All Chapters of Shattered Vows: A Second Chance at Revenge : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

The Last Breath, The First Choice Five Years Ago—The First TimelineThe mirror reflected a ghost.I touched my hollow cheeks, traced the purple bruises blooming across my collarbone. Twenty-three years old, and I looked like I had lived a hundred lifetimes of suffering. All of them spent loving Richard Ashford."Aria!" His voice thundered through the penthouse, and my body flinched before my mind could catch up. Muscle memory. Fear memory.I grabbed the edge of the marble counter, steadied myself. "Coming."The living room reeked of expensive whiskey and cheaper perfume—her perfume. Lila stood beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, her red dress clinging to curves I no longer possessed. My sister. My replacement.Richard sat sprawled on the leather sofa, his steel-gray eyes tracking my movements like a predator assessing prey. Even disheveled, even cruel, he was devastatingly beautiful. Dark hair, sharp jaw, shoulders t

The Price of DefianceI made it to my bedroom before my legs gave out.My hands shook as I locked the door, pressing my back against the wood. The bravado drained from my body like water through a sieve, leaving behind the trembling, terrified girl I actually was.What had I done?Downstairs, voices erupted—my father's rage, my mother's tears, Victoria Ashford's cutting accusations. And beneath it all, Richard's voice, calm and controlled, like a predator deciding whether to pounce now or wait.My phone buzzed. Unknown number.You just made a very expensive mistake. - RAMy stomach dropped. He already had my number. Of course he did. Richard Ashford did not pursue things without doing research first. He probably knew my schedule, my friends, every vulnerable point in my life.Another message: Your father's company will be bankrupt by Friday. Unless you reconsider.I threw the phone across the room and watched it shatter against the wall

The Cage ClosesRichard's hand clamped around my wrist, and he pulled me toward the exit before I could scream."Smile," he murmured against my ear. "People are watching."I looked around wildly. He was right. Security guards. Businesspeople. Cameras everywhere. If I caused a scene, it would be my word against his—the hysterical girl versus the respectable billionaire."Let go of me.""Not until we are somewhere private." He guided me through the revolving doors, and his car waited at the curb. Black. Sleek. Expensive. The driver opened the back door without a word."I am not getting in that car.""Then I will carry you." His grip tightened. "Your choice, Aria. Walk with dignity or be dragged. Either way, you are coming with me."I could run. But where? He found me at a random motel. He knew about Marcus Zhao within minutes of my arrival. Richard had eyes everywhere, and I had nowhere left to hide.I got in th