8. THE CHOICE

JAMIE'S POV

From the center of the stage, even with the flashing cameras going off like gunfire, I still found her.

Aria.

And damn, she looked unreal.

Aria had always been beautiful. Not just pretty but dangerously beautiful. People stare too long when they see her, I have to glare at them to show that she belongs. Even in my line of work, surrounded by models and actresses every day, no one ever came close.

She was wearing a deep purple gown that hugged every curve of her body, showing off her soft skin and filling me with heat.

She was mine. I wish could wrangle the neck of the men that kept stealing glances her, I wish I could claim her right in front of everyone.

Aria remained oblivious to the look she was getting as always.

Seeing her look that drop-dead gorgeous made a surge of possessive, male pride hit my chest.

I knew she designed the clothes herself just like she did the silk purple tie which was currently lying in my pocket.

My chest tightened as I looked down at my own tie. It was red.

Lora cornered me on my way telling me how it would look if we were not matching.

And she was right because the cameras wouldn't stop flashing and I know some hell of a story would have already made it to the internet by tomorrow.

I knew Aria would be deeply disappointed the moment she noticed it. She was the one who practically managed my entire closet, buying me that.

I should have told her about Lora weeks ago. But I didn't want to lose her. Not yet. Not ever.

Aria had always been my safe space. The only person who loved me before my modeling and acting career and she had always been my rock before I hit this most trending face in the industry.

But this massive breakthrough came with a price. I needed more deals. More high-end endorsements. More campaigns.

I have a fucking goal.

And being branded as a power couple with Lora, the wealthy, well-connected daughter of the Addison heiress was the only thing that could guarantee those contracts.

I tried to ease my guilty conscience by telling myself I could just convince Aria later.

She loved me. She had been mine for nine years, since we were kids. She wouldn't leave me.

But if I am to be honest she couldn't. She had absolutely nobody else in her corner. Her father was biased toward the Addison heiress, Aria's stepmother and her mother was long gone. I was her entire world.

I knew she might impulsively try to break up with me the second the words left my mouth on that stage.

But I would fix it. I always fixed it. She was mine, and I wasn't letting her go.

"Dear esteemed guests," my voice boomed through the microphone, sounding way more steady than I actually felt. "I’d like to formally introduce you to my beloved fiancée... Lora. Lora Addison."

The applause roared, but I kept my eyes strictly glued to Lora. I didn't look in Aria's direction. I didn't dare to.

I couldn't bear the look of heartbreak on her face. I knew I was being a complete coward, but the fear of seeing her cry choked the breath right out of my throat.

Exactly ten minutes after the announcement, I excused myself from Lora and the endless circle of wealthy executives trying to shake my hand.

I needed to find Aria.

My skin was crawling with guilt, and my mind was racing with a million different ways to apologize and make her understand that this engagement was just… business.

I took the elevator up to the executive floor, searching the quiet hallways, but her room — the one I secured for was empty.

Frustrated, I pulled out my phone to reach her but it wasn't reachable.

I decided to go up to Noah's private suite on the top floor first. He had been upstairs since the party started, refusing to come down. I needed him by my side. The moment people saw me standing next to Noah, they automatically gave me a different level of respect.

Noah was a fucking king in our world.

Even though we were best friends, I couldn't help the deep admiration and burning envy that hit me every time I thought about him.

People naturally gravitated toward Noah, leaving me in second place because the bastard literally had it all. He wasn't a model or an actor, but he was way more influential than any celebrity.

He was the precious, golden son of a billionaire tech mogul dad and a world-renowned surgeon mom.

Sometimes, I honestly wondered why the hell I was even friends with him. I knew my own worth, but Noah was just entirely out of my league.

I wasn't complaining, obviously—his name opened doors and brought me connections I could never get on my own. But there were moments, dark moments, where I secretly wished he would just disappear so I wouldn't have to live in his massive shadow.

Lately, his temper has been completely off. The golden boy had been acting distant, angry, and lacking any shred of patience. Maybe his newly launched fashion and beauty business hit the wall or something.

Whatever happened, he could still go back to being the heir. Some of us aren't just that lucky.

i wasn't sure what kind of mood he would be in when I knocked on his door.

I wanted to ask him to come downstairs, but I also just needed to breathe for a second before dealing with the drama waiting for me.

Two of his men stood straight in front of the door.

"Heyy, guys. Is Noah inside?" I asked. "Can you tell him I'm here?"

Even to their servants, the facade of respect has to be shown.

"The master is busy for now. We will let him know you came up." Matteo, one of his men replied.

A knowing smirk came across my face.

His red face gave away what was going on unlike his partner Falcon who remained composed.

Classic Noah. The guy fucked a lot, even with his impossibly high standards, so I figured he had just smuggled one of his usual high-society celebrity up here to pass the time while ignoring my party.

As I was leaving to go back to finding Aria, My eyes darted down to the floor right beside the entrance.

And tucked against the wall was a small, glittering object that must have dropped in a hurry.

My heart stopped dead in my chest.

It was a custom gold heel.

The unique one Aria had on her feet earlier tonight.

There was absolutely no mistake. It was hers.

My face darkened, my features twisting into pure, unadulterated fury.

Aria? My reserved, quiet Aria? The girl who always shied away from me, who barely let me touch her past a chaste, innocent kiss— was inside my best friend's room?