All Chapters of TEMPTING THE TYCOON : Chapter 41 - Chapter 43

Aria’s POVThe 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

The headlines came faster than the sunrise.By the time I woke the next morning, New York was already buzzing with my humiliation.“Ex-Wife Returns: Ethan Langston and Aria Brooks Reignite Romance at Gala!”“The Love Triangle of the Year: Billionaire Rivalry Takes Center Stage.”“Julian Huxley Humiliated as Wife Declares Allegiance to Her First Love.”Each headline was paired with glossy photographs — me on Ethan’s arm, his hand on my waist, his smile sharp enough to slice through marble. Me looking caught, cornered, silent. Julian in the background, his fury written all over his face.It didn’t matter that I hadn’t spoken. My silence had become their story.“Turn that off.” Julian’s voice was raw, frayed.I hadn’t even realized the television was still blaring until his hand closed over the remote, the screen flickering to black. He stood there in the living room, shirt sleeves rolled up, tie abandoned, his hair disheveled in a way that betrayed a sleepless night.“Julian—”“Don’t.”