The iPad screen lit up on the study desk. “Ethan, the copyright transfer and design attribution for the ‘Galaxy’ collection are fully processed. At tomorrow’s launch event, Chloe will be officially introduced as the Chief Designer of the Miller Group.” I stared at the screen, my mind going completely blank. Chloe was Ethan’s ultimate muse, the one that got away. The sound of the shower in the bathroom stopped. Ethan walked out, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice thick with post-shower warmth. “Babe, what are you just standing here in the dark?” I lowered my eyes, my fingers gripping the spoon so hard my knuckles turned white. “Nothing. Just a bit of a stomachache.” He kissed the crown of my head gently. “Once the launch is over tomorrow, I’m taking you to Tahiti for a vacation.” I said nothing. I only knew that in three days, at my birthday party, he planned to broadcast a humiliating video of me begging him on my knees to the entire high society of New York. He wanted to destroy me completely. So I had already deleted every single backup on his phone, emptied his cloud trash, and blocked all his contacts. Ethan, your little hunting game ends tonight.
Aria POV I was once known as the prodigy of the jewelry design world. At nineteen, I won the International Gold Award in Paris. My future should have been limitless. But the most foolish thing I ever did was give up my fellowship in Paris for Ethan Miller. I chose to stay hidden by his side for three whole years. For three years, I lived like a shadow in this luxury villa under his name, working as his hidden designer for his family business, the Miller Group. The only reason Miller Jewelry rose so fast in the market, even overshadowing my brother Julian’s firm, the Sterling Vaughan Enterprises, was because of my designs. Today was our third anniversary. The kitchen was filled with a rich aroma. I had spent hours making Ethan’s favorite wild mushroom cream soup. Holding the delicate bowl, I walked quietly up to the second-floor study. Ethan had just returned and was taking a shower. The muffled sound of running water leaked through the frosted glass door. On the desk, Ethan’s iPad kept buzzing. The notifications were relentless. I didn’t mean to spy, but as I set the bowl down, the preview on the lock screen caught my eye. It felt like a knife twisting straight into my chest. The message was from Ethan’s best friend, Zachary. “Ethan, the paperwork for the ‘Galaxy’ collection is done. Chloe is going to present it tomorrow at the press conference as Miller’s new Chief Designer. The press releases are ready. She’s going to be a star overnight.” “If Julian Vaughan finds out his precious, sheltered little sister has been your free labor for three years, and that her masterpiece is going to his rival’s fiancée, he’ll probably have a stroke on the spot!” “Brilliant move, man. You’ve been fighting her brother for years, and now Julian is ruined by his own sister. Aria really helped you steal some major clients from Vaughan Enterprises these past three years.” I stood frozen by the desk. It felt like all the blood had been drained from my body. The “Galaxy” collection was the result of countless sleepless nights. I had revised the blueprints hundreds of times, even ending up in the ER with stomach bleeding from pure exhaustion. It was supposed to be my third-anniversary gift to Ethan. The concept was “Loving you across the galaxy.” Now, it was going to Chloe. His actual fiancée. I stared at the screen until Ethan’s reply popped up. It was only one cold sentence. “She’s just a pawn to destroy Julian Vaughan. Keep an eye on her until the launch tomorrow. Don’t let her suspect anything.” My brain buzzed. Total silence. Every sweet word, every promise over the last three years. It was all a beautifully crafted lie. The car accident where he “saved” me in the pouring rain, his gentle care, his deep confessions… all of it was just a sick, twisted plot to get revenge on my brother. The shower water suddenly stopped. I snapped back to reality, forced myself to turn around, and faced away from the desk. I dug my nails into my palms, using the physical pain to keep myself from screaming. The door opened, and Ethan walked out in a black silk robe. Water droplets slid down his chiseled chest. His dark eyes, always filled with apparent warmth, locked onto me. “Babe, why are you standing there like a statue?” He walked up, naturally wrapping his arms around my waist, burying his face in my neck. He took a deep breath of my chamomile perfume. “The soup smells amazing. Thank you, babe.” His voice was low, raspy, and incredibly seductive. Just like always. But my body shivered uncontrollably. A wave of intense nausea hit me. Just minutes ago, I was looking forward to our anniversary. Now, feeling his touch made me feel like I was holding a corpse. “What’s wrong? Are you cold? Why are you shaking?” Ethan noticed my reaction. He turned me around, placing his warm hand on my forehead, his eyes full of worry. He was such a good actor. Looking at his handsome, concerned face, I felt my heart shatter into a million jagged pieces. Ethan, how could you act so well? You made me look like the ultimate fool, willingly handing you the dagger to stab my own brother. “I’m fine.” I lowered my gaze, hiding the tears. “Just a bit tired from drawing lately. My stomach is acting up.” Ethan let out a soft laugh and kissed my forehead. “Once the launch is over tomorrow and ‘Galaxy’ hits the market, I’ll give you a long break. I’ll take you to Tahiti. You’ve always wanted to go, right?” I forced a pale smile but said nothing.
