Aria’s POV
The headlines were everywhere.
I sat in Monroe Global’s conference room, my tablet displaying a dozen different news sites, all screaming variations of the sa story.
"ICE KING LTS: Damien Blackwood’s Shocking Love Confession"
"Billionaire CEO Gives Up Empire for Secret Son"
"Aria Monroe: From Discarded Wife to Revenge Queen"
But my favorite—the one that made my lips twitch despite everything—was from a gossip blog known for savage comntary:
Vivian Monroe: The Other Woman Nobody Wanted
I clicked on it, skimming the brutal takedown. They’d found photos of Vivian from the wedding years ago, her smug smile as she’d stood beside Damien. Contrasted them with recent paparazzi shots where she looked haggard and desperate.
The comnts section was vicious.
"Imagine stealing your sister’s husband and he STILL doesn’t want you"
"Vivian really thought she won lmaooooo"
"The way Damien looked at Aria in that press conference vs how he never looked at Vivian... that’s the difference between love and a mistake"
I should feel guilty for enjoying this. Should be above petty satisfaction at watching my sister get dragged through the mud by strangers.
But I wasn’t above it, not even close.
"Soone’s enjoying themselves." Olivia walked in, carrying two coffee cups.
She set one in front of and sat down across the table.
"Let guess." She grinned. "Reading about Vivian’s public humiliation?"
"Is it that obvious?" I took a sip of the coffee—perfect, as always.
Olivia knew exactly how I liked it after years of friendship.
"You have that look." She gestured at my face. "That tiny, satisfied smile you get when karma cos around. It’s very specific."
"She deserves worse than online comnts." I closed the tablet. "But I’ll take what I can get."
"The press is destroying her." Olivia pulled up sothing on her phone. "Look at this interview from this morning."
She turned the screen toward . It was a video from a morning talk show. The host, a woman in her fifties with sharp eyes and perfect hair, sat across from a panel of relationship experts.
"Let’s talk about Vivian Monroe," the host said. "Because I think she represents sothing we all need to discuss—won who betray other won for n who don’t even want them."
One of the panelists, a therapist, nodded vigorously. "It’s a tale as old as ti. The ’other woman’ who thinks she’s won when she gets the man, only to realize she’s gotten nothing but a man who doesn’t respect won. Damien Blackwood showed his character when he entertained Vivian’s advances while married. And Vivian showed hers when she pursued her sister’s husband."
"But here’s the thing," another panelist jumped in. "Three years later, we see who actually won. Aria built an empire while Vivian..."
She gestured vaguely. "What has Vivian done? Besides desperately try to stay relevant by clinging to a family na she helped destroy?"
I stopped the video. "That’s actually pretty satisfying."
"It gets better." Olivia scrolled through her phone. "Monroe Global’s stock jumped fifteen percent this morning. Investors are calling you ’the coback story of the decade.’ anwhile, your father’s company lost half its value overnight."
"Good." I felt no sympathy. "Charles Monroe deserves to lose everything."
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
You think you’ve won? You think destroying in the press makes you better than ? You’re still the sa pathetic little sister who was never good enough.
Vivian. Of course.
I showed Olivia the text as she rolled her eyes.
"Block her." Olivia set down her coffee. "She’s not worth your energy."
"I want to see what she says." I typed back.
At least I didn’t have to sleep with my sister’s husband to feel valuable. How’s that working out for you, by the way? Still can’t get him to commit?
The response ca imdiately.
He loved . He chose over you.
I laughed out loud. Actually laughed.
He didn’t choose you, Vivian. He used you because you were convenient and stupid enough to think it ant sothing. But when it mattered, when he had to choose, he didn’t pick you. He’s not picking you now. He never will.
Three dots appeared, disappeared, appeared again. Then:
I’ll destroy you for this. You and your bastard son.
Anger flooded my veins. She could threaten all she wanted, but bringing Noah into it crossed a line.
I stood up, my chair scraping against the floor. "I need to make a call."
"Aria?" Olivia’s voice followed as I walked to the window. "What did she say?"
"She threatened Noah." I pulled up my lawyer’s number. "I want a restraining order filed within the hour."
