and dark trousers. Opposite her, on the comfortable guest chair, Ava sits in a gray low-cut t-shirt and a black skirt above the knee. Ava adjusts her fake big nerdy glasses with black frames and makes notes with a ballpoint pen in her notebook.
“So, that’s the situation,” Amy continues. “As you can see, even the short version took a whole hour.”
She sighs again. “Normally I could handle it myself, but with this whole Erodreamarts situation… Alex won’t be here for several months, Brian and Kate will be playing couple in front of everyone, and there will be several accredited journalists snooping around. Dana clearly tried to remove us from the participant list, but Mayor Navari was adamant. So Alex will have to stay in Cambria…”
Amy sighs once more. “Anyway, Lila said you’re really good at handling situations like this. So, speaking as directly as possible… What do you think about all this?”
Ava taps her pen against her teeth thoughtfully. “Well, Amy, you’ve certainly given me a lot to process.” She closes her notebook and adjusts her glasses. “Kate moving Brian into the main house is… a bold move, to say the least. And Alex is moving to the guest house before Cambria? That’s…”
She trails off, searching for the right word.
“Precarious,” she finally settles on. “Though I suppose it’s better…”
Amy nods grimly. “Better than some scenarios, yes. But not by much. And now I’m stuck in the middle of it all.”
Ava leans forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees. “You know, I’ve seen relationships like this before. They rarely go well in the long term.”
Amy lets out a nervous chuckle. “It seems everyone here understands this except Kate herself and, to some extent, Alex. That’s exactly why we need your help in… softening the crash of this train.”
She adjusts the collar of her shirt and continues. “So, will you take the job? Don’t worry about the money, we have plenty of free rooms. I think the real ‘fun’ will start after February 28, when Alex leaves for Cambria.”
Amy glances thoughtfully toward the window. “I never thought that Kate simply talking to Aria’s boyfriend at parties would lead to this.”
She turns her gaze back to Ava. “Well, what were we supposed to do? Drag Alex to every single party by force? He used to have terrible panic attacks because of his fear of crowds and God knows what else. Madi barely managed to deal with it.”
Ava tilts her head slightly, her glasses slipping down her nose as she studies Amy. She pushes them back up with a finger. “You’re right that it wasn’t anyone’s fault, exactly. But now we have a situation where Kate seems to have convinced herself that this arrangement is… sustainable. Or at least desirable.”
Amy leans forward slightly. “I kind of understand her motivation. Our Dreamside, and especially this Château, is an extremely prosperous and refined place even compared to many elite areas of California. And Kate was in an exclusive relationship with Alex for four years…”
She makes a vague gesture with her hand in the air. “But still, it’s a bit strange. Brian is the boyfriend of her best friend Aria. She and Aria have been friends since college. It’s obvious that without Aria’s deliberate pressure, none of this would have happened… Doesn’t Kate realize that Brian may not want to share her with Alex?”
Amy sighs and continues. “When Kate is asked about terminology and the current status, she always answers evasively, trying to avoid words like ‘boyfriend,’ ‘girlfriend,’ ‘my guy,’ ‘his girl.’ And now Becky has decided to go on a vendetta against Marisol, so Kate’s new personal assistant is her caddie named Daria.”
Amy sighs again and keeps talking about Daria. “A calm and somewhat reserved girl from Russia, always keeps to herself. A little sophisticated and not very talkative… at least with most people. She’s only 21, still trying to find herself in life and in the creative world. Previously she worked as a bartender in one of the hotels in Los Angeles. She has a slight accent. She doesn’t have any hostility toward Alex, but their relationship isn’t particularly warm either. Overall she’s quite sweet… She loves anime, singing… I don’t know what kind of influence she’ll have on all this.”
Ava listens intently, nodding occasionally as Amy speaks. When she finally speaks, her words come measured and thoughtful. “You’re right—this situation is incredibly complex. And I think you’re right about one key thing: Kate is deliberately avoiding certain terms. She knows what she’s doing, even if she’s trying to convince herself it’s all natural and effortless.”
