Aria's POV
"Damn it!" I squeezed the tiara so hard my knuckles turned white.
I bolted out of the luxury sedan and scrambled up the stairs toward the venue's main entrance. But the moment I reached the glass doors, two heavy-set security guards stepped into my path, crossing their arms.
"Entry pass, ma'am," one of them said flatly.
"I'm with Elena's team—!" I gasped, out of breath. "Please, it's urgent!"
"No pass, no entry. Rules are rules."
I stood there, practically in tears.
I pulled out my phone to call Aron, only to see a flood of panicked text notifications lighting up my screen.
[Elena]: Did you find the tiara?
[Elena]: You need a VIP badge to get back inside. Are you stuck at the door?
[Elena]: Aron said he couldn't find you anywhere. Where are you?!
[Elena]: They're cal
