Page 24 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

At work, I got hit with the harsh reality I was living in. A freaking mess. Two new poisoning cases—both severe. We barely managed to keep them alive.

Rita and Robert were burning with curiosity, desperate to interrogate me about the man in the waiting room, but there was no time. Between filling out reports, questioning the owners, and tracing the cause of the poisonings. The day felt endless.

When I grabbed my bag and left, exhaustion pulsed deep in my bones.

I was so relieved it was Friday; there was no tutoring and no more responsibilities hanging over my head. I needed the weekend to breathe.

The moment I stepped inside my house, the scent of warm food wrapped around me like a comforting blanket. My grandmother stood in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove with the phone pressed to her ear.

“Yes, yes. Tomorrow morning. That works perfectly. No problem at all, Miss. Aria.”

I froze.

Miss . Aria ?

She ended the call and turned to me, her face lighting up with excitement.

“You came just in time! Sit down. Dinner is ready.”

“Just a moment.” I gave her a small, tired smile before slipping into my room. I set Zane’s roses down on my desk, showered quickly, and joined her at the table.

“So, guess who stopped by my tailor shop today?” Her green eyes sparkled mischievously. “Ella. The flutist. She wants me to design a dress for her!”

My fork stilled mid-air. “Wow.”

“And do you know who recommended me?”

“Who?”

“Mr. Cole.”

“Mr. Cole?” I echoed. My throat suddenly felt tight.

“Yes. I was surprised myself. He mentioned me to her at the last event.”

I forced myself to calm down.

“I mean, his wife…” My grandmother pursed her lips, clearly holding back judgment. “But he seems like a good man. Grounded.”

I swallowed hard. “And Miss. Aria?”

“She was very polite and seemed to be very close to her mother.”

I nodded, but something about the situation unsettled me.

Still, seeing the joy on my grandmother’s face, I forced myself to push the unease down.

After dinner, my grandmother relaxed in her favorite chair, and I sat on the couch with my notebook to scribble down Spencer’s notes.

My last message was still unread. He was busy. I knew that. But the silence nagged at me.

My thoughts kept circling back to a single phrase, “Underneath the bridge of flowers lies…”

I squeezed my fingers against my temple, thinking.

There were several bridges in town, but only one came to mind. The one by the small stream, surrounded by wildflowers. Aster flowers.

My eyes flicked back to my sketch. The crime scene. The vivid flowers that were drenched in blood. The flowers inside the dead dog’s bag.

That couldn’t be a coincidence.

There would be more victims. But if I could help stop it, even a little… If I could save just one life…!

My head throbbed.

The doorbell rang, and my grandmother rose from her chair.“I’ll get it.”

Setting my stuff aside, I was ready to take a break when Grandma called out, “Amelia!”

Thinking something was wrong, I rushed to the door and stopped short.

Zane wasstanding on our porch, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his dark hair slicked back except for a few stray strands.And in his hands, he held two bouquets.

My heart skipped a beat.

His smile was soft, almost uncertain, yet there was a boldness in the way he stood there, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to just show up unannounced.

The man looked breathtaking.

“Hi.”He stepped forward, offering the first bouquet, a colorful assortment of wildflowers, to my grandmother.“For you.”

Her face lit up. “Oh, what a charming young man!” To my surprise, she snickered, “Who would’ve thought you’d be the one to bring flowers? ”

Zane grinned, effortlessly slipping into his usual demeanor. “I couldn’t just wait around to receive them, could I?”

He turned to me, and his entire expression changed.His smile softened into something intimate, with a quiet, dangerous warmth that weakened my knees.“If I want the most beautiful flower in town, I should probably bring some myself.”

I reached out and took the bouquet of deep red roses, feeling the warmth of his fingers brush against mine.

“I’d like to take you to dinner.”

My grandmother crossed her arms, arching a brow.“And where exactly would you be taking my granddaughter, hmm?”

Zane met her gaze head-on, completely unfazed.“To Aria.”

Aria. Ella’s family’s restaurant.

That name again…

Grandma had a completely different reaction than me. Her eyes widened in shock. “The most expensive restaurant in town?!”

Zane shrugged as if it was nothing. “Only the best for Amelia.”

I could feel my grandmother’s stare, and I fumbled for an excuse. I already ate, I’m tired…

“Oh, hush, girl.” She waved me off. “Go get dressed.”

Zane’s lips twitched, clearly amused.

I turned to protest, but my grandmother cut me off. “Why are you still standing here?” She took the roses from me. “Go upstairs and get changed.”

