Noah’s POV

Paris was never about Amelia. That was what I told myself. Because the truth was that I just wanted to stay away from Novalie, I needed space to rethink the big step I was about to take.

I stood on the balcony of the hotel suite, staring down at the lights of the city I once claimed I hated.

“I don’t like Paris,” I had told Novalie once.

Now I was here, with the woman I supposedly never stopped loving. My first love.

Behind me, Amelia laughed at something on her phone.

She always laughed like nothing in the world matters and nothing could scare her, like she was untouchable and very bold.

I used to love that about her.

But now! I don't know what this feeling is anymore… Her laughter creates this kind of uneasiness and it doesn't bring me peace anymore.

Instead my mind drifted to how charming Novalie's smiles were. My phone vibrated in my palm.

Novalie.

Fifty two missed calls,One message, “I’m at the hospital.”

I read it three times.

My chest tightened.

She is at the hospital.

Again.

My fingers lingered over the call button.

Then Amelia stepped beside me, her hand sliding around my arm. “Don’t tell me you’re going back,” she said softly. “You promised you wouldn’t run back to her every time she cries.”

Cries.

That word triggered something dark inside me.

The first time she had a miscarriage, I stayed in the hospital for days with her.

The second miscarriage, I canceled meetings just to be with her to care for her because I know how broken she was when we lost our first child, so I was there by her side caring for her… when I got the message that changed our lives.

“Isn't this your wife? I saw her at the Whitrad hotel a few hours ago. "A photo was attached to the message from the unknown number showing Novalie in the arms of another man.

The photo looked so real.

Making me question everything we have ever shared, doubting if the child we just lost, that I'm mourning, was even mine to begin with.

Did she intentionally abort the child to cover up her infidelity?

I had so many questions but I just couldn't bring myself to accept that my lovely wife would cheat on me.

Until Amelia messaged me for the first time in a long time, asking to see me and everything that happened afterwards made me start rethinking my decision of marrying Novalie.

The third one…

I didn’t know if I had it in me to pretend to be the supportive husband she solely desired and stand by her despite the hurt.

“She keeps losing the babies,” Amelia continued softly.

“Do you really think that’s normal, Noah?” I didn’t answer. I couldn't.

Because I had started asking myself that question months ago.

I even hired a private doctor to go through her medical report and records to see if there is any issue with Novalie that's making her have miscarriages but the doctor said the same thing as others.

“Nothing out of normal and stress can cause hormonal instability.” But he didn’t sound fully convinced.

And the doubt I saw in his eyes, triggered my actions.

And doubt, once planted, grows.

I hated myself for thinking that maybe she was cheating or didn't love me enough to have my kids.

But I couldn’t stop.

I went back inside.

Amelia looked up at me, her eyes soft.

“She drains you,” Amelia whispered. “You’ve changed since marrying her.”

I clenched my jaw.

Had I?

I remembered the day I proposed to Novalie. I never thought I would have anything to do with Amelia ever again.

Amelia had left me for Hollywood.

Novalie was stability,safety, I thought safety could become love, that Novalie would love me wholeheartedly despite knowing I was once in love with her step sister.

I was wrong.

Because love without passion becomes resentment, and passion without trust becomes obsession.

My phone rang again,Novalie calling.

I silenced it.

Because if I heard her voice while trying to make this decision of mine

I would either forgive her completely or say something I could never take back…

So I chose distance disguised as control.

Then Amelia’s phone buzzed. She smiled sheepishly then turned the screen toward me.

A picture of the both of us, I didn't even know when it was taken. Sent from Amelia’s number to Novalie.

My stomach dropped. “You sent that?” I asked sharply.

“She needs to know where her husband is,” Amelia said calmly.

Anger burned through my chest. But it wasn't directly at Amelia. I couldn't directly express the anger in me towards anyone else but Novalie.

Because in my mind, twisted and defensive as it was…If Novalie hadn’t cheated on me, If she hadn’t kept losing pregnancies… If she had even told me about the guy she met before experiencing the second miscarriage

I wouldn’t be here doubting everything.

