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Chapter 41

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Aria’s POV

The Langston Foundation Gala had always been the event of the year. A place where fortunes were made with handshakes and reputations destroyed with whispers. Tonight, it wasn’t just about dazzling lights and gowns glittering under chandeliers — it was about me.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. Months ago, I’d been Ethan’s wife, tolerated but never loved, displayed when it suited him, discarded when it didn’t. His mother and sister had hounded me, mocked me, reminded me I’d never belong. And in the end, he’d thrown me out like trash.

Now, dressed in emerald silk that hugged every curve, I was about to walk back into his world — but not as his wife. Not as his victim. This time, as his weapon.

Julian’s reflection loomed behind me in the mirror, broad-shouldered and storm-eyed. His tie hung undone, his usual composure fractured by the fury simmering just beneath.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, voice low, as though the walls themselves might betray us.

“Yes, I do.” I fastene
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    Aria’s POVThe courthouse summons sat on the dresser like a live grenade.I had moved it three times already—first to the nightstand, then to a drawer, now here—each time hoping distance would make it vanish. It never did.Outside, the city looked deceptively calm. Taxis crawled past Central Park; sunlight glinted on windows; people carried coffee and ambitions as if no one’s world was burning.Emily found me staring at the paper. She didn’t knock anymore.“You haven’t eaten,” she said.“I can’t.”“You have to,” she replied gently, setting a tray down beside me. “Low blood sugar isn’t a strategy.”I smiled weakly. “You should’ve been a therapist.”“I am,” she said, pulling up a chair. “Just unpaid.”We sat in silence while she poured tea. When she finally spoke again, her voice was soft. “The hearing’s in three days. We need to get you ready—for the lawyers, the press, for him.”At the mention of him, my throat closed.Emily leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Aria, you’ve survived

  • TEMPTING THE TYCOON    Chapter 49

    Aria’s POVMorning light had never felt so cruel. It cut through the curtains like shards of glass, spilling across the floor where last night’s newspapers lay in ruins.Julian hadn’t come to bed. His side was cold, untouched. I found him hours later in the study, sitting in the dark, the glow of the TV painting his face in harsh blues.He didn’t need to say a word. The headline on-screen said it all:“EXCLUSIVE: Ethan Langston Claims Fatherhood Live on National Television.”The footage played again—Ethan seated in a sleek studio, perfectly groomed, his expression solemn. “It’s time I tell the truth,” he’d said, hand pressed to his chest like a martyr. “I made mistakes, but the child Aria carries is mine. And I will love that baby regardless of what Julian Huxley’s money or lawyers say.”My stomach turned.Julian muted the screen, his voice low and rough. “He just declared war.”I sank into the chair opposite him, hands trembling. “The world believes him, doesn’t it?”He didn’t answer

  • TEMPTING THE TYCOON    Chapter 48

    Aria’s POVA week had passed since Julian’s statement, but the storm had not quieted.If anything, it had sharpened—spinning faster, tighter, until the air itself seemed to hum with rumor.Every morning, new headlines bloomed like poison.“Huxley Hero or Hypocrite?”“Langston Exposes His Rival’s Lies.”“Mystery DNA Tests Surface in Billionaire Feud.”I stopped reading after the first few days. Emily tried to confiscate my phone; Julian wanted to shut off the internet entirely. But the noise always found a way in. It seeped through the walls, through whispers from staff, through the flashes of paparazzi cameras outside the building.The world had decided to treat my pregnancy like a spectator sport.Julian’s campaign office had moved into crisis mode. He spent his days in endless meetings, his nights drafting statements that lawyers tore apart before he could send them.Sometimes I caught him staring at the framed sonogram on his desk, the single grainy image that represented our fragi

  • TEMPTING THE TYCOON    Chapter 47

    Aria's PovThe first call came at dawn.No greeting. No voice. Only silence and the faint sound of someone breathing on the other end.I hung up, convinced it was a wrong number—until it rang again.Same pause. Same breath.Then a whisper so soft it scraped like sandpaper.“HE KNOWS.”I froze. My pulse thundered in my ears. “Who is this?”The line went dead.Outside, New York was waking—sirens, traffic, the hum of a city that never cared about individual fear. But inside the penthouse, the world had gone still. I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach. Ethan knew.Julian was already dressed when I reached the kitchen, tie knotted, expression carved from stone. He’d been up all night again, the faint stubble on his jaw a reminder that even billionaires could unravel.“You should eat something,” he said without looking at me.“I’m not hungry.”“You need to keep your strength up.” His eyes flicked briefly to my abdomen—then away, as if the word PREGNANT might summon catastrophe.I slid i

  • TEMPTING THE TYCOON    Chapter 46

    Aria's PovThe house no longer felt like home. Every corner carried the echo of Ethan’s voice, every shadow reminded me of his smile in the dark. Even surrounded by Julian’s security, with guards posted on every floor, I felt exposed — as though Ethan was always watching, waiting.And maybe he was.I closed the balcony curtains tighter, then pressed a hand against my stomach. Still flat, but no longer mine alone. A flicker of life pulsed inside me, fragile and unspoken. Only Julian knew. Only Emily knew.And God help me if Ethan ever found out.Emily arrived mid-morning, bursting in with that whirlwind of energy only she carried. She wrapped me in a hug before I could protest, her perfume sharp and grounding.“You look pale,” she said, pulling back, her dark brows knitting together. “You’ve been hiding again, haven’t you?”“I’m fine,” I lied automatically.“Fine?” She gave me that look, the one that stripped through every layer of pretense. “Aria, you’re carrying a baby, hiding it fro

  • TEMPTING THE TYCOON    Chapter 45

    Aria’s POVMy phone nearly slipped from my hands. The photo glared up at me, Gabriella curled peacefully in her bed, her stuffed panda tucked under her chin. The timestamp was from minutes ago.Beneath it, Ethan’s words bled into my vision: She’s safer with me. Always was. Always will be.My chest seized. My legs buckled. “Julian.” My voice cracked, thin and jagged.He crossed the balcony in two strides, eyes darting to the screen. The color drained from his face. His hand clenched so tightly around the railing I heard the metal groan.“He was here,” I whispered, horror strangling me. “Julian, he was *inside the penthouse.*”Julian’s face hardened, every muscle tensing. He stormed inside, barking orders into his phone. “Lock down the building. Check every camera. No one leaves, no one enters.”I followed, my heart pounding. “How did he get in? You doubled security!”“He bribed them.” His voice was raw with fury. “Or he replaced them. I don’t know.” He snapped to the guards stationed a

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