Prologue
334 Words
Rain lashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Blackwood Villa, drowning the city in darkness.
Aria Morgan stood alone in the grand living room, her trembling hands clutching a small velvet box. Inside lay a silver watch she had bought for Ethan months ago-a gift for their third wedding anniversary. Around her, fairy lights twinkled softly. The dining table was covered with candles, flowers, and all of Ethan's favorite dishes. Everything had been prepared with love.
Everything had been prepared for a husband who never came home.
A sudden buzz from the television shattered the silence.
Aria glanced up absentmindedly, expecting another business report. Instead, her breath caught in her throat.
The screen showed Ethan Blackwood.
Her husband.
The billionaire CEO stood confidently before a crowd of reporters, dressed in an elegant black suit. Beside him stood Vanessa Sterling, the woman who had appeared more and more frequently in his life over the past year.
Aria's heart began to pound.
Then Ethan reached for Vanessa's hand.
"I am pleased to announce my engagement to Vanessa Sterling."
The words struck like a bullet.
The room spun.
The wine glass slipped from Aria's fingers and shattered across the marble floor.
No.
No, she had heard wrong.
But then Ethan slid a diamond ring onto Vanessa's finger, and the crowd erupted into applause.
Tears blurred Aria's vision as the anniversary decorations around her suddenly felt like cruel mockery.
A loud knock echoed through the villa.
Moments later, a courier handed her a sealed envelope.
With shaking hands, she opened it.
Inside were divorce papers.
Signed.
Finalized.
And waiting only for her signature.
As thunder roared outside, Aria felt her world collapse around her.
She didn't know it yet, but this was only the beginning.
Before the month was over, she would be betrayed, hunted, declared dead, and forced to leave behind everything she loved.
And three years later, she would return.
Not as the broken woman they destroyed.
But as the woman who would destroy them all.
- Writer
