Alex stood in the doorway, eyes fixed on her crumpled figure. Ariel's tear-streaked face stirred something deep within him something he hadn't felt in years. His jaw clenched.
"Wait for me," he said, voice low but laced with authority. "I'll send someone to bring you clothes and food."
Before she could refuse, question, or plead, the door closed softly behind him, the sound echoing like a verdict in the silence.
---
Later That Night...
Ariel lay curled on the bed, her face buried deep in the pillow, the fabric damp with her endless tears. The room was too still, the silence pressing against her like a suffocating fog. But the noise inside her mind was deafening.
The church. The betrayal. Simon's silence. Fiona's smirk.
So I never mattered to him? The words escaped her lips, brittle and hollow.
She had given everything to Simon her care, her time, her soul. She'd held nothing back. She had envisioned a life with him children, gray hairs, warm mornings. But he had discarded her as if all those dreams had been delusions. A cruel fantasy.
She reached for her phone. A flicker of desperation sparked within her. Maybe he'd texted. Maybe it was all a mistake. Maybe he'd explain.
Nothing.
Not a single message. Not a call. Not even a voicemail. The screen stared back at her, empty like her chest. Like her world.
A sob ripped through her throat. She turned into the pillow again and cried, this time with a rawness that hollowed her from the inside out.
---
Alex
Inside his car, parked on a quiet road, Alex gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned bone white. The engine hummed softly, but his mind was far from still.
He tapped a button on his phone. Live surveillance footage flickered on the screen. And there she was , Ariel, alone in his room, her body shaking with sobs.
Something twisted violently in his chest.
No one hurts what's mine.
His thumb hovered over the screen before he pressed a number.
"Charles," he barked. "I want everything on Simon. The lies. The crimes. The hidden sins. Dig until you find something filthy."
"Yes, sir."
"I don't care what it costs. I want him ruined. Broken. I want him to forget what peace feels like."
He ended the call, the anger in his eyes slowly shifting into something darker. Something possessive.
"No one makes my girl cry… except me," he muttered.
---
A Few Hours Later...
Ariel woke up to a dimly lit room. Her eyes ached, swollen from crying. Her limbs felt like lead. She sat up slowly, the blanket falling from her shoulders. Every breath she took felt like it scratched against glass inside her ribs.
She stumbled toward the stairs, needing… something. Anything to tether her back to reality.
A maid approached with a small, kind smile. "Good evening, ma'am."
"Evening…" Her voice cracked. "And don't call me that. Just… Ariel."
"Yes, Miss Ariel."
Ariel gave a dry, broken chuckle. Miss Ariel. It sounded like someone else's name. Someone whole. Someone untouched by betrayal.
"Where's Alex?" she asked, though she wasn't sure why.
"Sir went out. He hasn't returned yet. Are you hungry?"
Ariel nodded vaguely. "Please."
The maid disappeared into the kitchen. As the scent of food began to drift into the room, Ariel picked up her phone again. Her fingers moved before she could stop them, searching for any information about the elusive CEO, Alexander Moretti. But the internet came up empty.
No interviews. No photos. No board meetings. No past.
It was like he didn't exist. Not in this world.
So he lied.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
He's not a CEO… and he can't be a mafia boss. That only happens in stories.
She paused.
And I'm not in a story… right?
The thought chilled her.
"Miss Ariel?" The maid's voice pulled her back. "Your food is ready."
Ariel blinked and stood. "Thank you."
The meal was warm and rich, the flavors oddly comforting. She couldn't remember the last time someone had cooked for her—not like this. Not with care.
"I'm glad you liked it," the maid said gently.
Ariel gave a faint nod, eyes distant. "Thank you."
---
Later...
Back on the couch, her phone buzzed. The name on the screen made her stomach drop.
Fiona.
She hesitated.
Then tapped the screen.
Hey. I know you're angry. But I have a secret. One you'll want to hear. About Simon.
Ariel's blood turned to ice.
Without a second thought, she ran upstairs. She yanked open Alex's closet, grabbing one of his oversized hoodies. It drowned her frame, swallowing her pain with warmth. She found a pair of boxers and slipped them on too. A black cap went over her curls. She barely recognized herself in the mirror.
Maybe that was the point.
Downstairs, the maid blinked. "Miss? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, sir said you can't leave until—"
"This is urgent," Ariel said quietly. "I promise I'll be back. Please."
The maid hesitated. Then nodded slowly. "Okay. But don't be long."
Ariel gave a quick smile and bolted through the door.
Inside, the maid immediately picked up the phone. "Sir, Miss Ariel just left."
"Let one of the guards follow her," Alex said, voice calm but sharp. "Don't lose her."
He hung up, smirking.
"Who was that?" his friend asked.
"My future wifey," Alex said, eyes gleaming like a wolf who had finally marked his prey.
---
At the Restaurant...
Ariel entered the restaurant, head lowered, scanning every corner.
There. Fiona. Sitting in a booth like she owned the world.
Ariel walked over and sat across from her.
"Spill it," she said coldly. "What do you want?"
Fiona tilted her head, feigning hurt. "Is that how you talk to your best friend?"
Ariel's eyes narrowed. "Don't disgrace that word. Talk."
Fiona smiled, sickly sweet. "It hasn't even been a week and you're already wearing another man's clothes. I should thank you. I was going to send someone to rape you... but you did it all yourself."
Ariel went still. Every cell in her body screamed. Her fists clenched under the table, nails digging into her skin.
Fiona leaned closer, whispering poison. "Simon wanted to call you. But after I showed him that video of you leaving that club with that man he couldn't even look at his phone. And then…"
She smirked.
"He fucked me."
The words stabbed through Ariel like a blade.
"He cried your name when he came, you know. Sad, right? He gave himself to me. The same way you saved yourself for him."
Her voice dropped to a cruel whisper.
"Three months ago, he took my virginity. And now? I'm pregnant."
Ariel stared at her. Cold. Silent. Dying inside.
Fiona laughed. "You waited like a good girl. And he chose me. The whore."
She stood, pride dripping from every movement. "It was fun chatting. Oh have a drink."
She picked up her glass and flung it in Ariel's face.
Cold liquid splashed across her, soaking her in the scent of betrayal and wine.
"Bye, loser," Fiona hissed, walking out without looking back.
Ariel sat frozen, the liquid dripping down her chin, her fists trembling.
This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
---