I stayed on the line, my hands trembling as I placed the phone on speaker, letting their moans and whispers seep into my ears like venom. My heart clenched with every sound, every declaration of love he gave to her—the love that was never mine to begin with.

Thirty minutes passed. Thirty agonizing minutes of listening to them make love, their passion raw, unfiltered, and so cruelly real. My chest ached with every breath I took, the weight of my devastation pressing down on me, suffocating me. But I didn't hang up. I forced myself to listen, to let the pain sear into my soul like a brand. If I had any love left for Jake Windsor, it needed to die here. Now.

And then, their whispers began.

“When will you get rid of her?” Kourtney's voice was soft, sultry, but dripping with venom. “She’s outlived her use, don’t you think?”

Jake sighed, and I could hear the shift of sheets as he pulled her closer. “Soon. I just need to use her one last time.”

My stomach twisted violently. My fingers curled into the sheets, my nails digging into my palm to keep me from shattering completely.

“You’ve been saying that for years, Jake,” she purred. “But you got everything you wanted, didn’t you? Her money, her name, even her kidney to save me.”

A harsh sob escaped my lips, but the mic was muted. They couldn’t hear me falling apart.

Jake chuckled. “She was an easy target. All I had to do was feed her a dream. She was desperate for love, Kourtney. Desperate enough to give up everything for me.”

“And now?” she pressed. “What’s stopping you from discarding her?”

“I still need her for one last thing,” he murmured. “The Beaumont Empire. I’ll use her to help me bring their family’s business to its knees. And then—” He laughed darkly. “Then she’ll be nothing.”

A sharp ringing filled my ears. My vision blurred with rage, with pain so deep it threatened to consume me whole. He had never loved me. Not once. Every moment, every promise, every touch had been a lie.

I ended the call. Then, I let myself break.

Tears streamed down my face as I curled into myself, my body wracked with silent sobs. I had given him everything. My heart, my trust, my life. And he had taken it all and crushed it without a second thought.

But grief was fleeting. Pain was temporary.

Rage, however, was eternal.

I wiped my tears away and forced myself to breathe. I couldn’t afford to drown in my misery. I had four days before Jake returned. Four days to disappear. Four days to reclaim the life I had thrown away for him.

My eyes landed on the calendar, and an old memory clawed its way back.

Aaron.

The last time I had seen my brother, I had betrayed him. Chosen a man over my own family. He had warned me about Jake, pleaded with me to see the truth. But I had been so blinded by love that I had burned every bridge between us.

That day was seared into my soul. The day I had chosen Jake over blood.

Aaron had caught us together—Jake and me—sneaking around behind his back. The betrayal in his eyes had been unbearable, but I refused to see reason. We had fought, our argument turning into a screaming match. He had told me Jake wasn’t the man I thought he was, that he knew him better than I ever could. He begged me to listen, to leave Jake before it was too late.

“Avril, listen to me,” Aaron had pleaded, his voice raw with desperation. “I know him. I know exactly what kind of man he is, and you don’t. He’s using you.”

I shook my head, my chest heaving with anger. “You just don’t want me to be happy! You and Dad want to control my life, marry me off to one of your business partners like I’m some bargaining chip!”

Aaron’s eyes darkened. “That’s not true. I would never let that happen to you.”

“Then why are you trying to keep me away from the only man who truly loves me?” I shot back. “You can’t stand that I’m making my own choices.”

Aaron exhaled sharply, his hands clenching into fists. “I’m trying to protect you, Avril. Jake is dangerous. He’s not who you think he is.”

I scoffed, stepping closer to Jake. “You don’t know anything.”

Aaron’s gaze flicked to Jake, full of unmasked fury. “If you ever come near my sister again, I’ll destroy you.”

But Jake had only smirked. “She’s not your problem anymore.”

That was the moment Aaron had given me an ultimatum.

Him or Jake.

Blinded by my devotion, I had chosen Jake.

And I had lost everything. My father disowned me. Aaron severed all ties, cutting Jake out of his life as well. I left Velmont City with Jake, believing he was my future. Believing he loved me.

But he had only ever seen me as a tool. And now, I realized the truth too late.

I grabbed my phone with trembling fingers and dialed his number. Once. Twice. Three times. No answer.

Panic swelled in my chest. What if he never forgave me? What if he refused to help me? What if—

The phone rang.

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest as the name flashed on my screen. Aaron Beaumont.

My breath hitched as I answered the call, but before I could say a word, his voice cut through the silence, cold and distant.

“Who is this?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “B-Brother...”

Silence.

Then, a sharp exhale. “What do you want, Avril?”

Tears welled in my eyes again, but I forced myself to stay strong. “I was wrong,” I whispered. “I was wrong about everything. And now, I want to come home.”

A bitter laugh echoed through the line. “Home? You threw that away years ago. You chose that good-for-nothing man.”

Regret clawed at my throat. “I know. And I’m sorry. I want to make it right. Please, Aaron... I’ll do anything.”

Another stretch of silence. Then, he spoke.

“Anything?”

“Yes,” I breathed. “Anything.”

He let out a slow, measured breath. “Then come back to Velmont City. We’ll see if you’re truly willing to fix what you’ve broken.”

The call ended, leaving me staring at my screen, my heart pounding.

This was it. My only chance at redemption.

I wasted no time. I booked the first available flight, my hands steady despite the storm raging inside me. I packed only the essentials, leaving behind every piece of my past that tied me to Jake Windsor. And then, as I stood by the door, my engagement ring gleaming under the dim light, I pulled it off.

