As the door opened, both girls let out a sigh of relief. Aria wiped her sweaty hand on her cloth and forced a smile. "Yes, uncle?"
The caretaker smiled and handed her a box. Zara didn't say a word, just walked back to the couch. Her whole body was still shaking, and her breathing came uneven from the earlier fear. Aria closed the door behind her and sat beside Zara. "Parcel?"
Zara relaxed slowly and leaned forward. "You ordered something new again?"
Aria shook her head, frowning. "I don't think so. Shall we open it?"
Zara nodded, and they started opening the box. As soon as they finished, they found another smaller box inside. Zara huffed. "Great. Someone's playing a prank, I guess."
Aria glanced at her, lips twisting. She hummed softly. "Doesn't feel like it." She continued opening the smaller box, and Zara watched her with a raised brow.
When Aria lifted the lid, both gasped. Inside, the dress caught the light. The top was deep red, velvety and smooth, hugging the shoulders. The skirt was black, flowing lightly, dotted with tiny silver threads that caught the light like faint stars twinkling. It was elegant and perfect for a party, but as far as Aria remembered, she hadn't ordered it.
Zara brushed her fingers over the top and whispered, "God, it's beautiful. Off-shoulder and deep red."
Aria hummed, but Zara smirked at her and added, "Whoever picked this out knows you way too well."
Aria's head snapped toward her. "What do you mean by that?" She crossed her arms with a frown.
Zara shrugged. "You've got fair skin. If you wore this with your hair down, red lips, and light makeup… heaven help us, you'd break a few hearts."
Aria chuckled. "Shut up." She tucked the dress back into the box and walked toward her bedroom. "I'm keeping this. You go freshen up in the guestroom."
Zara raised a brow and trailed after her. "What do you mean by keeping it? You don't even know who sent it."
Aria opened her closet and started hanging the dress. "You said it yourself that whoever sent this knows me well. And honestly, I'm not famous enough to have some random stalker sending me clothes. So either it's someone I know… or it's a mistake. Either way, I'm not throwing it out."
Zara hummed and nodded. "Okay then. I'm going to freshen up. You better cook something good."
Aria paused in the doorway. "I'm also taking a shower. We're cooking together, missy. I'm not slaving away alone. Besides, you know I'm scared of fire."
Zara giggled and headed for the guestroom.
_______
The next morning, Aria woke up to the sound of her doorbell buzzing. She pulled on her robe and dragged her feet to the door. A deliveryman stood in the hallway, holding a package and an envelope. Aria smiled, signed the slip, and took them inside.
By then, Zara had also woken up and stepped out of the guestroom. "Who was that?"
Aria looked down at the box, then sank onto the couch. "A delivery man. He gave me these."
Zara smirked and came over, sliding onto the couch beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Someone's getting spoiled with gifts, missy."
Aria rolled her eyes and shoved her arm away. "Shut up and let me see."
She opened the box and smiled. "Gift from Jane. And maybe…" She tore open the envelope. This one looked different from the last. Aria's lips curved into a smirk. "It's a VIP invitation to a wedding."
Zara rolled her eyes, and Aria laughed. Zara peeked at the box. "What's this? Jewelry set?"
"Maybe," Aria muttered. Zara pulled the box out and opened it. "Wow… It's a pendant. A little phoenix. Look." She handed it to Aria.
Aria's eyes lit up with pure joy, something Zara hadn't seen in years.
Zara smiled softly, hiding the ache in her chest.
Seeing you this happy makes me happy too, my Ari. Just keep smiling. We'll find a way to pull this curse out of your life.
Aria snapped her fingers in front of her. "Hello? Why are you staring at me like an idiot?"
Zara rolled her eyes. "I'm not an idiot. Come on. Let's warm up the leftover sandwiches and eat breakfast. After that, we're going shopping. Wedding or not, we need to look good, you know."
Aria huffed. "This woman…"
They warmed up breakfast, laughter and teasing filling the small apartment. After eating, they headed out for shopping. The wedding invitation mentioned a surprise dress code for the party that night, guests had to guess the right color theme.
By the time they returned in the evening, both girls were loaded with shopping bags. Aria dropped onto the couch, giggling. "We bought ten dresses. If none of these match the color, I swear I'll sit there crying."
Zara plopped down beside her. "Shut up. I enjoyed the shopping way more than that silly guessing game."
At that moment, both of their phones buzzed. Aria smirked. "See? Now we'll know the color code. But before opening, what do you think it'll be?"
Zara crossed her arms and raised a brow, looking completely sure of herself. "It has to be black."
Aria frowned. For some reason, since last night, she couldn't shake the feeling that it would be red. She whispered softly, "Red."
Zara opened the message, and her jaw dropped. Turning to Aria, she asked, "How did you know, Ari?"
Aria's eyes widened. "It's actually red?"
When Zara gave a small nod, Aria bit her lip. A heavy thought pressed into her chest that the red dress had been sent for tonight's party. She drew in a breath and said, "Let's get ready. The party starts around eight. I don't want to be late."
"Fine," Zara muttered, though her face showed doubt.. As they started toward their rooms, she suddenly stopped. "Ari… did you hear a voice in your head?"
Aria froze mid-step. Her throat tightened as she shook her head quickly. "No… I didn't. I just feel it when..." Her gaze dropped to the floor.
"When Elara is near," Zara finished softly. "Or when you miss her?"
Aria didn't answer. She slipped into her room instead, her heartbeat racing even though she hadn't heard anything.
Watching the door close, Zara let out a long breath and whispered to herself, "I wish I could just snatch that thing away from you."
After getting ready, Aria and Zara walked toward the parking lot.
Zara cleared her throat, trying to break the tension. "I voted for black. I'm not getting any surprise gift," she said, sounding sulky.
Aria chuckled and unlocked the car. They slid inside, and Aria started the engine. "They texted that only two people guessed red."
Zara rolled her eyes, lips twisting into a small pout. "Jane loves black. And it's her wedding, of course, we thought it'd be black."
Aria shook her head, chuckling. The driveway was calm, soft music humming in the background. As they pulled up, both gasped.
"It looks amazing," Aria whispered, taking in the decorations as she parked the car.
Zara nodded and stepped out. "It always looks nice, but at night, with the fairy lights and all these flowers… it's just perfect."
Aria hummed in agreement, and together they walked into the ballroom of the huge mansion.
They spotted Jane talking with someone, but as they approached, Jane's eyes lit up and she went to hug Aria.
"Congratulations! But I'm offended," Aria teased, smiling. "Why did you send me the invitation at the last minute?"
Jane smiled and gently pulled Aria toward the stage. "Another special guest insisted on giving you a surprise gift first. She forbade me from sending the invite without it."
Aria raised an eyebrow. Zara followed closely behind, curious. "What gift?"
Jane's smile widened. "A pendant. And the color code… was also chosen by her."
Aria and Zara exchanged confused glances. Jane placed a hand on the shoulder of a woman in a red velvet coat, her hair loose over her shoulders.
"Elara," Jane said.
Aria and Zara both felt their breath catch. Zara gripped Aria's hand tightly, as if she might stumble, but she didn't.
Elara turned and smirked at Aria. Jane introduced them. "Aria, this is my trusted business partner, Elara. Elara, this is Aria, one of the best doctors here in Eidalein."
Elara's smirk deepened as she extended her hand. "Good evening, Ari… Aria."