Ruthless Vows

Chapter2

Chapter 2

Eva sat on the edge of her couch, the wedding invitation clutched tightly in her hands. The thick, cream-colored cardstock felt heavier than it should—like a final slap in the face. The gold-embossed lettering spelled out the impossible:

Alec Hartwell & Sienna Lockwood

Request the honor of your presence at their wedding

Her chest tightened, a slow, burning sensation creeping up her throat. Seven weeks. That was how long it had been since Alec left her. No warning. No explanation. Just an empty apartment and a cold, meaningless text: I’m sorry, Eva. I can’t do this anymore.

And now he was marrying someone else.

She scoffed, her voice breaking into the silence of her apartment. “Unbelievable.”

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Lauren. Her best friend.

Eva grabbed it, answering without hesitation.

“You got it, didn’t you?” Lauren's voice was sharp, laced with barely controlled rage.

Eva swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

A long pause. Then, Lauren cursed under her breath. “I knew he was a bastard, but this? Seven weeks, Eva. That’s all it took for him to replace you.”

Eva let out a bitter laugh. “Guess I was never that hard to replace.”

“Don’t,” Lauren snapped. “Don’t you dare do that. You were with him for ten years. You built him into who he is. And this is how he repays you?”

Eva exhaled shakily, running a hand through her hair. “I keep thinking… maybe I missed the signs. Maybe he was already planning this while we were still together.”

Lauren’s voice softened, but the anger remained. “You didn’t miss anything, Eva. He blindsided you. You loved him. You trusted him.”

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Eva spoke, her voice quieter now. “I just keep wondering… why?”

Lauren sighed. “We may never get that answer. But what we do know is this—he doesn’t get to win. He doesn’t get to walk away like you never mattered and have his perfect little wedding without consequences.”

Eva’s fingers tightened around the invitation. Lauren was right. Alec had taken everything from her—her time, her trust, her love. And he had walked away like it meant nothing.

Her mind raced. She could decline, pretend none of this hurt, and let him have his perfect fairytale. Or—

No.

If Alec thought she was still shattered, still picking up the pieces of the life he destroyed, he was dead wrong.

Her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. “I’m going to that wedding.”

Lauren gasped. “Wait. What?”

Eva stood, her pulse pounding with a sudden surge of clarity. “I’m not going to hide. I’m not going to let him think he broke me.”

Lauren hesitated. “Eva… you don’t have to prove anything.”

“This isn’t about proving anything,” Eva said, her grip tightening on the invitation. “This is about reminding him who the hell I am.”

A slow hum of approval came from the other end of the line. “Okay. Now we’re talking. But if you’re going, you can’t just show up. You need to make a statement.”

Eva smiled, already knowing exactly how to do that. She took another look at the invitation and saw a plus one was needed.

“Oh, I will,” she said. “And I know just the person to help me.”

Lauren hesitated, then realization dawned. “Oh my god. No. You wouldn’t.”

“I would.”

Lauren let out a shocked laugh. “Jasper Kane? Alec’s worst nightmare?”

Eva’s smile widened. “If Alec thought he could erase me, he’s about to learn just how wrong he was.”

Lauren's laughter turned wicked. “Now this is going to be fun.”

Eva ended the call and sat on the couch staring at the invitation. She noticed that the wedding was not just a day even, instead it was a month-long luxury wedding.

She scoffed at this information but made sure she stood high on her ground and contact Jasper immediately.

She knew that Jasper and Alec never liked each other because Jasper gas once tried to take down Alec's company but he failed due to her help so her bringing him as her plus one will definitely make things intense.

She sat up straight and said to herself, “it's time to get wicked!”

Eva’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, her pulse thrumming in her ears. The name stared back at her: Jasper Kane. It wasn’t a name she ever thought she’d reach out to, but here she was.

Their paths had crossed before—always from a distance, always as adversaries. Jasper had been Alec’s biggest competitor in business and, by default, Eva’s enemy. She had spent years watching Alec fight to stay ahead of him, pouring everything into their empire. Jasper Kane was ruthless, calculating, and impossible to outmaneuver.

And now, he was the only person who could help her burn Alec to the ground.

Eva tapped out a message. Simple. Direct.

I have a proposal for you. Let’s talk.

She hesitated for only a second before hitting send.

The moment the message delivered, doubt crept in. Was this a mistake? Jasper wasn’t the kind of man who did favors. He wouldn’t help her out of pity or some misguided sense of justice. If he agreed, it would be because there was something in it for him.

But that was fine.

Eva wasn’t looking for a savior. She was looking for a weapon.

A sharp inhale filled her lungs as she stared at the phone. It felt like an eternity before the screen lit up with a response.

Where and when?

A slow smirk curled on Eva’s lips.

Jasper didn’t ask what. He didn’t demand details or hesitate. That told her everything she needed to know—he was interested.

She quickly typed back: Midnight. Sinclair Hotel. Bar.

Another message popped up almost instantly. Don’t be late.

The screen dimmed, but Eva kept her grip tight around the phone. The weight of what she’d just set in motion pressed against her chest.

There was no going back now.

She moved to the window, looking out over the city skyline. Somewhere across town, Alec was likely celebrating. Toasting to his perfect new life. His perfect new wife.

And he thought she would simply disappear.

Eva’s nails dug into her palm as she exhaled slowly.

No. He didn’t get to walk away unscathed.

If Alec wanted a perfect life, she’d make sure he never had one. If he thought he could replace her so easily, she’d remind him exactly what he lost.

And Jasper Kane was the perfect weapon for that destruction.

Alec had spent years treating Jasper as his worst nightmare.

Now, Jasper would become hers—one she weilded to cut Alec down.

Her reflection in the window looked different—sharper, more dangerous.

Revenge had never looked so tempting.