"Already on it." My lawyer, David, answered on the first ring. "Saw the text—your phone’s being monitored for threats per your security protocol. I’ll have the paperwork filed by noon."
"Make it ironclad." I watched the city below, all those people going about their lives with no idea how close violence always lurked. "If she cos within a hundred feet of my son, I want her arrested imdiately."
"Consider it done." He paused. "Aria, there’s sothing else. Your father’s been trying to reach you. Called my office six tis this morning."
"Tell him to go to hell."
"He says he needs to speak with you about family business. Claims it’s urgent."
"Everything’s urgent with Charles when he needs money." I rubbed my temples. "What does he want?"
"He wouldn’t say, but he sounded desperate."
"Let him be desperate." I ended the call and turned back to Olivia. "Any other good news?"
"Actually, yes." She pulled up an email on her tablet. "Lucas Hayes wants to et. Says he has a business proposition that would benefit Monroe Global."
Lucas, the golden-retriever tech mogul who’d been nothing but kind and supportive since I’d returned to Ravenwood. Who looked at like I was extraordinary but never pushed, never demanded more than I could give.
The safe choice, the uncomplicated choice.
"When?" I asked.
"Tonight, dinner at Marcello’s." Olivia watched carefully. "Are you going to go?"
"Why wouldn’t I?"
"Because Damien just declared his love on international television and you’re still processing that?" She raised an eyebrow. "Because going to dinner with Lucas sends a ssage?"
"Good." I picked up my tablet. "Maybe I want to send a ssage. Maybe I want Damien to know I have options."
"Or maybe you want to make him jealous." Olivia’s voice softened. "Which is fine, by the way. After what he did, he deserves a little jealousy. But don’t use Lucas to hurt Damien. That’s not fair to Lucas."
She was right. Lucas deserved better than being a pawn in my complicated feelings about my ex-husband.
But I was also curious about his business proposition. Monroe Global could always use strong partnerships, and Lucas’s tech empire complented my investnt portfolio perfectly.
"It’s just dinner." I grabbed my phone. "Business dinner. Nothing more."
"Sure it is." Olivia smirked. "That’s why you’re already thinking about what to wear."
I threw a pen at her. She caught it, laughing.
My office door burst open. My assistant, Jennifer, stood there, her face pale.
"Ms. Monroe, there’s soone here to see you." She looked terrified. "Your father. He’s demanding to speak with you, and he won’t leave."
Perfect. Just what I needed.
"Send him in." I straightened my shoulders. "Let’s get this over with."
Jennifer disappeared. A mont later, Charles Monroe walked into my conference room like he owned it.
He looked older than I rembered. Grayer, thinner, with lines around his mouth that hadn’t been there the last ti I saw him. His suit was expensive but wrinkled, his tie slightly askew.
The great Charles Monroe, brought low.
"Aria." He smiled, all false warmth. "You look wonderful. Success suits you."
"What do you want?" I didn’t offer him a seat. "I’m busy."
"Is that any way to greet your father?" He moved closer, his smile slipping. "After everything I did for you"
"Everything you did for ?" The words exploded out. "You forced into a marriage with a man who hated . You stood by while Vivian betrayed . You threw out pregnant and penniless. So please, Dad, tell exactly what you did for besides make my life hell."
His face flushed. "I gave you opportunities you never would have had otherwise. That marriage opened doors"
"It destroyed ."
"It made you stronger." He gestured around the room. "Look at what you built, you should be thanking ."
I laughed, sharp and bitter. "Thanking you? For abandoning ? For choosing Vivian over my entire life? For treating like a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder?"
"I did what was best for the family business." His voice rose. "Soone had to make the hard choices."
"The hard choices?" I stepped closer, my voice dropping to sothing dangerous. "The hard choice was telling I wasn’t good enough. That Vivian was prettier, smarter, more valuable. The hard choice was making believe I was worthless unless I could be useful to you."
"Aria"
"I’m not finished." I cut him off. "You want to know why you’re really here? It’s not to reconnect. It’s not because you miss or care about Noah. It’s because your company is failing and you need money. That’s all you’ve ever wanted from —money, connections, usefulness."
His jaw tightened. "You’re my daughter"
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