I didn’t cry as I set it on the table. I didn’t hesitate as I walked out of that apartment, leaving behind the life I had sacrificed everything for.

Stanton City was now a graveyard of my mistakes.

And Velmont City?

Velmont City would be where I rose from the ashes.

As if I had already expected my brother’s condition in helping me and accepting me back into our family, here I am now, in his office, as he stared at me, waiting for my answer.

“Avril, you have to decide now.”

Aaron’s condition was for me to marry his business partner, Cyrus Montague. Back then, I knew this was one of his and our father’s plans—that’s why they never wanted me to have a boyfriend. They were saving me for their business expansion. This was one of the reasons why I fell hard for Jake before. Because he made me feel loved and important without asking anything in return, or so I thought.

I swallowed hard. “Give me some time to think about it.”

Aaron shrugged. “Take your time, but not until you’ve made your decision, you can’t go home to the Beaumont mansion.” He slid a card across his desk. “For now, you’ll stay at one of our hotels.”

I stared at the card, then at Aaron. He still cared, didn’t he? There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, but I didn’t know if it was genuine or if he just wanted me to comply with his condition. He sighed, scanning my face.

“You look exhausted,” he muttered. “Have you even eaten since you arrived? You’ve lost weight.”

I wanted to cry at his concern. I wanted to tell him everything, to let him know what Jake had done to me, but I was torn. Before I could say anything, Aaron leaned back in his chair. “You should rest. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

Everything happened so fast. Yesterday, I was Jake’s fiancée, waiting for the day he would finally propose marriage. Now, I was bound to marry someone I hadn’t even met, someone I didn’t love. But my decision wasn’t just about me anymore.

I placed a hand over my stomach, my fingers trembling slightly. A storm of emotions surged within me—fear, uncertainty, and the unbearable weight of betrayal. I had dreamed of the moment I would tell Jake about the baby. I had imagined the way his face would light up, the way he would wrap his arms around me, promising a future filled with love and security. But that dream had shattered the moment I caught him with Vixen.

Yes, I was pregnant—three weeks, as confirmed by the doctor. And this was the news I had planned to tell Jake once he returned home. But that moment would never come. When he went back to our shared home in Stanton, I would be gone.

The weight of my choices crushed me. If I went back to my family and agreed to Aaron’s condition, I would be giving my unborn child a secure future. A powerful, influential family name. A father figure, even if he wasn’t the biological one. But how could a man accept someone else’s child? How could a man marry a woman already pregnant with another man’s baby? Aaron had given me a week to decide, but deep down, I knew I didn’t have that long. I needed to act quickly.

That night, I fell into an exhausted sleep. I only woke up when my phone rang loudly. The shrill sound pierced through my haze, dragging me back to the harsh reality of my situation. I groggily reached for it, checking the time. Eleven in the morning. My heart clenched when I saw the caller ID—Jake.

The phone rang and rang, but I ignored it. He stopped calling after a while, but notifications flooded my screen one after another.

[Where are you?]

[Why aren’t you picking up your phone?]

[The investors are waiting at the company. They need you there.]

[What the hell, Avril? Where are you?]

[What the fuck are you doing? Go to the office now! We're about to lose investors!]

[Avril, I am busy here doing business deals, and here you are, being stubborn as fuck!]

[Avril, I am doing everything for our future, and you’re ruining it. Tell me where you are!]

[Are you cheating on me now?]

[Answer your phone!]

I stared at his messages, my hands trembling. Even now, after everything he had done, he dared to act like I was the problem. My chest tightened with anger, but more than that, I felt a deep, aching sorrow. This was the man I had once loved unconditionally. The man I had envisioned a future with. And now, he was nothing more than a stranger sending me angry, possessive texts.

The phone rang again, but I ignored it. I got up, took a long shower, and tried to clear my mind. The hot water cascaded down my body, soothing my tense muscles, but it did nothing to wash away the turmoil inside me. I had spent years being Jake’s shadow, supporting him, loving him, believing in his promises. And now, I was done.

Just as I finished getting dressed, someone knocked on my door. My heart pounded. No one knew I was here—except Aaron.

I hesitated before opening the door. As expected, it was Aaron, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a tall, imposing man. He had dark, piercing eyes, a sharp jawline, and an air of confidence that made my breath hitch.

He looked at me from head to toe, and that was when I realized I was only wearing a robe. Heat crawled up my neck, and I instinctively pulled it tighter around my body. The intensity of his gaze unsettled me, as if he could see through my carefully crafted mask.

Aaron’s gaze darkened. “Get dressed.” His voice was cold. “We’ll wait in the lobby.”

I shut the door, my heart racing. Who was that man? Why did he look so familiar? His presence had an undeniable weight, a force that made my pulse quicken for reasons I couldn’t yet understand.

I hurried to put on something decent, grabbed my bag, and checked my phone. Another message from Aaron.

[Avril, Cyrus is waiting for you in the lobby. I need to go back to the office. Behave while you’re with him. It’s your chance to know more about your soon-to-be husband.]

My blood ran cold.

Cyrus.

So he was the man Aaron wanted me to marry? My soon-to-be husband?

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to find another way, but deep down, I knew there was no alternative. The past was behind me. The only way forward was to embrace the future, no matter how uncertain it seemed.

And at that moment, I knew I had made my decision.