The Breakup

What did you just say? Breakup?” Julian’s voice rose in shock. “No. I refuse.”

He grabbed her hand at once. “Is this because I raised my voice last night? I am sorry. I will never shout at you again. Do not speak of ending things.”

He pulled her against his chest.

“Let go of me,” Aria demanded, pushing against him.

He held on. “You must be exhausted from working late. You are not thinking straight. Take some time off. Let me take you somewhere nice.”

He cupped her face. “We can go shopping. I will buy whatever you want.”

“I do not need anything.” She forced his hands away and stepped back, putting clear space between them. “Do not come here again. Leave.”

Julian stared at her as if he could not believe what he was hearing. This was the same woman who used to cling to him, call him every hour, and wait for his messages. She had loved him with complete devotion.

Why would she suddenly demand a breakup?

“Aria, stop acting like a child,” he said, his tone turning cold. He clearly believed she was only throwing a tantrum. “If something upset you, take time to calm down. Do not do anything you will regret later.”

Regret?

She let out a short, bitter sound. His earlier words still rang in her ears. Once she transfers the shares, I will dump her.

Her nails dug into her palms. “I have thought about this carefully. We are not compatible. Ending this is the only choice.”

“Impossible,” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

Aria flinched.

“You are my woman.” He seized her shoulders. “My future wife. You do not get to decide that we are finished.”

He shoved her against the wall and crushed his mouth against hers.

She struggled, fists striking his chest.

Julian caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. The kiss grew rougher.

Disgust rose so sharply that Aria’s stomach turned. The thought that he might have kissed Sofia and slept with her the night before made her skin crawl. She twisted harder and stamped down on his foot.

His grip loosened.

She shoved him away. Before he could recover, she struck him hard across the face.

Julian staggered, stunned. His hand rose to the burning mark on his cheek. “You… hit me?”

“If you ever touch me like that again, a slap will be the least of what you receive.”

“Aria…” His face twisted. “Very well. You will regret this.”

He stormed out.

Aria leaned against the wall, breathing hard. Her chest felt tight. For a single second her control slipped and tears threatened. She forced them back, blinking until her vision cleared.

She closed her fingers around the ring that hung from a chain against her skin, the one that had belonged to her mother. “I will not cry,” she told herself. “Kane Biocorp is my mother’s life’s work. I will not let them take it. I will fight.”

Later that day, after she finished her shift, a call came from her father. She had been so busy that the morning’s confrontation had almost left her mind. She looked at the screen for a moment before answering.

“Come home for dinner tonight,” Vincent said without any greeting.

She knew that tone well. Julian had already complained.

“I still have work…”

“Be there at seven,” he cut in. “Do not be late.”

The call ended.

Aria stared at her reflection in the dark screen. She drew a slow breath. “Fine. If you want to talk, I will listen.”

That evening she drove to her father’s house. The moment she stepped inside, the heavy atmosphere settled over her.

Vanessa sat elegantly on the sofa. Sofia stood beside her with arms crossed and open contempt in her eyes.

Vincent stopped pacing when he saw her. Anger darkened his face.

“You finally arrived,” he said with a snort and sat down. He did not invite her to sit, so she remained standing.

“What is this nonsense about ending things with Julian?” he demanded.

Aria pressed her lips together. She had guessed correctly. Julian had gone straight to him.

Her silence only fueled his temper. “Answer me,” he roared.

“Yes. I ended it,” she said.

Vanessa gasped. Sofia’s lips curved in a small, satisfied smirk.

Vincent’s face flushed red. “Do you have any idea what you have done? The marriage alliance with the Hart family is vital for the business. The company needs their money, their distribution network, and their influence. And you called off the engagement on a whim.”

Something twisted painfully in Aria’s chest. What performance was this?

The alliance between the Kane and Hart families would survive even without her marriage to Julian. The truth was simpler and uglier. Julian had never loved her. He planned to marry Sofia. They only needed Aria to marry him first so they could force her to hand over her shares.

The irony was sharp, but she chose not to expose them yet. She wanted to see how far they would go to control her.

“Am I nothing more than a business contract?” she asked.

“Do not talk nonsense,” Vincent snapped. “Everything I do is for this family.”

“Of course.” Aria gave a short, cold laugh. “If you care so much, why not have Sofia marry Julian instead?”

Sofia’s smile vanished.

“Julian is your fiancé. Why would your sister marry him?” Vincent exploded. A moment later his voice softened slightly. “I have already set the wedding date. One month from now.”

The words struck her like ice water.

“What?”

“You will apologize to Julian and correct this childish behavior at once.”

“I will not,” Aria answered.

Silence fell over the room.

Vincent stared at her as if she had spoken the unthinkable. “What did you say?” He rose to his feet.

“I will not marry him,” she repeated, her voice shaking now. “Not now. Not ever.”

The slap cracked through the hall. Her head snapped to the side. For a second everything went still. Her cheek burned. Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.

She lifted her gaze and met his with pure fire. “Have you ever cared about me? Even a little?”

Her lower lip trembled. “Since my mother died you never looked at me the same way. You never spent time with me. You were always busy and cold. Every time I tried to reach you, you brushed me aside.”

Her voice broke.

“Then you brought Vanessa and Sofia into this house. You pushed me aside and forgot I existed. They became your real family.” She pointed at the two women.

Vanessa’s expression hardened. Sofia rolled her eyes.

“When I ranked first in medical school you never congratulated me. When I was sick, only the housemaid stayed by my side.”

Tears slipped free.

“I kept telling myself you were only busy, that one day you would look at me and feel proud. It never happened. You only grew colder. Now you want me to marry for the sake of business.”

“Stop blaming me,” Vincent spat. “You speak as if I am throwing you into a pit. I am only marrying you to the man you claim to love. What is wrong with that?”

“I do not love him anymore,” Aria said, her voice flat and final. She gave her father one last look, then turned and walked out.

“You ungrateful child,” he shouted after her. “If you walk out of this house I will cut all ties with you.”

Aria did not stop. She simply left.

“Aria…” Vincent’s voice thundered through the house behind her.