Aria POV The next day, at the Manhattan International Convention Center. The launch event for the Miller Group was spectacular. Hundreds of media cameras were lined up, and almost every prominent figure in New York’s high society was in attendance. It wasn’t just a jewelry launch; it was Ethan’s declaration of dominance over the market. I wore an oversized black trench coat and a baseball cap, blending into the dark corner at the back of the hall. On stage, the man who held my heart for three years stood holding a microphone. Ethan looked incredibly sharp in his custom black tuxedo. His presence was commanding, effortless. He smiled, elegantly holding the hand of the woman next to him, and announced to the flashing cameras: “Today, I want to introduce the brilliant mind behind the ‘Galaxy’ collection, our future Chief Designer, and my fiancée, Miss Chloe Sinclair.” The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Chloe wore a breathtaking, custom-made star-patterned gown. Around her neck was the centerpiece necklace of my “Galaxy” collection. She smiled with pure vanity, leaning close to Ethan. The giant screens began to display the design drafts. Every line I drew, every diamond cut calculation, even the tiny shorthand notes I made to myself. Everything was on display. The host spoke enthusiastically: “Miss Sinclair spent years studying in Paris, and this collection perfectly bridges modern European aesthetics with…” I watched quietly. I watched another woman steal my soul’s work, and the man I loved drive a stake through my heart. I didn’t cry. I didn’t run on stage to make a scene. When the pain goes deep enough, tears feel useless. I just felt cold. A deep, bone-chilling cold that numbed my entire existence. I turned around and walked toward the backstage exit. I needed to breathe. As I passed the VIP green room, the door was slightly ajar. I heard laughing inside. Zachary’s voice was unmistakable. “Ethan, you’re ruthless. Giving Aria’s work to Chloe just like that? Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out and throw a fit? She spent six months on those drafts.” “So what?” Ethan’s lazy voice drifted out, followed by the metallic click of a lighter. He sounded completely indifferent. “She loves me so much she’d die for me. Even if she finds out, a few sweet words and a limited-edition Birkin bag will keep her quiet. What else does she have besides me?” “True. Julian Vaughan really has a stupid sister. She cut off her family for you. When are you dumping her anyway? The Sinclairs are pushing for the wedding date.” “No rush,” Ethan chuckled, blowing out a stream of smoke. “Next week is her birthday. I’ve prepared a ‘grand gift’ for her. I’m going to let all of New York see the proud Vaughan heiress begging on her knees like a dog, pleading with me not to leave her. I’m going to break Julian Vaughan’s back once and for all.” Outside the door, I bit my lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I didn’t push the door open. I didn’t make a sound. I stood straight, turned, and walked out of the convention center. The sky was pitch black, and a sudden storm began to pour. Cold rain drenched me instantly, but it was nothing compared to the ice in my heart. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t called in three years. It rang once and was picked up instantly. “Aria?” My brother Julian’s voice trembled with disbelief, almost afraid that if he spoke too loud, I would hang up. Hearing his voice, my fake strength shattered. Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the rain. “Julian…” I sobbed, my voice breaking. “I want to come home.” The line went silent for two seconds. Then, Julian’s voice came back, steady, powerful, and thick with protective rage. “I’m sending the private jet to JFK right now. Aria, Boston is always your home. I’ve built you the best design lab in New England, and I’ve already set you up with a fiancé who will actually cherish you. Come home, baby sister. Stop hurting.” I closed my eyes, letting the rain wash over my face. “Okay. I’m coming home.”