She taps her pen against her notebook. “But here’s the thing—once you start removing labels from relationships, you’re not just playing fast and loose with definitions. You’re playing fast and loose with people’s expectations and boundaries. Brian and Kate might be clear about what they want right now, but what about tomorrow? Or a month from now?”
Amy leans back in her chair. “Actually, Alex himself suggested that Brian move in here. Said it would be more convenient for Kate. And then when Kate returned today after noon from her first date with Brian in Topanga…”
She runs her hand through her long dark hair. “Yes, Kate and Brian had a date the entire previous evening, all night, and all morning… So. When she came back, she announced that starting next week Alex will be living in the guest house, and she will be sharing a room with Brian. In the very same room where she currently sleeps with Alex. And yes, Alex agrees.”
Ava raises an eyebrow, setting her notebook aside. “Huh. So he’s really going along with this.” She taps her fingers against her knee, processing the information. “That’s either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.”
Amy sighs heavily. “That’s exactly why I spent a whole hour telling you the story of their relationship. For four years it’s been like this: complete mutual understanding and mutual support. Kate takes care of Alex like he’s her child, and he loves her madly. All of this goes back to their shared history and his panic attacks…”
She pauses. “Can I not go through it all again? Just tell me—when can you start? Meaning, when can you move in with us and start cleaning up all this trash? And how bad do you think it really is?”
Ava allows herself a small smile, shaking her head slightly. “Amy, you’re making it sound like I’m some kind of emotional surgeon here to perform an emergency operation. I’m just a crisis manager. I don’t fix people—I help them manage their messes.” She leans back in her chair, studying Amy’s face. “And let me be clear—I’m not saying you need to be ‘fixed.’ But this situation has the potential to become very, very messy.”
She crosses one leg over the other. “As for when I can start? I’d need to move in tomorrow, if possible. The sooner I’m embedded in the household dynamics, the better.”
Amy snorts. “Wonderful. I’ll find you the best available room this evening.”
She rests her cheek on her hand, elbow on the table. “A household of about 500 people, and yet all the problems come from Kate’s and her friend Aria’s love games. It’s a nightmare… Aria already visits us often from her Cocoavilla, and now she’ll probably be hanging around here constantly—closer to Brian and Kate. At least Becky is gone—I hope she stays stuck in Malibu for a long time with her feud against Marisol. Anyway, I hope you can help save the careers and comfortable living space for hundreds of people. I really don’t want our cozy creative commune to fall apart because of a couple of ‘boundary expanders’ and all that.”
Ava nods, folding her hands over her notebook. “I understand the stakes. And don’t worry—I’m not here to judge. My job is to minimize the damage when relationships start to unravel. People like Kate and Brian tend to underestimate how fast things can spiral.”
She shifts slightly in her chair. “You mentioned Aria will be here more often. That could be good or bad, depending on how she plays it. She obviously has hidden agendas…”
Ava exhales slowly, tapping her fingers against her knee. “That is… interesting.” She leans forward, resting her elbows on the desk. “It suggests Aria was testing something—maybe Kate’s loyalty, maybe Alex’s reaction. Possibly both.” She studies Amy’s face, noting the frustration there. “And you think this is connected to her recent visits to Château des Rêves, right?”
Amy nods. “Exactly. She’s here more often now. And I can’t shake the feeling she’s pushing things forward. Not just for Kate and Brian—“ She lowers her voice slightly, glancing toward the door as if checking for eavesdroppers. “She’s been spending time with Alex too.”
Amy leans back in her chair again. “Yes, she has hidden agendas. But I can’t figure them out. She always had great relationships with both Kate and Alex… And…”
She pauses, thinking. “There’s something else. I already brought this up with Lila today.” Amy looks at Ava. “Christmas and New Year’s. Alex avoids parties, except for the Christmas and New Year’s ones. Kate and Brian have been talking at parties since September last year. But during the last Christmas and New Year’s, Alex and Brian never crossed paths. Meaning Aria deliberately made sure they didn’t meet. Kate doesn’t tell Alex about her friends—and Alex doesn’t ask about them. It’s like two separate plots. But they’re not intentionally hiding anything from each other. So during those two parties, Aria made sure that Alex didn’t even catch a glimpse of Brian when Alex came down from the third floor. As if that would have interfered with… Brian’s process of charming Kate? Is that it? How else can you explain it?”
