All Chapters of Rebirth: From Devoted Wife to Ice Queen CEO: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The shrill ring of her phone cut through Aria's dreams like a knife through silk. She groaned and buried her face deeper into her pillow, hoping whoever was calling would take the hint and try again later. Much later. Like next week.But the ringing persisted, drilling into her skull with the determination of a construction worker. Her hand fumbled blindly across the nightstand, knocking over her water glass and sending her jewelry box clattering before finally finding the offending device."Hello?" Her voice came out as a croak, thick with sleep and confusion."ARIA LIN, YOU ABSOLUTE SNAKE!"Mia's voice exploded through the speaker with enough force to make Aria jerk the phone away from her ear. Even at arm's length, her best friend's shriek was loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood."Mia?" Aria squinted at the clock on her nightstand, trying to make sense of the blurry numbers. "What time is it? Why are you screaming at me?""DON'T YOU 'WHAT TIME IS IT' ME!" Mia's voice pitc

The restaurant's door chimed with a familiar melody, and Aria looked up to see Mia weaving through the tables with the grace of someone who owned every room she entered. Her friend's auburn hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, and her emerald green dress hugged her curves in a way that made several male diners pause mid-conversation.Mia slid into the booth across from Aria, her designer handbag landing on the seat beside her with a soft thud. Her eyes were bright with barely contained excitement, like a child who'd been promised candy and was finally getting it."Sorry I'm late," Mia said, though her tone suggested she wasn't sorry at all. "Traffic was murder, and I had to stop by the boutique to check on my alterations." She signaled the waiter with a subtle gesture. "Champagne, please. We're celebrating.""Celebrating what exactly?" Aria asked, though the warmth creeping up her neck suggested she already knew the answer."Oh, don't play coy with me." Mia'

The amber liquid burned its way down Ethan's throat, leaving a trail of fire that matched the churning in his stomach. He stared at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar, noting how the dim lighting made the shadows under his eyes look like bruises. The man staring back at him looked hollow, defeated—not exactly the image of a groom on the eve of his wedding.The bar was the kind of place that didn't ask questions. Dark wood, darker lighting, and the sort of clientele that minded their own business. Ice clinked against glass as Ethan lifted his whiskey for another sip, the sound sharp in the relative quiet of the evening crowd.He couldn't believe this was what he was doing. Tomorrow was his wedding—his own damn wedding—and here he sat, drowning his sorrows like some cliché from a bad movie. The irony wasn't lost on him that most grooms spent their last night of freedom celebrating, while he felt like he was attending his own wake.His mind drifted, unwillingly, inevitably, b

The ballroom doors towered before them like gates to another realm, their polished brass handles gleaming under the crystal chandeliers that lined the hotel corridor. Aria could hear the murmur of voices from beyond the thick wood—hundreds of conversations blending into a low hum that made her skin prickle with awareness. All those people, waiting for her, expecting her to play the role of the blushing bride walking toward her happily ever after.Her father's arm felt solid beneath her gloved hand, an anchor in the storm of her own making. Daniel Lin stood beside her with the bearing of a man who'd commanded boardrooms for decades, but she could feel the slight tremor in his muscles that betrayed his own emotional state. His little girl was about to become someone else's wife, and no amount of business acumen could prepare a father for that moment."Take your time, princess," he murmured, his voice pitched low so only she could hear. "There's no rush."But there was a rush. There w

The receiving line stretched endlessly before them, a parade of faces that blurred together in a symphony of congratulations and well-wishes. Aria's cheeks ached from maintaining her radiant bride smile, her hand cramping from being squeezed by what felt like half of Linyang's social elite. Beside her, Ethan played his part with the same practiced perfection, his arm around her waist feeling both foreign and familiar against the silk of her dress."Absolutely beautiful ceremony," gushed Mrs. Patterson, one of her mother's closest friends, as she enveloped Aria in a cloud of expensive perfume. "You two looked so in love up there. Just magical!""Thank you," Aria managed, her voice bright with manufactured joy. "We're so happy you could share this day with us."The words came automatically now, responses she'd perfected over the past hour of receiving congratulations from people who believed they were witnessing a fairy tale romance. Each compliment felt like a small blade, cutting in