Chapter 11

Aria glanced at her watch and saw it was already seven in the morning. Restlessness and excitement fevered her insides. It had been a long time since she had felt this way. After her mother died, any excitement or happiness seemed far behind her. There was a hole in her heart, and she was withholding the pain. Seeing Jasmine felt like she was meeting the other half of herself. After her mother's death, she had forgotten everything, even the orphanage and the people who had played a significant role in her life, particularly Jasmine, the sibling she wished she had.

Aria tied up her hair, placed a black baseball cap on her head, and put on a rust-colored vintage blouse with a turn-down collar. She matched it with loose cigarette pants and high-waisted leather shoes. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror, turning sideways, and wasn't satisfied with how she looked.

But she had no time. Two minutes wouldn't make her look any better, and she didn'