Ava’s fingers still, her gaze narrowing as she absorbs Amy’s revelation. She turns her head slightly, considering. “That is… fascinating. It suggests a level of control I hadn’t expected.” She taps the table lightly, brow furrowing. “Aria didn’t just facilitate their meeting—she manipulated the timeline to keep Alex out of it until it was too late.”
She pauses, studying Amy’s face. “And Alex didn’t suspect anything? Not even a little?”
Amy shakes her head. “Alex is too… too inside his head and his writer works. He doesn’t pay attention to social dynamics. And Kate? She’s just playing this by ear, I think.”
Ava leans forward, her elbows resting on the desk as she absorbs the implications of Amy’s words. “That makes sense. Kate doesn’t do complicated schemes. She goes with her feelings, plays things loose.” She taps a finger against her lips, considering. “But Aria? She’s orchestrating this from the shadows. Manipulating people without them even realizing it.”
Ava’s eyes narrow as she pieces things together. “And she made sure Alex was never in the same room as Brian at those parties. Kept them separate until it was too late for Alex to have any say in the matter.” Her gaze shifts to Amy. “That’s cold, calculated.”
Amy nervously chuckles. “We have parties every week. Just like everywhere in Dreamside—not so much to just hang out, but to make business deals and exchange creative experience. Aria only had to take care of two of them. Lila suspects that Aria likes Alex—but in some special, twisted way. I don’t know how objective her assessment is—she is Alex’s personal assistant. In any case, slipping her charismatic black rapper boyfriend with an abnormally huge cock to our bored artist and golfer turned out to be a very simple task for Aria. Alex is constantly working and has that erotic writer’s mind… even though he worries a bit, it clearly turns him on. I think Kate is taking advantage of that.”
Ava’s lips curl into a knowing smirk as she leans back in her chair. “Oh, I’m starting to see the pattern now. Aria didn’t just introduce Brian to Kate—she positioned him as the perfect counterpoint to Alex. The dangerous, charismatic other. Kate likes to push boundaries, doesn’t she? To see what she can get away with. And Alex? Well, he’s not the jealous type, is he? He’d rather be in control of the situation than feel left out.” She meets Amy’s gaze. “So Aria played them both. Gave Kate the perfect temptation and Alex the illusion of control. Brilliant manipulation.”
Amy nods slowly. “Exactly. She knew Kate wouldn’t leave Alex, not really. But she also knew Kate was curious about Brian—especially after those parties. And Alex? Well, he likes the idea of watching, of being the careful one while Kate experiences something wild.” She exhales sharply. “Aria knew exactly what she was doing. She knew Kate would ask permission. That Alex would say yes because he couldn’t say no to her. And now here we are—Brian moving in, Alex moving out to the guest house, and… I don’t know what will be next.”
Ava’s smirk deepens as she studies Amy. “Aria set up a game where Alex can’t lose,” Ava muses, steepling her fingers. “He gets to keep Kate while also getting off on the idea of watching her with someone else. And Kate? She gets Brian and Alex’s blessing. Perfect for everyone, right?”
Amy shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “Except for the part where Alex will be alone in a guest house while Kate shares a bed with Brian. And the part where he leaves to Cambria for a few months while Kate shares her whole private life with Brian. And the part where I’m pretty sure Alex thinks he’s still in control.” She looks at Ava with mild frustration. “He’s not stupid. But he has that whole super romantic writer thing going on—he literally idealizes love and relationships.”
Ava lets out a soft hum, tilting her head slightly as she studies Amy. “Romantic idealism is dangerous in these situations. It makes people blind to reality.” She leans forward, resting her elbows on the desk. “Alex thinks he’s maintaining control because he agreed to this. But he’s not the one in control anymore—Kate is.”
Amy exhales sharply. “Exactly. And Kate is… well, she’s not cruel. But she’s selfish, I guess. She likes pushing boundaries. She likes seeing how far she can go before something breaks.” She shifts in her chair, crossing her legs.