Aria POV Back at the villa that had been my prison for three years, I took a hot shower to wash away the cold. I put on some clean clothes and sat at the vanity, looking at my pale face and empty eyes. I took out a piece of paper and calmly made a checklist. Resign. Pack. Delete everything related to Ethan. Leave New York. I grabbed some heavy-duty black trash bags from the closet and started throwing things away. The matching couple cups? Trashed. The cashmere scarf I hand-knitted for him that he never wore? Trashed. The expensive but thoughtless jewelry he had his assistant buy to pacify me? All of it went straight into the trash bags. I worked like a machine. No tears, no hesitation. Just disgust. By evening, Ethan came home. He smelled of whiskey, clearly having celebrated at the afterparty. He loosened his tie and walked into the living room. When he saw the massive trash bags piled by the door, his brows furrowed. He walked up behind me and hugged me out of habit. “Babe, what is all this? Why are you throwing things out? Don’t like them anymore?” I didn’t pull away. I let him hold me, my voice as flat as dead water. “I’m bored of them. They take up too much space. I want new things.” Ethan probably thought I was throwing a tantrum about the launch. After all, the news was everywhere. He chuckled, reached into his suit, and pulled out an unlimited black card, slipping it into my hand. His voice was gentle but carried the arrogance of a master throwing a bone to a dog. “I know today was hard on you, babe. But Chloe just got back, and the Miller Group needs the Sinclair family’s backing. She needed a launchpad. You’re my girl, you don’t need those petty titles. You’ll still run the design team behind the scenes. Be good, okay? Take the card and buy whatever bags or diamonds you want.” I looked down at the cold piece of plastic. It was hilarious. He stole my work, claimed my designs as his, and crushed my pride. And he thought a credit card could fix it. What was I to him? Just a well-kept pet. “Okay,” I said quietly, tossing the card onto the side table. Ethan was pleased with my obedience. He kissed my hair. “Next week is your birthday. I’m hosting a huge party for you at ‘Midnight’. I’ve invited the biggest names in New York. I have a huge surprise for you.” I kept my eyes down to hide the sheer hatred in them. A surprise? More like a public execution to humiliate me and my brother. The next day, Ethan went to the office. But the villa welcomed an uninvited guest, Chloe. Chloe walked in wearing six-inch Louboutins, strutting like she owned the place. She looked at me sitting on the couch with pure disgust. “Aria, why are you still here? Didn’t you watch the news? Ethan is marrying me. A side-chick like you should pack up and get lost.” I turned a page of my book, not even looking up. “Congratulations. The door is behind you. I won’t see you out.” My calm attitude drove her crazy. “What are you acting high and mighty for?” Chloe rushed over, snatching the book from my hands and slamming it to the floor. “You think Ethan loves you? You’re just a tool to hurt your brother! To him, you’re cheaper than a street girl! And guess what? Your precious designs have my name on them now. How does that feel?” “Are you done?” I finally looked up, staring at her with pity. “If you’re done, get out. You’re getting grease on my floor.” Chloe’s face twisted in rage. Her eyes locked onto a glass display case nearby. Inside was a vintage violin. It was my eighteenth birthday gift from Julian, bought at a prestigious auction in London. It was my most prized possession. A wicked smirk played on Chloe’s lips. She marched over and shoved the display case with all her might. Crash! The thick glass shattered across the floor. The priceless violin slammed onto the hardwood, its strings snapping with a screeching sound. The wooden body split wide open, ruined forever. I stood up, my face instantly pale, blood rushing to my head.
Aria POV “Oh my, I’m so sorry. I lost my balance. My hand slipped.” Chloe covered her mouth, her apology dripping with fake sincerity and malicious joy. Looking at the broken violin, my fists clenched so hard my nails drew blood. That was the last piece of my family I had left in this cold house. Just then, the front door swung open, and Ethan stormed in. Seeing the shattered glass and the broken violin, his face darkened instantly. Chloe reacted in a split second. She instantly squeezed out tears, running to Ethan and grabbing his arm. “Ethan! Thank God you’re home. I just came to visit Aria and apologize about the design credit. But she has such a temper! She started screaming at me, told me to get out, and then she went crazy and smashed her own violin…” Ethan looked at the violin on the floor. He knew how much that instrument meant to me. He also knew exactly who Chloe was, and he knew damn well I would never destroy my brother’s gift. But he just stepped in front of Chloe, shielding her, and looked at me with cold disapproval. “Aria, enough,” Ethan’s voice was stern, full of authority. “Chloe came to see you, and you throw a tantrum? Even if you’re upset about yesterday, you don’t take it out on property, and you definitely don’t attack my guests.” I stood there, looking at the man I had loved for three years across the wreckage. No screaming. No tears. No explanations. Just a deep, exhausting sadness. “Ethan, that was the violin my brother gave me.” My voice was quiet, dead. “It’s just a violin!” Ethan snapped, his eyes cold. “I’ll buy you a better one from Europe tomorrow! Ten of them if you want! But your attitude right now is unacceptable. Apologize to Chloe. Now.” He wanted to break me. He wanted to show me that in his world, he was king, and I had to submit, no matter how badly I was hurt. I looked at him, and for the first time, I smiled. It was a cold, lifeless smile, like a rose freezing in the snow. “Okay. I’m sorry.” I didn’t fight back. I didn’t argue. I turned to Chloe, who was hiding behind him with a smug grin, and said flatly, “I apologize, Miss Sinclair. My bad. I shouldn’t have startled you.” Ethan froze. He expected me to cry, to beg him to believe me, to scream at Chloe. But my instant submission, my complete lack of emotion, rattled him. “Alright, Chloe, go home first,” Ethan said irritably, pulling his arm out of her grip and sending her away. The living room fell silent. Ethan stepped over the broken glass and reached out to hold me. “Babe, I…” I took a step back, dodging his touch. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.” I didn’t look at him as I walked upstairs, leaving him alone in the mess.
