Chapter Four

“Nicolas King and his ex, Ava Brown, were spotted together earlier today, walking hand in hand into a restaurant,” the reporter announced. Aria’s heart stopped as footage played on the screen. There was Nico, looking as handsome as ever in a navy blue suit, guiding Ava—his ex—into the restaurant with a hand on her back. Ava looked stunning and effortlessly elegant, her beauty enhanced by her simple black pants and white button-down.

Bella gasped. “What the hell? How can he be with her after breaking up with you just last night?”

Aria couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen. The reporter continued, “Sources say Nicolas and Ava have been in contact for months, and it seems like they are rekindling their relationship. Is the power couple back together? Only time will tell.”

Aria felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. Nico had never talked about Ava, but from what she’d gathered from his family and close friends, their breakup had devastated him. People had whispered that he was never truly over her. And now, seeing them together so soon after everything that had happened between them, Aria couldn’t help but feel like she’d been a placeholder all along.

Suddenly, she stood up, unable to sit still. Bella called after her, but Aria was already out the door, making her way to the washroom. Locking herself in one of the stalls, she fumbled with her phone, dialing Nico’s number. It rang several times before, and to her shock, someone answered.

“Hello? Who is this?” a woman’s voice asked. Aria’s breath hitched. It was Ava.

“Who... who is this?” Aria stammered, her voice shaking.

“This is Ava, Nico’s girlfriend,” Ava said, her voice calm but firm. “And who are you?”

Girlfriend. The word echoed in Aria’s mind like a death knell. Tears streamed down her face as reality settled in. Ava was back, and Nico had already moved on. Aria had been discarded without a second thought.

“Ava, who is that?” She heard Nicolas call out softly, his voice fading as muffled voices could be heard in the background. A few moments later, Nico came on the line, his voice sharp and cold.

“Hello?”

“Nico...” Aria whispered, barely able to get the word out.

There was a pause, and then his voice, filled with contempt. “Don’t ever call me again.”

Before Aria could say anything more, the line went dead. She dropped her phone, tears falling uncontrollably as she crumbled into a sobbing mess in the bathroom stall. Outside, she could hear coworkers chatting about Nicolas and Ava, their excitement only twisting the knife deeper.

“How perfect they looked together, right?” one woman gushed.

“Oh, totally! They’re such a power couple. I knew they’d get back together,” another chimed in.

Aria felt her world crashing down around her. Nico had chosen someone else. The photos, the accusations, all of it—it was never about her. It was always about Ava. She had been nothing more than a temporary stand-in, discarded the moment his real love returned.

She opened the article about Nico and Ava on her phone and stared at the pictures of them together. Nico looked perfect, as he always did, and Ava... Ava was everything Aria wasn’t. A brilliant lawyer, confident, beautiful. How could Aria ever compete with that?

Tears blurred her vision as she closed the article and curled up in the tiny cubicle. Her heart felt like it had been ripped apart, and the man she loved had walked away without a second glance.

*******

It had been a week. A week of hell. A week of humiliation. Aria had tried calling Nicolas countless times, but he hadn’t answered a single call or text. She had gone to his house three times, only to be escorted out each time by the same staff that once greeted her warmly. Every attempt to reach him ended in bitter disappointment, leaving her feeling more isolated with each passing day.

Things at home were no better. Natalie and Rachel had grown even more hostile since they learned of Ava’s return. The day Aria came back from work, still reeling from the news of Nicolas and Ava, the entire house was in disarray. It looked as though a storm had torn through the place.

Natalie had been hysterical, and though Rachel tried to calm her, it wasn’t long before all of Natalie’s fury was directed straight at Aria.

“This is all because of you!” Natalie shrieked, her face twisted with rage as she advanced on Aria. “If you hadn’t come in my way, I would have been with Nicolas, and that bitch Ava would never have returned.”

Aria tried to back away, but Rachel stood behind her, blocking her escape. “Where do you think you’re going?” Rachel asked, gripping Aria’s hair in a painful hold.

“Natalie, Rachel, please—this has nothing to do with me! I didn’t do anything!” Aria pleaded, but it was clear neither of them cared about her words. Their minds were made up, and they were too far gone in their anger.

Natalie grabbed Aria’s face, her nails digging cruelly into Aria’s cheeks. “You ruined my life! You’re the reason Nicolas isn’t with me!” she sneered with so much hatred that Aria flinched in fear.

