Taken by the Rivals.

Chapter 2-The ashes of a promise

~ Aria POV ~

"Aria, wait!" Damien’s voice echoed down the hallway behind me.

I didn't turn around. I couldn't. I kept moving away from the study door, my feet moving fast against the floorboards. The sound of that breaking glass was still ringing in my ears, a loud reminder of the truth I had just discovered. He was going to give me up.

"Please, look at me," he said, his hand catching my wrist.

His grip wasn't tight, but it was enough to make me stop. I pulled my arm back, breaking his hold, and finally turned to face him. He looked terrible. His collar was loose, his hair was messy, and his eyes were full of a dark, desperate panic.

"Did you hear what they said?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I heard enough," I said. My voice sounded surprisingly calm, even though my heart was beating so fast it hurt. "I heard your father. I saw your face, Damien. You aren't fighting them anymore."

"It's not that simple, Aria. The company is facing a massive crisis. If we don't secure this alliance, everything collapses. My family loses everything. Thousands of people lose their jobs."

"And what about your promise to me?" I asked, my fists tightening so my nails dug into my skin. "What about everything you said on the terrace just an hour ago? Was any of it real?"

"Of course it was real!" He took a step toward me, reaching out, but I stepped backward, keeping a distance between us. His hands fell to his sides. "I love you. You know I love you. But I have a responsibility to this family name. I can't just let everything go to ruin."

"So you choose Elena," I said.

He closed his eyes, a deep line appearing between his brows. He didn't say yes, but his silence was a loud confession. He stood there, looking defeated, letting the weight of his family choices dictate our entire future.

"I need you to come to the study tomorrow morning," he whispered, opening his eyes. They looked dull now, devoid of the warmth he used to have when he looked at me. "We need to talk about this when everyone is calm. We can figure out an arrangement."

"An arrangement?" I let out a short, cold laugh. "You want me to be your secret on the side while you marry a wealthy socialite? Is that your grand plan, Damien?"

"No, that's not what I meant," he said, but he didn't offer a better alternative. He couldn't.

"I’ll be there," I said quietly. "Tomorrow morning. We’ll finish this."

I turned and walked away, heading straight to the guest room where my things were kept. I didn't sleep that night. I sat on the bed, staring at the wall, watching the shadows shift as the night hours ticked away. My mind was racing, but my heart felt like it was turning to ice. Beatrice had won this round, but I refused to let her see me cry. I wouldn't give either of them that satisfaction.

When the sun finally came up, I packed my single suitcase. I didn't take any of the expensive gifts Damien had bought me over the past year. I left the dresses, the jewelry, the shoes. I only took what belonged to me before I entered his world.

At eight o'clock, I walked down to his private study.

Damien was already sitting behind the big table. He hadn't changed his clothes from the night before, and an empty glass sat near his hand. He looked up when I entered, his eyes tracking my movement as I walked over and stood across from him.

"You brought your suitcase," he said, his voice flat.

"I did," I replied, keeping my expression completely blank. "Let's not waste time, Damien. You made your choice last night. I'm just here to make it official."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His posture was distant, a sharp contrast to the loving man who had held me on the terrace. "It's a business decision, Aria. You have to understand. My inheritance, my family's legacy—it's my duty to protect it. I can't let a sentimental relationship ruin what generations built."

The words hit me like a physical blow, but I didn't let my face show the pain. He was hiding his mother's threats. He was pretending this was all his own calculated choice, probably to save his own pride. He didn't mention Beatrice's trap. He just sat there, acting like a cold CEO casting away a bad investment.

"A sentimental relationship," I repeated, my voice steady and cold. "Is that what we were?"

"It's the reality of our world," he said, refusing to meet my gaze. "We come from different backgrounds. A marriage between us was always going to be difficult. This crisis just made things clearer. I need a partner who brings more to the table."

My world was collapsing, but a strange, freezing pride took over my body. I looked at his cold face and realized the man I loved was already gone. This was a stranger.

I slowly raised my left hand. The diamond engagement ring caught the morning light, sparkling with a mockery of the promises he had broken.

I gripped the band, twisting it off my finger. It felt light, empty, meaningless.

I dropped the ring onto the table. It made a hollow clink as it hit the dark surface, rolling a few inches before stopping near his hand.

"There's your investment back," I said.

Damien stared at the ring, his jaw tightening. For a second, a flash of pure agony washed over his face, and his hand twitched as if he wanted to reach out and grab my arm. But he controlled himself, his expression hardening once again.

"Where will you go?" he asked, his voice lower now.

"Somewhere far away from the Blackstones," I replied.

I picked up the handle of my suitcase, turning my back on him without saying another word. I walked out of the study, down the wide hallway, and straight toward the front doors.

Beatrice was standing near the entryway, a small, victorious smile playing on her lips as she watched me approach with my bag. She didn't say a word, and neither did I. I passed her without breaking my stride, walking out into the chilly morning air.

I walked all the way to the train station, my shoes clicking against the pavement. My hands were freezing, but my mind was incredibly focused. The pain was there, a deep ache in my chest, but beneath it, a new feeling was growing. It was anger. A dark, burning desire to prove them wrong.

I boarded the train, finding a seat by the window as the engine started to roar. I took out my phone, looking at the screen for a brief second. Damien had already sent three text messages, but I didn't read them. I went into my settings, deleted my accounts, changed my number, and turned the device off. I was cutting every single tie to my past life.

The train began to move, slowly pulling away from the city platform.

I looked down at my bare ring finger, where a faint mark from the diamond still remained. The train picked up speed, the buildings blurring outside the window as I left behind the girl who trusted rich men with her heart.

I stared at my reflection in the glass, my eyes narrowing as the city vanished in the distance.

"Enjoy your crown, Damien," I whispered to the empty air, channeling my devastating heartbreak into a freezing, silent vow. "Because the next time you hear the name Bennett, I will be someone you can never look down on again. I will build an empire that will make your family holdings look like a joke."

The train surged forward into the unknown, and for the first time in my life, I wasn't running away out of fear. I was moving toward a war, and I was going to ensure I won it.