Aria POV For the next few days, I was terrifyingly quiet. I never mentioned the violin again, and I didn’t ask about Chloe. I ate on time, slept on time, as if nothing had happened. Until the third morning, when the HR department of the Miller Group received my formal resignation letter. When Ethan found out, he went ballistic. He canceled a major board meeting and drove back to the villa like a maniac. Bang! He kicked my bedroom door open. He stormed in, grabbed my wrist as I was organizing my desk, and slammed me against the wall. “Aria, what the hell are you doing? Resigning? Who gave you permission!” His eyes were bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead. I was forced to look up, my back aching against the hard wall. But my eyes remained calm. “I’m tired of designing. Since ‘Galaxy’ belongs to Chloe now, Miller Group doesn’t need me anymore.” “If you’re tired, stay home! I can afford to feed you! What is this nonsense about resigning?” Ethan’s grip on my jaw tightened, nearly crushing my bone. “Is this because of the violin? Or Chloe? I told you I’d make it up to you! What more do you want? Stop trying to manipulate me with this!” I didn’t struggle. I just looked at him. “I don’t want anything, Ethan. I’m just done.” The calmer I was, the angrier he became. He was used to my dependence, my warmth. He couldn’t stand this cold, detached version of me. “You’re not going anywhere!” Ethan growled, slamming his lips onto mine. It wasn’t a kiss of love. It was a violent, possessive bite. He didn’t let go until the taste of blood filled our mouths. “Listen to me, Aria. You are mine. You don’t leave unless I say so. I tore up your resignation. Behave yourself.” He slammed the door and left. Late that night. I lay in bed, listening to his steady breathing beside me. I opened my eyes, fully awake. I quietly got out of bed and picked up his phone from the nightstand. The passcode was my birthday. How ironic. He used my birthday as a password while planning to destroy my life. I unlocked it, opened his hidden folder, and typed in the same passcode. When the folder opened, my breath hitched. It was filled with videos of us over the past three years. Not sex tapes, but something worse. Mental torture. Videos of me crying, begging him not to leave me for Chloe. Videos of me holding a birthday cake I made from scratch, saying, “Ethan, I’ll love you forever.” Videos of me slumped over my desk, sleeping from exhaustion while he recorded and laughed quietly in the background. And in a group chat named “The Hunt,” the latest messages made my blood run cold. Zachary: “Ethan, the projectors for her birthday party at Midnight are set up. Once we play these clips on the big screen, all of New York will see the proud Vaughan heiress acting like a desperate dog for you.” “Man, I can’t wait to see Julian Vaughan’s face. He’s going to lose his mind! You really tamed his little sister.” Ethan’s reply: “Make sure it goes smoothly. I want Julian broken.” My hands shook, but my eyes were ice. I selected all the videos, hit delete, and then permanently cleared the trash bin. Next, I logged out of his accounts, wiping any trace of my access. I put the phone back and looked out the window at the dark New York skyline. Ethan, your little game is officially over. On my birthday. The weather in New York was surprisingly clear. I woke up early, packing my remaining essentials and my ID into a single black suitcase. I looked around the room one last time. This beautiful villa was nothing but a gilded cage. Ethan came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. When his eyes landed on my suitcase, his gaze went cold. “Where do you think you’re going?” He marched over, slamming his hand on the suitcase handle. I didn’t flinch. I looked him dead in the eye and said smoothly, “Just dropping some old clothes off at a donation center. It’s my birthday, so I thought I’d clear out the closet and buy some new things.” Ethan stared at me, trying to detect a lie. But my expression was flawless. Finally, he let go, stepping in to kiss my forehead. His tone returned to its usual fake warmth. “Good. Have the driver take you. Don’t be late for the party tonight at Midnight. I have a huge surprise for you. I’m going to let everyone know you belong to me.” I lowered my gaze to hide the sheer disgust. “Okay,” I whispered. Ethan smiled, satisfied, and went to get dressed. The moment he left, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the villa without looking back. I didn’t call his driver. I didn’t go to any donation center. I hailed a cab on the street and went straight to JFK Airport.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “442029”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster
Leave a Reply