Married To My Ex's Powerful Brother

An Offer That Could Change Everything

Ava Mitchell's POV

The first rays of sunlight crept through the sheer curtains of my apartment, painting golden streaks across the hardwood floor.

Normally, mornings were my favorite.

I loved waking up early, making coffee, and watching the city slowly come alive from my balcony. It reminded me that no matter how difficult yesterday had been, today offered another chance.

But today didn't feel like a new beginning.

It felt like I was standing in the middle of the ruins of the life I'd spent five years building.

I sat on the edge of my bed, still wearing the oversized sweater I'd thrown on after returning home. My emerald gown was draped over the chair in the corner, looking as lifeless as I felt.

My phone rested on the nightstand.

I had ignored every call.

My gaze drifted to the final message I'd received before dawn.

Beneath it was the photograph.

Jason talking to a man in a gray suit.

A man I recognized immediately.

Victor Kane.

My stomach twisted.

Victor Kane wasn't just another businessman.

He was Damien Hart's greatest rival.

For years, the media had followed the ruthless competition between Hart Group and Kane Industries. Newspapers called them enemies. Business magazines compared every move they made. Investors watched their rivalry like a game of chess played by billionaires.

So why was Jason secretly meeting him?

I enlarged the picture again.

Jason looked... nervous.

Victor looked confident.

Almost amused.

The image raised more questions than answers.

I rubbed my temples, trying to clear my mind.

This could be fake.

Someone could have edited it.

Or maybe they had met for an innocent reason.

Yet something deep inside me whispered that nothing about this was innocent.

At exactly nine forty-five, I left my apartment.

The streets were already crowded.

People hurried to work with coffee cups in their hands, couples laughed together as they crossed intersections, and children chased pigeons in the small park nearby.

Life moved on.

Mine had stopped.

I pulled my coat tighter around me as the cool morning breeze brushed against my skin.

The taxi dropped me in front of Riverside Café fifteen minutes later.

The café overlooked the river, its outdoor terrace decorated with fresh flowers and white umbrellas swaying gently in the wind.

Normally, I would have admired its beauty.

Today, I barely noticed it.

My eyes searched every table.

Families.

Businessmen.

College students.

No one looked familiar.

I checked my phone.

Ten o'clock.

Nothing.

Had someone played a cruel joke on me?

Just as I turned to leave, a deep voice spoke behind me.

"You came."

I froze.

That voice...

Slowly, I turned around.

Damien Hart stood a few feet away.

He wasn't wearing one of his usual tailored suits.

Instead, he wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, charcoal trousers, and a black watch that probably cost more than my yearly salary.

Without the jacket, he looked... younger.

Less intimidating.

But only slightly.

People walking past instinctively gave him space.

Power wasn't something Damien wore.

It surrounded him.

His sharp gray eyes met mine.

"I wasn't sure you would."

I blinked.

"You sent the message?"

"I did."

"And the photograph?"

"Yes."

Confusion swept over me.

"You could have just called."

"I don't have the habit of calling strangers."

I frowned.

"Yet you somehow have my number."

A faint smile tugged at one corner of his mouth.

"The Hart Group has access to more information than you think."

I wasn't sure whether to be impressed or disturbed.

He gestured toward an empty table overlooking the river.

"Sit."

It wasn't exactly a request.

Still, I walked over and sat across from him.

A waiter appeared almost instantly.

"The usual, Mr. Hart?"

Damien nodded before glancing at me.

"What would you like?"

"I don't think I'm staying long."

"Coffee," he told the waiter anyway.

The waiter disappeared.

I folded my arms.

"You said you knew why Jason left me."

"I do."

"Then tell me."

Damien remained silent for several seconds, his gaze fixed on the river beyond us.

"When Jason was promoted to Executive Director last year, the board wasn't unanimous."

I listened carefully.

"Many believed he lacked the discipline to lead."

"I know."

"They were right."

His tone was cold.

Matter-of-fact.

"As his brother, I gave him opportunities."

He looked at me.

"He wasted every one."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Everything."

Before he could continue, the waiter returned with two cups of coffee.

Neither of us touched them.

Damien reached into the inside pocket of his coat, withdrew a thin brown envelope, and placed it on the table between us.

"Open it."

I hesitated.

Then I slid the documents out.

My eyes widened.

There were photographs.

Bank records.

Copies of confidential emails.

Each page revealed another piece of a puzzle I hadn't even known existed.

The blood drained from my face.

"No..."

I whispered.

"This can't be real."

"It is."

My hands trembled as I looked at another photograph.

Jason wasn't just meeting Victor Kane.

He had met him many times.

Restaurants.

Private clubs.

Hotels.

Some meetings dated back nearly eight months.

Eight months.

Long before he announced his engagement to Chloe.

Long before he broke my heart.

I slowly looked up at Damien.

"What is all this?"

His expression hardened.

"My brother has been selling Hart Group's confidential information to Victor Kane."

My heart stopped.

"And unfortunately..."

He paused, watching my reaction.

"...you were never the reason he left."

I stared at him, unable to speak.

