Chapter 7: “Don’t be dramatic.”

Lisa.

He beamed, a radiant smile stretching from ear to ear, his entire face alight with a glow that mirrored the warmth in his heart.

Her hair was perfectly swept back, lips pressed into a firm line, and not a trace of makeup smudged despite the night.

She looked stunning, it hurt.

He stared at her, as though he were hypnotized.

She stepped inside without asking. “I’m just here for my things.”

He blinked, the whiskey making everything feel slightly off-balance.

“Lisa, wait. Please... can we talk? Just for a second?” he asked, his voice trembling.

She didn’t answer him.

She just walked straight past him to the bedroom, grabbed the overnight bag she used to keep there, and started pulling items from the drawer.

Her hand grazed the book he once bought her on a whim... Paris in Bloom. She didn’t even hesitate, she puts it into the bag.

Ethan followed her, his heart in his throat. “It wasn’t what it looked like.” he tried explaining again.

Lisa zipped the bag. “You kissed her.”

“No... I didn’t! She kissed me. I didn’t even know she was going to...” he stammered.

“You didn’t stop her,” Lisa replied, her voice flat. “That’s what matters.”

“I froze!” Ethan stepped in front of her, desperation clinging to his voice. “Lisa, please. You know I’d never do that to you. I was going to...” He paused and swallowed, before continuing. “I was going to propose after the gala. I told you that."

That finally made her pause.

Her eyes met his, and something flickered there, but it wasn’t softness.

But pity. She pitied him.

She spoke quietly. “You thought we were forever?”

He blinked, trying to clear the cloud around his eyes. “What do you mean?” he asked quietly.

Lisa shook her head and stepped around him. “It doesn’t matter now. I just need to go.” she trailed off.

“No. Please,” Ethan begged, his voice cracking. “Don’t leave like this. Don’t just throw away everything we built... everything we had.”

His thoughts spiraled in a dizzying whirlwind of anxious whispers that drowned out reason, leaving him feeling helpless and vulnerable.

Lisa turned at the door, her expression unreadable.

“You built it, Ethan. I just lived in it.” she replied.

His heart hammered against his ribcage, a thunderous beat that reverberated through his body.

“I loved you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lisa stared at him for a long moment.

Then she gave him a tight, polite smile... the kind strangers give each other in elevators.

“I know.” she replied.

And then she walked out, leaving him alone with all his thoughts jumbled up.

He pressed his trembling hands against his temples, trying to still the frantic thoughts racing through his mind.

Ethan stood there in the silence she left behind, staring at the closed door like it might open again.

But It never did.

*******

Aria pov

The skyline was still gray with sleep as she stepped into her office, hours before anyone else would arrive.

She hadn’t slept, not really.

Just closed her eyes for an hour in her room, with her phone on silent and her thoughts running in endless circles

She sat behind her desk, and powered on her monitor.

Dozens of news alerts lit up the screen. Most of them were the same as yesterday... Velvet Vine, celebrity gossip accounts, op-ed pieces debating the ethics of CEOs and assistants.

But one new headline caught her eye immediately.

“Sources Claim Lin Corp Insider is Feeding the Press: Internal Sabotage or PR Strategy?”

Her brows furrowed, then she clicked on the article.

It was too specific, and the details too close to be a coincident.

Mentions of her private schedule, references to boardroom dynamics only senior staff would know.

And then the final dagger. Her eyes narrowed on the words.

"A close source tells Velvet Vine that the CEO has been emotionally unstable for months, and her relationship with Ethan Wu may have begun far earlier than publicly believed.”

Aria leaned back in her chair after reading through the article, her fingers steepled under her chin.

There was a leak.

Someone inside her company was feeding the fire.

She picked up the office phone and pressed a button.

“Call Marcus and Delilah,” she said crisply into the receiver. “Now."

She hung up before the assistant could respond.

She held her breath as she tried to control the rage she was currently feeling.

The tension in her jaw pulsed.

A soft knock sounded on her door.

"Come in." She barked.

Markus and Delilah stepped into her office, both of them not meeting her gaze.

"I want a list of every employee who’s spoken to external media in the past forty-eight hours. NDA or not, I want names.” she snapped, as soon as the door closed behind them.

Her hands trembled with repressed fury, fingers curling into tight fists, nails digging into her palms, the pain grounding her amidst the tempest of her emotions.

"Yes Mam." They both answered hurriedly.

If they thought she would fold under scandal, they didn’t know her at all.

And whoever was trying to tear her company down from the inside?

They were about to learn what happened when you underestimated Aria Lin.

A sharp knock interrupted Aria, as she was checking up on some acquisition contract the company was working on.

"Come in." She replied without looking up from her laptop.

Ethan entered, his jaw tight, and expression unreadable. But the dark circles under his eyes gave him away.

He walked across the room and placed a slim folder on her desk.

“Quarterly sponsor projections,” he said. “Legal already reviewed the non-compete clauses.”

She nodded, still typing. “Leave it.”

Ethan didn’t move.

She glanced up at him. “Is there something else?”

His hands clenched at his sides. “Yeah. Actually.”

Her fingers paused above the keyboard.

“You ruined my life,” he said, with a withering stare.

Her eyes met his, cold and unreadable. “Don’t be dramatic.”

He laughed sharply. “Dramatic? You kissed me in front of everyone. In front of her.”

“I was trying to protect the brand...” she sniffed

“No,” he snapped. “You were trying to make a statement. To Adrian, the board. To whoever was watching, and I was just the closest body.”

Her jaw tightened slightly. “You didn’t exactly push me away.” she spat.

Her voice pierced the air, every word dripping with venom and seething contempt.

“I froze,” his nostrils flared. “Because I didn’t understand what the hell was happening. But to you, it was just a move on the board.”

He took a step closer and slammed his hands down on her table.

“Lisa, my girlfriend, left me. Packed her things and walked out without a word. And do you want to know the worst part?” he hissed.

She said nothing, her eyes cold and proud.

“I was going to propose,” he said, choking on his words. "After the gala. I had the ring in my damn pocket. But you had to go and ruined it, didn't you?” he snarled.

That got her. Not visibly, no. But something shifted in her eyes.

Ethan shook his head. “You took that from me. You turned my life into collateral damage without even blinking.” he whispered.

“I didn’t know,” she said quietly.

The intensity in her eyes had dulled like a flame had been snuffed.

“Would it have stopped you if you did?” he asked, hopefully.

The silence had a vitality of its own, like a living entity that permeated every corner of her office.

That was answer enough and he stepped back slowly.

“I don’t care what you think you were trying to prove, but I will never forgive you for that.” he spat out the words.

She sat still, her spine straight and eyes never leaving his.

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness,” she replied coldly. “I don’t believe I did anything wrong.”

Ethan let out a breath like she’d slapped him. “Of course you don’t.”

He turned and barged out of the room, throwing the door open wide.

Fury making his feet strike the ground in heavy clomps.

Aria sat there staring, long after the door closed.

She knew she had hurt him, but she has no time to focus on things that doesn't benefit her.

This time around, the only person that matters, is herself.

She was going to build an empire, that just from the mere mention of her name, people will bow.