My cheeks burned as I glared at her, but she only winked.

Zane was full-on smirking. “I’ll wait here.”

I let out a slow, shaky breath and turned to head upstairs.

As I rummaged through my closet, one thought hit me like a thunderbolt. I’m not in control anymore.

The city lights streaked past us like blurred constellations, painting the windshield in neon hues. The open window let in cool night air, but the heat inside me refused to fade.

My stomach tightened as I thought about where we were headed. Aria.

Since my grandmother told me about Ella’s unexpected visit to her shop, something had been gnawing at me.

It was too strange.

Even more unsettling was that Mr. Cole had been the one to recommend her. Mrs. Cole’s husband. The woman who barely concealed her disdain for me.

It didn’t add up. Ella and her family weren’t the kind of people to walk into a small, humble shop. They thrived in a world of exclusivity, luxury, and untouchable status.

Maybe it was nothing. Perhaps I was overthinking again. But I remembered her unkind stare at the show…

I exhaled, trying to shake off the unease growing in my stomach.

I felt Zane’s eyes on me.Again.

The third time was too much.

“Zane, keep your eyes on the road.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, vibrating through the air between us.“Hard to do that when you’re sitting right next to me looking like that.”

“Looking like what?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, his large, warm hand slid onto my thigh. It was a nonchalant touch. Natural. But nothing about it felt casual at all.

His fingers brushed too slowly, too purposely, against the fabric of my dress.

A sharp inhale caught in my throat.

Zane’s smirk was knowing. “I already thought you were beautiful.” His thumb traced teasing circles against my skin. “But now?” He let out a quiet, appreciative whistle.“Now, I can’t think about anything else.”

Heat coiled low in my stomach.

I gripped the hem of my dress, my nails digging into the fabric.

“If your grandmother hadn’t been there…” His voice was hoarse with restraint. “…I would’ve had you against the wall and devoured you right then and there.”

My breath hitched.

His palm slid up my leg just a fraction, making a pulse of electricity shoot through me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, grabbing his wrist and shoving it away. “Zane.”

He caught my hand, threading my fingers through his own.

His touch was searing, his hold firm but not unyielding. The contrast between the heat of him and the cold metal of his watch against my skin made my pulse spike.

His thumb brushed against my knuckles, making me shiver.In a voice of gravel and silk, he whispered, “I’m obsessed with you, Amelia.”

My thoughts spun as I leaned in closer.

I could see the slight bob of his throat as he swallowed hard, his white knuckles on the steering wheel, and his chest’s deep, rapid movement.

My lips brushed against his neck. A single fleeting kiss. Just a whisper of contact.

His entire body tensed. “Fuck.”

His burning dark eyes were half-lidded with desire.In one slow, controlled movement, he brought my hand to his lips for a lingering kiss.

“Amelia,” he groaned. The sound grazed against my skin like fire.“If we don’t go to that restaurant right now, I’ll take you home. And I promise you’ll never forget this night. ”

It was a vow.

The air in the car thickened, crackling with something reckless, unrestrained.

His dark eyes traveled slowly over me, drinking me in, already imagining exactly how the night would end.

He licked his lips, and my heartbeat thundered.

Aria . I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to step into a restaurant owned by a family that kept appearing in my life like a bad omen.

“I already ate before you came to the house.” The words had slipped out before I could stop myself.

Zane didn’t hesitate as he flipped the turn signal and made a U-turn in the middle of the street.

The tires let out a sharp screech against the pavement, shocking the heck out of me.“Zane!”

He didn’t bother with a reply. His wicked grin was enough of an answer. And it set my entire body on fire.“We’re going to my place.”

I didn’t know what surprised me more. That I was in such a situation or that I wanted it so badly.

Zane pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine, and instantly reached for my seatbelt. But instead of simply undoing it, his fingers grazed my skin before his lips crashed onto mine.

A hungry, unrelenting, raw kiss.

I gasped against his mouth, feeling his heat, his intensity, the way he devoured me without hesitation.

My body softened and surrendered as my fingers tangled into his hair, pulling him closer.

I mirrored what he’d done to me the previous night and teasingly bit his lower lip, drawing a rumbling sound from his chest.

His hand slid under my thighs, lifting me effortlessly onto his lap.

The movement was so fast that my knee accidentally hit the car horn.The resulting sharp, loud blare filled the night, and I jumped involuntarily.

Zane released a deep, sinful laugh.“Jumpy?”

“No!” I snapped.