“Natalie, how is this my fault?” Aria tried to reason, but the response was a hard slap that knocked her to the ground. The blows came again and again, until Aria found herself lying on the floor, curled up as Natalie delivered brutal kicks, all while Rachel watched without a trace of empathy.

“Don’t ever show me your face again,” Natalie growled before storming off. Aria lay on the floor for a long time, her body aching from the assault, trying to comprehend how her life had come to this. With great difficulty, she managed to pull herself up and limp to her room, her body bruised, her spirit shattered.

That had been a week ago, and every day since, the abuse from Natalie and Rachel continued, escalating in cruelty. The last beating had been especially brutal, triggered by news of Nicolas and Ava going on yet another date. Aria had retreated to her room, her body sore, her mind numb, struggling to process the past week's relentless torment.

Tonight, she was supposed to attend a grand party for her father and Rachel’s anniversary—a lavish event filled with influential people, including the King family. Aria lay in bed, dreading the night ahead. She hadn’t even wanted to go, but there was no avoiding it.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” she called softly, her voice tired.

One of the maids entered. “Ms. Williams, Mr. Williams wanted you to get ready early so you can ride with them. He doesn’t want you to be late.”

Aria nodded, acknowledging the message. She would be down in an hour.

After dressing in an elegant gown, Aria went downstairs, only to find the living room empty. Confused, she spotted the maid from earlier and asked, “Where is everyone?”

“They already left,” the maid answered, her voice hesitant.

Aria’s heart sank. She should have known this would happen. Why had she even bothered to hope? “But they said they’d leave at 7:30. It’s only 7:15,” she muttered, more to herself than to the maid.

“Mrs. Williams wanted to go early to greet the guests,” the maid explained sympathetically. “She told me to tell you to find your own way to the venue.”

Aria sighed in defeat and called for an Uber. By the time she arrived at the venue, the party was in full swing, the red carpet lined with flashing cameras and eager reporters. As soon as Aria stepped out of the car, the media swarmed her, throwing questions her way.

“Ms. Williams, why are you late?”

“Ms. Williams, why aren’t you with your family?”

“Ms. Williams, is it true that you don’t get along with your sister Natalie?”

Feeling overwhelmed, Aria froze, unsure how to handle the barrage of questions. Just then, Rio, one of her father’s bodyguards, appeared at her side, offering a steadying hand. “Come, let’s go inside,” he said gently, guiding her away from the chaos.

When Rio asked if she wanted to stop for photos, Aria shook her head quickly, wanting nothing more than to disappear. He led her past the cameras and into the grand banquet hall. Every guest in attendance oozed wealth and power, the women in their elegant gowns, the men in perfectly tailored suits.

Aria scanned the room for familiar faces but saw none. She hadn’t made any friends here, and before, Nicolas had always been by her side, making sure she felt comfortable. Her chest tightened painfully at the thought of him.

As she moved toward a quiet corner, hoping to stay invisible for the rest of the night, she caught sight of her father, Peter Williams, standing with Rachel and Natalie. They were smiling and mingling with guests.

“Where’s your other daughter, Mr. Williams?” one of his business associates asked.

Peter hesitated, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Aria. But before he could respond, Rachel jumped in, her voice falsely sweet. “Oh, she’s over there. She doesn’t like socializing. We try to encourage her to mingle, but she’s always in her own little world.”

The businessman’s wife sneered in Aria’s direction. “Ungrateful, isn’t she? You took her in, gave her a life when her real parents left her to die, and this is how she behaves?”

Aria’s blood ran cold. What were they talking about? Adopted? Left to die? She wasn’t adopted. Peter Williams was her biological father. Yet, her father stood there, saying nothing, as Rachel and Natalie soaked in the praise for their "sophistication" and "grace."

Before Aria could gather herself enough to speak, a commotion from the entrance silenced the room. She turned toward the doorway and felt the air leave her lungs. There stood Nicolas, commanding the attention of everyone with his sheer presence, looking more handsome than ever in his tailored suit. But it wasn’t just his presence that froze Aria.

Beside him, with his arm wrapped around her waist, was Ava. The woman he had once loved, and judging by the way they gazed into each other’s eyes, still did.

Aria’s heart shattered. How could he move on so easily? How could he say he loved her, claim she was the one, and then abandon her the moment Ava returned?