That was how I survived the guilt of what I wanted to do, by turning it into blame.

When I returned back to the city, I didn’t go to the hospital, instead I went straight to my lawyer.

“Prepare divorce papers,” I told him with every atom of courage I had left in me.

I didn't choose the divorce route because I didn’t care. But because I was afraid of loving someone I didn’t trust.

If the miscarriages were caused by her actions, If I was being lied to, I needed to protect myself before I destroyed both of us.

Back at the house, when Novalie mentioned the baby, something ugly surfaced inside me.

Fear.

Guilt.

And rage at my own helplessness, So I attacked first.

Because distance felt safer than honesty. I couldn't bring myself to ask her for the truth because hearing it from her would shatter me more than anything.

Cruelty is protection when you are terrified of losing control, That was my weakness, And my greatest sin.

But when Novalie signed the divorce papers without putting up any form of fight, Something inside me cracked.

Because I had expected her to beg, to cry or even fight a little for me! For us.

But she didn’t.

She just accepted it.

And that hurt more than anything she had ever done.

Novalie POV

I let out an uncomfortable grunt.

It hurts all over. I felt like I had swallowed a handful of dust because my throat felt scratchy, my ribs hurt, and my head throbbed.

When my fingers trembled against a nice blanket, I immediately panicked. Where was I?

My eyes flew open and I blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling. White, smooth, framed by soft recessed lights.

It wasn't a hospital, not my bedroom and not anywhere I recognised.

My heartbeat stuttered and then a shadow moved.

“Easy,” a voice murmured. “You're okay.”

My gaze snapped toward the sound, panic coursing through my soul.

A man sat in a chair beside the bed, elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands. His dark brown hair was slightly less, like he had been running his fingers through it for the past hour. Broad shoulders tense. Something about his posture hit me with déjà vu.

When he lifted his head…

My eyes widened and my breath seized.

Aries Maxwell

Noah's ex-best friend.

And once, long ago, mine, too.

Before I met Kira, he was my friend, my confidant and the one person who used to know me better than anyone else.

His icy blue eyes locked one mine, widening with visible relief. And something else, sometimes darker and possessive.

“Nova…” his voice broke. “Thank God.”

He stood quickly, moving toward me like he was afraid I'd varnish so soon. My heart stumbled in my chest, confused and overwhelmed.

“Aries?” I whispered.

“Yeah.” His expression softened. “It's me.”

I opened my mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

“What ..where…how.?”

He exhaled shakily. “You were in a car accident. Not a major one, but enough to knock you out and scare the hell out of me. Plus, you were profusely bleeding from your private part. I panicked.”

“Scare you? You are the one who saved me? Not ..” My voice trailed.

I thought I heard Noah's voice before I blanked out. I thought he was…

Something flickered in Aries' expression. Before he calmly said “no”

His gaze moved to the collection of bags sitting by the door. My luggage that I hastily packed

“I saw all your stuff in the car,” he said gently. “You were leaving. And you didn't tell anyone.” His jaw tensed.

“Not that he would've cared.”

I stared at him, unspoken words taking over the place.

I swallowed hard. “Aries.. I —”

He cut me off, his voice low and tight. “Are you hurt anywhere? Can you sit up? Do you need more water?”

His worry made something warm inside me. He looked genuinely terrified. Like he had been sitting here for hours replying the moment he found me. But at the same time his concern felt strategic and overwhelming.

“I'm okay,” I whispered, even though I wasn't. I just didn't want him hovering around me.

His gaze softened. “You don't look okay.”

And exactly! Exactly his words, undid me.

My throat tightened, my vision became blurry as tears welled up in my eyes.

And seeing Aries, someone who had once cared so fiercely for me, broke something loose.

“I'm divorced,” I announced.

Aries froze.

“I know.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I saw the papers in your bag.”

Of course he looked. Aries was observant in ways Noah never was. He always saw through me, even when I wished he wouldn’t. Even when I hid things away.

I sucked in a shaky breath. “He left. Just like you said he would. Just like you warned me.”

