Chapter 1

**Aurora**

I stood in the hotel lobby like a lost child as I took in the scene before me.

“Jason?” My voice cracked despite my feeble attempt to sound strong.

He turned, and the color drained from his face the moment he recognised me.

“A–Aurora?” he stammered.

The blonde haired girl in his arms also turned slowly, and her glossy lips curved up in a mischievous smile the moment she recognised me.

Sasha.

She adjusted the strap of her designer dress before speaking.

“Well, well… look who it is. Aurora. What are you doing here?”

This is a stark contrast to the best friend I know. Her emerald green eyes, which once looked at me with unrequited love, were now sparkling with mischief.

My stomach twisted, but I held my ground. “I should be asking you the same thing.”

I had planned this hotel getaway with my own savings. Jason was supposed to be here with me. My boyfriend. But instead, they were here, with each other.

Jason scrambled to stand, guilt written all over his face. But before he could speak, Sasha rose to her feet, wrapping her hands around him possessively.

“As you can see, Jason and I are on a little love vacation,” she said sweetly, her eyes flicking over my plain outfit. “Surprised they let you in… dressed like that.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was suddenly aware of my plain white shirt and jeans which I had worn to work today. But I refused to flinch.

“I don’t know which is worse,” I snapped, “You betraying my trust, or you following my boyfriend on a trip that I paid for!”

Jason flinched, but Sasha only arched a brow. “You? Paid for this?” She laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound that attracted onlookers. “This is the Golden Hen Suite, darling. Do you even know what one night here costs? You expect me to believe you, a poor little receptionist, could book this place?”

I clenched my teeth. She's talking like we don't work at the same place. “Check the receipts.”

The receptionist, who had been hovering nervously nearby, stepped forward. “Actually… she did. Ms. Aurora Lane is the one who paid for Room 12RB.” She held up her tablet for confirmation.

I assumed she's the one I was on the phone with earlier. She's the one who informed me that two people were trying to register into the suite, under my name.

For a heartbeat, the entire lobby went silent.

Jason’s jaw worked, but no words came out. His eyes darted between me and the receptionist, guilt stamped all over his face.

Sasha’s smirk faltered, her hand tightening on Jason’s arm. A smirk slowly appeared on my face. It appears he had lied to her about who made this reservation.

“That doesn’t prove anything. Maybe she…she stole someone’s card.”

The receptionist frowned. “No, ma’am. The payment came directly from her account. Everything is in her name.”

Whispers rippled through the onlookers, and my chest swelled with a brief, bitter satisfaction.

“So, Sasha,” I said, my voice steadier now, “who’s the poor hag again?”

Sasha’s cheeks flushed crimson, but she quickly recovered, tossing her hair with a scoff. “Fine. You paid for it. And you know what? That makes this even more pathetic. Imagine wasting your savings just so your boyfriend could enjoy it with me.”

Her words cut deep, but I refused to back down.

I let out a loud scoff.

“Well, thanks to you, I now realise how big of a mistake that was,” I said sweetly. “Now, I can really enjoy my vacation. If you thought I'd let you get away with my money, then you need to see a doctor.” I said, making a show as I turned, heading straight to the elevator.

“Oh, and if you desperately wanted a reservation, you should have booked one yourself rather than sneak off with someone's boyfriend.”

And with that, I followed the receptionist, holding back the tears until I was out of sight.

Just before stepping inside the elevator, I glanced over my shoulder. Jason stood frozen, torn between me and Sasha, but she pulled him closer, stating some unspoken claim over him.

Good. Let her keep the trash. I'm done with him.

The elevator doors closed, and the silence creeped in. My chest heaved, and my nails dug into my palm. It was supposed to be my birthday. My 25th birthday, and Jason was supposed to be celebrating it with me. Sasha was supposed to be my best friend.

But they were both liars, and I was the fool who was a pawn in their stupid game.

The Golden Hen suite was magnificent. The ground was tiled with marble floors and expensive art pieces hung neatly on the walls. The owner sure has nice taste.

When I got to my room, the first thing I noticed was the massive chandelier and an even massive king-sized bed. I should have felt fulfilled being here, but my resolve broke the moment I stepped into the hot shower.

Tears streamed continuously down my face until my throat burned.

“God, Aurora, you're so stupid,” I whispered to myself.

For weeks, I had fooled myself into believing Jason's little surprise visits to my workplace were for me. He'd show up with coffee, lean against the counter like he owned the place, and flash that smile that made my knees weak.

“Couldn't stay away from you,” he'd whisper, brushing a kiss against my cheek. Ignoring the curious glances from my coworkers.

But, one day, I caught them together, Jason's hands were wrapped affectionately around Sasha's waist, and he was staring into her eyes like nothing else mattered..I began wondering what I was to him.

I had confronted Jason about it, but he brushed it off.

“Come on, peanuts,” he had said, looking at me like I was insane. “Sasha and I are just friends. Nothing more.”

And like a fool, I believed him. But it only got worse. The work visits became more frequent, but he barely even acknowledged me. Always making an excuse to go be with her. One time, I even caught them kissing in the bathroom. That scene nearly broke me.

Worse is, everyone knew Jason and I were dating, even Sasha. I probably now looked like the fool who doesn't know her boyfriend is screwing her colleague from work, who is also her best friend.

“Well, happy birthday to me,” I muttered to myself, laughing bitterly as the steam enveloped me.

At least, I get to spend my birthday sleeping in one of the most luxurious suites in New York.

After nearly an hour of crying, I stumbled into the living room, too drained to care that I hadn’t even grabbed a towel. I mean, I thought I was alone. Tired, I headed straight to the massive bed that had been calling my name since I came in. But a large figure in the living area stopped me dead in my tracks. My heart lept to my throat, and I froze.

“Who are you?” A deep, male voice asked. That was all it took to dive into panic mode. An ear-piercing scream ripped from my throat.

Scared and realising I was naked, I made a dash for the bathroom, but my legs chose that moment to betray me, slipping on the marble floor.

I crashed hard, and almost immediately, pain shot through my entire body.