“Alex is too trusting, too romantic to see that,” Ava says, her voice smooth as she taps a finger against her chin. “He thinks he’s giving Kate freedom, that he’s proving his love by letting her experiment. But really, he’s just making himself obsolete.”
Amy flinches at the words, though she doesn’t argue. Meanwhile, Ava continues. “And Brian? He’s playing his role perfectly. The dangerous, untamed counterpart to Alex. The man who doesn’t ask permission.” She chuckles low in her throat. “Aria knew exactly what she was doing when she introduced them. Kate sees Brian as a thrill, as someone who will push her in ways Alex never could. And Alex?”
Amy watches Ava’s face as she continues. “Alex sees Brian as the perfect complement to him—someone who can give Kate what he can’t. And more importantly, someone who won’t take her away from him.” She leans back in her chair, arms folding over her chest. “Aria gave Alex the illusion of control. She knew he’d never stop Kate from seeing Brian. And now, she’s pulled the strings so that Brian is moving in and Alex is moving out.” She lets out a soft hum. “Perfect. Nothing to lose for anyone—unless you’re Alex.”
Amy presses her fingers to her temple, a quiet groan escaping. “Exactly. And that’s what scares me.”
Ava tilts her head slightly, watching Amy with that same calm intensity. “Alex is the one being sacrificed here. Kate gets to keep him as a safety net while exploring with Brian. Brian gets a new plaything. And Aria? She gets to watch it all unfold exactly how she planned. The only ones who lose anything in this scenario are Alex and—eventually—Kate, when this whole arrangement starts to fall apart.”
Amy exhales sharply, shaking her head. “God, I hate this. I hate seeing him like this. Like he’s just… waiting for the axe to fall.” She rubs at her temple, frustrated.
Ava hums in agreement, her fingers steepling again as she considers the situation. “And he probably thinks he’s above it all—like he’s some tragic romantic hero sacrificing himself for love.” She chuckles dryly. “But here’s the thing, Amy. Tragic heroes don’t get to pick how their story ends. And this one?” She gestures vaguely toward the Château. “It’s not his story anymore. It’s Kate’s. And Brian’s. And Aria’s.” She lets the words settle before adding, “And mine now, I suppose.”
Amy sighs, running a hand through her hair. “I just—he’s so fucking naive about this.” She speaks softly, shaking her head. “He thinks he’s still in control. That he gets to decide what happens next.” Amy glances at the window, where the lights illuminate the mansion’s courtyard, dispelling the evening darkness. “But he’s not the one making the decisions anymore. And I don’t know if he even realizes it.”
Ava watches her carefully, noting the distress in Amy’s posture. “No,” she agrees. “He doesn’t. And that’s exactly what makes this dangerous.” She pauses, weighing her words. “Alex thinks this arrangement is just another chapter in his love story with Kate. But really, he’s writing himself out of the main role.”
Amy exhales sharply, rubbing at her temple again. “Aria knew exactly what she wanted,” Amy murmurs, staring out the window at the mansion lights. “She wanted Brian and Kate together. And she knew Alex would never stop Kate from doing what she wanted.” She turns back to Ava with a dark expression. “But this isn’t just about Alex being pushed aside. It’s about Kate too. She thinks she can have it all—Alex’s comfort and Brian’s intensity. But eventually she’s going to have to choose.”
Ava nods slowly, considering. “And that’s where the real danger lies. Kate has convinced herself this arrangement can work indefinitely. That she can keep Alex nearby while exploring with Brian.”
Amy sighs. “Alright, it’s already late. You still teach at DreamArts College, right? You probably need to prepare for lectures tomorrow or something. We’ll have more time to talk later. Let me walk you to the parking lot.”
Ava rises smoothly from her chair, brushing invisible dust from her skirt as she follows Amy out of the office. The hallway of the third floor of the main building of the Château is brightly lit. It can hear the shouts of maids and other staff, laughter, and soft music drifting from someone’s room. She matches Amy’s pace, studying the younger woman’s profile as they walk.
“You’re invested in this,” Ava observes quietly. “More than just as a staff member, I mean.”
Amy doesn’t look at her but answers slightly. “Me, Madi, Lila, and many people. We are friends. And family.”