Chapter Five

As if sensing eyes on him, Nicolas turned in Aria’s direction. His gaze was cold, devoid of any warmth or recognition. Aria’s heart clenched, but she couldn’t look away. She watched in silence as he made his way toward her father, completely ignoring her presence.

The King family, along with Ava Brown’s family, followed closely behind Nicolas. Peter Williams, Aria’s father, greeted them warmly, while Aria stood on the sidelines, feeling like an outsider in her own world.

Rachel, her stepmother, was quick to engage in conversation, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "How are you, Ava? You’ve been gone so long, but now you're back."

Ava smiled politely, though her eyes gleamed with confidence. "I'm doing well, Mrs. Williams. It’s good to be back."

Aria felt a pit form in her stomach as the conversation shifted toward her. Ava turned her gaze, scanning the crowd. "By the way, where’s your other daughter, Mr. Williams?" she asked innocently, though the question seemed to carry an undercurrent of mockery.

“Oh, she’s right here,” Peter finally acknowledged Aria's existence, gesturing toward her with forced enthusiasm. "Come here, Aria."

Aria hesitated, her feet feeling like they were glued to the floor. Rachel gave her a subtle nudge, pushing her toward the group. Being this close to Nicolas after two weeks of painful silence was agonizing, every moment stretching her heart thinner.

“Don’t do anything to embarrass us,” Peter hissed in her ear as she stepped forward, his warning filled with irritation.

As Aria joined the group, she felt the weight of everyone's condescending stares. Nicolas, standing close to Ava, didn’t even glance in her direction, engrossed in conversation with Ava as if Aria was invisible.

Stella King, Nicolas’s mother, sneered openly. "I hope you're doing something more with your life than working in that... small-time company?" she said with disdain.

Aria swallowed hard, caught off guard by the hostility. "I... I still work at Nyx & Co. I like it there. The company has great potential," she replied, forcing a smile despite the growing lump in her throat.

Stella scoffed. "Ava is one of the best criminal lawyers around and will be working for our King Empire soon. Now that is something to be proud of." Her words stung, but they were nothing compared to what followed.

Sophie Brown, Ava's mother, chimed in, her tone filled with smug superiority. "You’d think, after being adopted and given such a wonderful life, you’d show some gratitude by making something of yourself. But instead, it seems like you're just wasting the Williams’ resources."

Adopted? Aria’s mind froze. What were they talking about? She wasn’t adopted; Peter Williams was her biological father. She turned toward him and Rachel in disbelief, but neither of them met her gaze.

“What do you mean by 'adopted'?” Aria’s voice trembled, the shock and confusion overwhelming her.

Rachel cut her off sharply. “That’s enough, Aria. You’ve embarrassed us enough for one night.”

Aria looked to Nicolas, hoping for some form of acknowledgment or support, but his gaze was cold, jaw clenched in frustration. Their eyes locked briefly, but there was no warmth—only a flash of something she couldn’t identify before he turned his attention back to Ava.

Heartbroken and humiliated, Aria backed away from the group and sought refuge in a quiet corner of the room. She picked up a champagne flute from a passing waiter, taking a small sip as she tried to regain her composure. But the weight of everything—Nicolas’s indifference, her father’s disregard, the revelation about her supposed adoption—threatened to crush her.

Just then, a shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see Jackson, wearing his usual smirk. “Hello, Aria darling,” he drawled, his voice laced with amusement.

Aria’s anger flared instantly. “Jackson, how dare you show your face to me after what you did?” Her grip tightened on the glass, her body shaking with fury.

“What did you expect?” Jackson sneered, his tone mocking. “That I would deny everything? Come on, you deserve what’s happening to you. You rejected me over and over, and then you had the nerve to say yes to that rich prick Nicolas the moment he proposed.”

“I told you countless times I only saw you as a friend—a brother even!” Aria’s voice wavered as the memories of betrayal came flooding back. “Because of your lies, Nicolas left me. How could you do that?”

Jackson laughed, a cruel sound that grated against Aria’s nerves. “Friend? Brother? Don’t kid yourself. You’re just a tease, Aria, always stringing men along. You got what you deserved.”

“You’re disgusting,” Aria spat, her voice low and filled with contempt. “I never want to see you again.”

But Jackson’s face twisted with sudden desperation. He grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. "Aria, let’s just elope. Forget all of this. We’ve already gotten what we wanted from Nicolas—all the gifts, the money. Let’s leave now."

Before Aria could pull away, she felt another presence nearby. Her heart sank as she looked over to see Nicolas standing there, his eyes cold and furious.

“Nicolas, please! It’s not what you think—” Aria began, but Nicolas cut her off with a sharp gesture.

“I never thought you could stoop this low,” he said, his voice dripping with disgust. He glared at Jackson. "Get out. Now."

Jackson, visibly shaken, released Aria’s arm and fled without another word. But as soon as he was gone, Nicolas grabbed Aria’s hand, dragging her to a secluded corner of the banquet hall.

He pinned her against the wall, his face inches from hers, eyes blazing with fury. “You lied to me. You cheated. What more is there to say?”

Aria sobbed, shaking her head. “No, Nicolas, I didn’t! Please, you have to believe me!”

“Then what was that?” he snarled, his grip tightening. “I saw you with him. Were you planning to run away? Was I not enough for you?”

Tears streamed down Aria’s face as she tried to explain, but Nicolas’s rage drowned out her words. “If you wanted money, I would have given it to you. If you wanted more, I could have given you that too. But you betrayed me.”

“I didn’t!” Aria cried, her heart breaking at his cruel accusations.

Nicolas’s eyes narrowed. “You hurt me, Aria. Now, I’ll make sure you feel the same pain. Starting with your job.”

Aria gasped, her chest tightening in panic. “No, Nicolas, please. Not my job! It’s all I have left.

He stepped back, his expression hardening. "It’s too late for that."

Before she could plead further, they heard a soft voice call out from behind them. “Nicolas, are you here?”

Ava appeared, her eyes darting between them. "Dinner’s about to start."

Nicolas turned away from Aria, his face softening as he looked at Ava. He wrapped his arm around her waist, smiling down at her lovingly. Without another glance at Aria, he led Ava away.

As they disappeared, Ava turned and flashed Aria a triumphant, mocking smirk, and kissed Nicolas's cheek before walking away.