Shattered Vows

Chapter 3: The Price of Silence

The next morning arrived as a cold, unforgiving shadow, the kind of morning where the air seemed to hold its breath, waiting for something that never came. Liara sat at the edge of the bed, the weight of last night's events still pressing down on her. She had spent hours staring at the ceiling, her mind spiraling into the vast, empty chasm that had become her reality.

Her fingers brushed against the torn edges of the note Evan had sent. His words had stung, but the emptiness they left behind was even worse. It wasn’t the lack of affection that troubled her. It was the sheer indifference, the way he spoke to her as if she were nothing more than a cog in a machine, a tool to be used and discarded.

The maid had left after delivering the note, her presence fleeting, like a ghost that came and went without leaving a trace. Liara had half expected Evan to show up, to say something — anything — to make this nightmare feel less real. But there had been nothing. And as the hours wore on, Liara’s sense of reality began to slip. She had always been strong, always been able to endure. But this... this was different. This wasn’t strength. It was survival.

With a deep breath, she stood up, the silk of her wedding dress still clinging to her like a second skin. She had to go. She had to face him, even if it meant swallowing her pride and walking back into the lion’s den.

She made her way to the bathroom, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow with exhaustion. The once bright, fiery spirit that had ignited in her when she first fell for Evan felt like a distant memory, faded and almost unreal. Who was she now? A broken woman caught in the crossfire of a war she didn’t even understand?

She took a long, steadying breath, and when she looked at her reflection again, she saw something different. It wasn’t hope, but determination. She wasn’t going to let him break her. She had endured too much in her life to be crushed by the cold indifference of a man who clearly hated her. She would survive. She would make it through this, somehow.

An hour later, she found herself in the grand dining hall, the sprawling room silent except for the clinking of silverware and hushed conversations. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and the soft murmur of voices filled the space. Liara felt out of place, as though she had stepped into a world that wasn’t hers. She was supposed to be part of this world, this glittering empire of wealth and power. But all she felt was the crushing weight of her own inadequacy.

The Thorne estate, with its opulent décor and perfect symmetry, felt like a cage. Each gilded frame on the walls, each crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, only served to remind her of the invisible bars that encased her heart.

She found her seat at the far end of the table, where Evan had already taken his place. His back was straight, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on a pile of documents in front of him. He didn’t acknowledge her entrance, didn’t spare her even a glance. And yet, the tension between them was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

Liara took her seat, feeling the eyes of the other board members flicker over her for just a moment before they quickly turned back to their work. None of them dared to speak to her. None of them dared to make her feel any more alien in this world than she already did.

The meeting began without fanfare. Evan spoke, his voice low and commanding, outlining the plans for the company’s next quarter. He was all business, all focus, his tone cold and measured. Liara couldn’t help but notice the way he carried himself, the way he seemed to shrink the room with his presence. Every word he spoke was deliberate, every glance was calculated. And still, not once did he look at her.

Liara felt a pang of anger rise in her chest. How could he be so indifferent? How could he sit there, so calm and composed, when she was falling apart inside? The question gnawed at her, but she held it in. She couldn’t let him see her c***k. Not now. Not ever.

The meeting dragged on, each moment feeling like an eternity. The discussions were dry and filled with jargon, but Liara couldn’t bring herself to care. She felt detached from everything, as though she were watching her life unfold from a distance. She was there in body, but her mind was elsewhere.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the meeting came to a close. Evan stood abruptly, gathering his papers with a swift, practiced motion. He didn’t even look at Liara as he made his way toward the door, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

“Liara,” he said, his voice cold, cutting through the air like a blade. “You’ll be expected at the shareholders’ meeting next week. Don’t embarrass me.”

He didn’t wait for a response. He didn’t even give her the courtesy of looking her in the eye.

And just like that, he was gone.

Liara sat there for a moment, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. It wasn’t just the meeting he had dismissed her from. It was her whole existence in his world. She was nothing more than a token, a figurehead, a convenient part of a larger scheme. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of something — a spark of defiance. She wasn’t going to let him break her. Not like this.

But as she stood and made her way to the door, a bitter truth settled in her chest. She had already been broken, in more ways than she could count. And the worst part was that she had walked into this willingly. She had agreed to this. She had married him knowing all of this would happen.

The question now was: what would she do with that knowledge? Would she keep fighting, or would she accept her place in the Thorne empire as a silent, obedient wife?

As she left the room, she felt the eyes of the board members on her once more. But this time, she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t sure if it was strength or sheer willpower, but she held her head high and walked out of the room with her dignity intact — even if it was just barely.

Liara’s steps were deliberate, each one heavy with the weight of everything she had just endured. She walked down the long, empty hallway of the Thorne estate, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. The sound echoed in the silence, reminding her how alone she truly was.

Outside the windows, the world was just beginning to stir. The early morning light slanted in through the glass, casting long shadows across the corridor. But even the sun, which had once felt so warm, now seemed distant, like everything in her life had turned cold and unreachable.

She made her way back to her suite, the weight of the meeting still pressing down on her. As soon as she entered the room, she felt it again — that suffocating silence, as if the walls themselves were closing in on her. The large suite, with its luxurious furnishings and breathtaking view of the estate grounds, felt more like a gilded cage than a sanctuary. There was no comfort here, no solace.

Liara went straight to the window and looked out over the sprawling garden, her hands gripping the windowsill. The garden stretched for miles, the carefully manicured hedges and flowers a stark contrast to the chaos inside her heart. She had married a man who despised her, who saw her as nothing more than a pawn in his own game. She had always known he wasn’t interested in love, but she had hoped — foolishly, perhaps — that there was something more beneath the surface.

But the truth was clearer now. There was no room for love in this marriage. There never had been.

She thought back to the wedding, to the hollow ceremony and the cold, emotionless vows they had exchanged. Evan’s indifference had crushed her in ways she couldn’t fully comprehend. How could someone she had once loved so deeply be so distant, so cruel? Was it all her fault? Was she just a part of his grand plan, a necessary sacrifice in his quest for power and revenge?

The question swirled in her mind like a storm, tearing at her. The memories of their past — the quiet moments they had shared before the world had torn them apart — felt like another life entirely. She remembered the way he had once looked at her, the rare smiles that had made her heart flutter. She had fallen for him then, with all the innocence and trust of a young girl in love. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, they could build something beautiful together.

But that was before everything had shattered.

Her fingers tightened around the curtain, her knuckles white from the force. A part of her wanted to scream, to let the frustration and pain pour out of her in a single, raw cry. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. She had learned long ago that showing weakness would only make things worse. The world she had stepped into didn’t tolerate vulnerability. It demanded strength, even if that strength was built on lies.