All Chapters of The Girl He Shouldn't Have Broken(Short story): Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Aria’s POVI don’t remember how I got home that day.Maybe I drove. Maybe I walked. Maybe I just floated through the city like a ghost who hadn’t realized she was dead.The next thing I remember clearly is standing in the middle of my apartment, still wearing my engagement dress fitting from earlier, staring at the ring on my finger.The diamond glimmered under the soft light—perfect, flawless, cold. A symbol of love, he’d said. Our forever.My laugh cracked through the silence.Forever.I sat down on the edge of the bed, the one we picked together months ago, the one we’d never share again. My mind kept replaying that scene—Selene’s bare shoulders, Ethan’s startled face, his hand on her like it belonged there.And the part that hurt the most wasn’t even the betrayal.It was how easily I could still hear his voice in my head saying, I love you, Aria. I’d never hurt you.What a cruel joke.My phone buzzed again. It had been ringing non-stop since I left the building—Ethan, his secretar

Lia’s POVThe first thing I noticed about Lucien Hayes wasn’t his suit, though it probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. It was his eyes—steady, unreadable, the kind that made you want to straighten your posture and choose your words carefully.He extended a hand across the glass desk. “Lia Hart,” he said, as if testing how the name felt on his tongue. “Welcome to Hayes Corporation.”His voice was deep, calm, deliberate. The kind of voice that could either soothe you or destroy you, depending on what he wanted.“Thank you, Mr. Hayes,” I replied, managing a small smile. “It’s an honor to be here.”I hated how formal I sounded. But it was safer this way. Safe meant distance. Safe meant control.He gestured for me to sit, his gaze lingering for just a second too long. Not in a predatory way—no. It was more like curiosity. Like he was trying to read between the lines of who I was and who I was pretending to be.“You come highly recommended,” he said, flipping through my portfolio. “Y

Lia’s POVThe following morning at Hayes Corporation passed quickly. Our campaign proposal had made it through the first round of investors, and everyone was buzzing with relief. Lucien had smiled — a small, proud smile that still felt like sunlight every time I earned it.He didn’t hover or flirt. He didn’t need to. His attention was calm, intentional — the kind that made you want to do better, not for him, but for yourself.“Dinner,” he said casually that afternoon as we finalized a few details. “Team celebration. You’re coming, right?”I hesitated. “I don’t really do celebrations.”He leaned back, his gaze steady. “Then do this one. You earned it.”And before I could find an excuse, he was already walking away, leaving me no room to argue.---By 7 p.m., we were at a quiet rooftop restaurant overlooking the city skyline. The table was small, tucked in a corner, the view breathtaking. Everyone laughed, drank, shared stories. I found myself smiling more than I expected.Lucien caught

Lia’s POVI didn’t go home that night.Instead, I walked.Through the cold streets, past the glowing windows of restaurants and shops, past couples laughing and holding hands — all reminders of a world I no longer belonged to.By the time I finally reached my apartment, the ache behind my ribs had turned into a hollow pit.Lucien had worked for Ethan.The man who shattered me.And he hadn’t told me.It shouldn’t have mattered — it was his past, not mine — but it did. Because he was the one person I’d started to trust again, and now that trust felt like glass under my feet.I poured myself a glass of water, my hands shaking, and sat on the edge of the couch.Then there was a knock.I didn’t have to check who it was.Somehow, I already knew.I opened the door, and there he stood — Lucien. His shirt slightly undone, eyes heavy, tired. Like a man who’d been fighting himself all night.“Lia,” he said quietly.I folded my arms. “You shouldn’t be here.”“I know,” he said. “But I couldn’t let