"If he didn't leave me for Chloe..."

Damien leaned forward slightly.

"No."

"He left you because someone offered him something he wanted more than love."

I felt the world tilt beneath me.

Five years.

Had all of it been a lie?

And if Jason had betrayed not only me—but his own family...

What else was he hiding?

Damien's phone suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at the screen, then his expression darkened.

Without another word, he stood.

"Ava."

His voice was calm.

But there was urgency beneath it.

"We're out of time."

Before I could ask what he meant, he extended his hand toward me.

"Come with me."

I looked at him, then at the envelope lying open on the table.

"What... what's happening?"

His eyes swept briefly across the café.

When they returned to mine, they were colder than ever.

"Someone has been watching us since the moment you arrived."

I frowned.

"What do you mean someone's watching us?"

Damien didn't answer immediately. His eyes swept across the café before settling on me again.

"Don't look around."

That only made me want to.

I tightened my grip on the envelope and lowered my voice.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"I don't joke."

I believed him.

Everything about Damien Hart was serious.

His expression.

His tone.

Even the way he stood.

"If you don't want to trust me," he said calmly, "that's your choice. But if you stay here another five minutes, you'll regret it."

A chill ran through me.

The confidence in his voice wasn't meant to scare me.

It was a warning.

I swallowed hard before standing.

"Fine."

Without another word, Damien turned and walked toward the parking lot.

I hurried after him.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce waited near the entrance. Before I could reach for the door, his assistant stepped forward and opened it.

"Good morning, Mr. Hart."

Damien gave a brief nod.

"Drive."

The car pulled away from the café.

For several minutes, silence filled the cabin.

I looked down at the envelope in my lap.

The photographs.

The bank statements.

The emails.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Finally, I looked at Damien.

"If Jason has been betraying the Hart Group, why haven't you gone to the police?"

"I will."

"Then why involve me?"

His gaze shifted to me.

"Because whether you know it or not... you're already involved."

My heart skipped.

"I don't understand."

"Jason used your apartment."

I blinked.

"What?"

"He held meetings there while you were at work."

I shook my head immediately.

"That's impossible."

"You gave him a key."

I opened my mouth but couldn't argue.

I had.

I trusted him completely.

"He told you he was working late."

My stomach twisted.

I remembered all those nights.

The canceled dinners.

The last-minute meetings.

The excuses.

I'd believed every one of them.

"He wasn't working," Damien continued. "He was making deals."

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"I was such a fool."

"No."

His answer came instantly.

"You loved someone who didn't deserve it."

I looked away.

Why did hearing those words from Damien hurt less than hearing empty apologies from Jason ever could?

My phone suddenly buzzed.

Jason.

Again.

I ignored it.

A second later, another call came.

Damien glanced at the screen.

"Answer."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"Put him on speaker."

I hesitated.

Then I accepted the call.

"Ava!" Jason's voice sounded rushed. "Where are you?"

I remained silent.

"Ava, please say something."

"What do you want?"

"I've been trying to reach you all night."

"You managed to announce your engagement in front of hundreds of people. I'm sure you can manage without talking to me."

"Ava... it's not what you think."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"Oh? Then tell me what I should think."

He sighed.

"I can explain everything if we meet."

"When?"

"Today."

"Why today?"

Another pause.

"I just... need you to trust me."

Trust.

The word almost made me laugh.

"You lost that five years too late."

I ended the call before he could say another word.

The car fell silent again.

After a moment, Damien spoke.

"He sounds desperate."

"He should have thought about that before humiliating me."

Damien nodded once.

"Good."

I frowned.

"Good?"

"You didn't let him manipulate you."

I stared at him.

"Do you always analyze people like this?"

"It's part of my job."

"And what have you analyzed about me?"

He looked at me for a long second.

"You're stronger than you believe."

Before I could respond, the car slowed to a stop.

I looked through the window.

My eyes widened.

"Hart Group?"

The massive glass building towered above the city, reflecting the afternoon sun.

I turned to Damien.

"Why are we here?"

He unfastened his seat belt.

"Because there's something you need to see."

We stepped inside the building.

Employees greeted Damien respectfully as he walked past.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hart."

"Welcome back, Mr. Hart."

Everyone seemed to lower their voices the moment he appeared.

The elevator doors opened immediately.

We entered alone.

Neither of us spoke until the doors opened again on the top floor.

Damien led me into his office.

It was elegant, spacious, and surprisingly simple.

He walked behind his desk and opened a drawer.

When he returned, he placed a thick file in front of me.

"Read the first page."

Confused, I o

pened it.

My eyes landed on the heading.

CONFIDENTIAL—MARRIAGE AGREEMENT

I frowned.

Marriage agreement?

I looked up.

"Why are you showing me this?"

Damien held my gaze.

His expression was unreadable.

Then, without hesitation, he said the words that turned my entire world upside down.

"Ava Mitchell..."

"I want you to become my wife."

My breath caught.

For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.

But the look in his eyes told me I hadn't.

He wasn't joking.

He wasn't testing me.

The most powerful man in the Hart family...

Had just asked me to marry him.