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Crown of lies

Author: Queen
last update Last Updated: 2025-11-12 18:34:28

The media room buzzed with anticipation. Cameras were being adjusted, microphones tested, and reporters murmured like restless bees waiting for honey or blood. The massive gold emblem of Donovancorp gleamed behind the podium, a silent witness to the empire’s next betrayal.

Before the conference began, the story rewound to three years earlier to the night it all began.

~Flashback~: Victor Hayes’ Private Office , 11:42 P.M.

Ethan walked into the chairman’s office in his expensive suit shadowing the hunger in his eyes. Across from him, Victor Hayes poured two glasses of whiskey, sliding one across the desk.

“So,” Victor began, his tone smooth as silk, “you’re tired of being number two.”

Ethan smirked, taking the glass. “Aria’s soft. Her father’s death hit her hard, and she’s distracted. The board respects her out of pity but that won’t last.”

Victor leaned back, eyes gleaming. “And you want her seat even when she's your fiancé?.”

“I deserve it,” Ethan replied, voice sharp. “I built half
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  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Fifty-One

    ~ETHAN'S POV~Ethan stood near the exit long after the last applause faded, watching security complete their rounds. The guards nodded with practiced loyalty, doors were sealed, lights dimmed in sections, and the once buzzing hall slowly returned to silence. Everything was in order. Perfect. Just the way he liked it. Control was power, and tonight he had held it firmly in his hands.Vanessa slipped her arm through his as they walked out together.“You did well,” she said, her voice smooth, pleased. “Everyone was impressed.”Ethan allowed himself a small smile. “They should be. This was my night.”Outside, the cool air brushed against his face as he opened the car door for her. Vanessa slid in gracefully, the faint scent of wine and perfume lingering around her. He closed the door, walked around, and took his seat behind the wheel. As the engine came alive, so did the thrill pulsing through his chest.They drove off, the city lights blurring past them.Vanessa leaned back, crossing her

  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Fifty

    ~ARIA'S POV~The door closed behind me with a soft click, and for the first time since the evening began, the silence felt real. I leaned my back against the wood for a moment, breathing in slowly, letting the weight of the night settle into my bones. My feet ached, my head throbbed lightly, and my chest felt tight with everything I had swallowed back at the conference.I walked into my room and turned on the lamp beside the bed. The familiar glow spread across the walls, steady and calm, nothing like the harsh lights of Donovan Corp. I slipped off my shoes first, then my dress, letting it fall to the floor. The fabric felt heavier than it should have, as if it carried the stares, the whispers, the lies I had endured. I did not bother folding it. Tonight was not for order.I went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The sound of running water filled the space, drowning out the echoes of applause, Ethan’s voice, Victor’s satisfied smile, Vanessa’s slap, Daniel’s sudden pr

  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Forty-Nine

    The offer landed heavily. My pride stiffened instantly. “I appreciate your concern, truly. But I am okay.”He did not look convinced. “You are allowed to lean on someone, Amelia. Even strong people need rest.”Strong. The word stung more than comforted. If he only knew how close I was to breaking. How much anger and grief I had buried beneath obedience and silence.“I will be fine,” I repeated, softer now. “Please take me home.”Rowan nodded slowly, though worry still lingered in his eyes. He started the car, the engine humming to life.The drive began without a word.Rowan eased the car onto the road as if the night itself were fragile. The engine purred softly, controlled, expensive, nothing like the storm still moving inside my chest. I rested my hands on my lap, fingers intertwined so tightly they ached, and focused my gaze straight ahead as the city lights slipped past the window like distant stars.A song drifted in quietly. Coldplay’s Fix You. Low volume. Thoughtful. The kind

  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Forty-Eight

    ~ETHAN'S POV~I felt the applause thinning out, the kind that comes when a ceremony is almost done and people are already thinking about drinks, handshakes, exits. The lights above the hall were warmer now, less intimidating than before. Victor stood close to me, his smile still fixed, his palm resting lightly on my shoulder as if to remind everyone that this moment belonged to us.“You did well,” he murmured. “They swallowed every word.”I nodded, my lips curving into something that looked like gratitude. Inside, I was already counting what this victory cost me.My phone vibrated in my pocket.Once. Then again.I frowned slightly. No one was supposed to call me now. I slipped the phone out discreetly, angling the screen away from Victor. Unknown number.I ignored it.It rang again.Victor leaned closer. “Everything alright?”“Of course,” I said quickly. “Probably a congratulatory call.”I stepped a little aside, just enough to answer without drawing attention. The moment I pressed th

  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Forty-Seven

    ~LUCA'S POV~I signed the last form with a shaky hand and slid it back to the nurse across the counter. The numbers on the receipt barely registered in my mind. All I could see was the closed door at the end of the hallway where the girl had been taken. Anna. I had only learned her name minutes earlier, from the man sitting stiffly on a plastic chair, his hands clasped together like he was praying without words.“I am really sorry,” I said again, my voice low. “I did not see her in time.”Michael lifted his head slowly. His eyes were red, not from crying but from holding it in too long. “She was just crossing,” he said. “She jogs there every weekend.”“I know apologies do not fix anything,” I replied. “But I will take responsibility for everything. The bills. Anything she needs.”“I will check on her tomorrow,” I said. “Here is my number.”He hesitated, then took it. “Thank you,” he murmured, his voice breaking despite himself.Marcus and I walked out of the hospital in silence. The n

  • THE FALL OF ARIA DONOVAN   Chapter Forty-Six

    I ended the call with Luca slowly, my fingers lingering on the screen as if it might burn.Everything went well… until they hit a teenager.That sentence echoed in my head, louder than the music in the hall, louder than the polite applause that followed another meaningless announcement. My chest tightened. I tried to breathe normally, but the air felt heavy, almost suffocating.I slipped my phone back into my clutch and that was when I noticed it.Three missed calls.Unknown number.My heart skipped. Once was coincidence. Three times was intention.I barely took two steps before my shoulder slammed into someone.A sharp gasp followed, then the unmistakable sound of liquid splashing.“Oh my God,” a woman exclaimed.I looked up just in time to see red wine spreading across a cream colored designer dress.Vanessa.She froze, staring down at herself, then slowly lifted her head. Her eyes met mine, and for a second, recognition flickered. Then anger took over.“Are you blind?” she snapped.

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