Aries’ jaw hardened, but he said nothing.

“He said our marriage was a mistake.” My voice wavered. “He said Amelia needs him. That he’s always loved her. That…” My chest is tightening painfully. “—that my miscarriages were too much for him.”

Something wild flashed across Aries’ face and he ran a hand through his hair. “Nova… Why didn’t you call me?”

A sob escaped me. “I didn’t think I could and someone was here to help me out.”

“Why not?” His voice rose.

“Because you were right.” Tears slid down my cheeks silently. “You were right about everything, and I didn’t want you to see the mess I made of my life.”

His expression softened instantly, heartbreak flickering across his eyes.

“Novalie,” he breathed. “Look at me.”

I forced my gaze up. He crouched beside the bed, leveling himself with me and his hands curling around the bed.

“You didn’t ruin your life,” he said quietly. “He did.”

My lips trembled. “Aries..”

“And you didn’t deserve any of it.”

My face crumpled as the dam finally burst.

I sobbed, a deep, painful sobs I hadn’t let myself cry in front of anyone in years. Aries didn’t hesitate. He moved onto the bed beside me, his arms wrapping around me gently, carefully, like I was made of breakable glass.

And I let him, despite the uneasiness I felt I decided to overlook and embrace the little peace I was feeling.

I pressed my face into his chest, soaking his shirt as everything I’d been carrying for so long poured out of me, five years of loneliness, pain, humiliation, and loving someone who never loved me back.

“I should’ve listened to you,” I choked out. “You told me not to marry him. You told me he’d never stop loving Amelia.”

Aries swallowed hard. “I wish I had been wrong.”

I don't know if it was the injury I sustained that was making me hyper active but I could swear Aries sounded anything but sad. Yet I ignored the feelings.

“You were the only one who saw me suffering.”

“Because I paid attention,” he murmured. “Because I cared.”

My heart twisted painfully at the truth I had never allowed myself to acknowledge. And I'm not even certain if it's even the truth.

“How did you even find me?” I asked weakly. “The accident… it happened so fast.”

He paused, maybe he wasn't expecting me to ask, but I'm curious.

“I was nearby,” he answered smoothly.

“Nearby?” My brows furrowed. “Why?”

Another pause,then a faint smile.

“I check on you more than you think.”

The statement was light,and something about it settled heavily in my stomach. But I didn't want to push it.

“But you walked out on me,” I whispered.

His arms tightened around me. “Because watching you destroy yourself for a man who didn’t deserve a second of your life… was killing me.”

I pulled back, wiping my face with shaking hands.

“Are you just going to let it go?” he asked quietly.

I blinked. “Let what go?”

“Everything he did to you. Everything she did to you. Are you really going to let them walk away without consequences?”

My heart lurched. “Aries… I don’t hate Noah.”

“Maybe you should.” Venom laced in his tone.

“No.” I shook my head. “I…I know I was foolish for loving him. I know I should’ve left earlier. But I don’t hate him, I don’t even understand how we got to this point and what happened exactly but I don't still hate him”

Aries stared at me like he wanted to tear the world apart.

“You’re still defending him,” he said softly, disappointment lacing in his tone. “Even now.”

“I… I can’t just switch it off.”

“Nova,” he called, his voice dropping to a whisper, “he used you. He took what he needed..your loyalty, your love, your stability, then went back to Amelia the second she snapped her fingers.”

I opened my mouth to argue, however, he didn't.

“He used you,” he repeated, slower this time. “And he never stopped loving her. Not for one day of your marriage.”

His words were true and my defenses crumbled. My chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. Tears spilled again.

“I was never enough,” I whispered.

“No,” Aries said fiercely, cupping my cheek with trembling fingers, his eyes burning into mine. “He was never enough for you.”

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, startling me. Aries reached over and handed it to me without looking at the screen.

It was a message— from my brother?

I froze.

Yes, my brother. The one who never stayed with my father's new wife. The one who went over to my mom's family place.

We hadn't spoken in years, not since the day my mother's parents told me they wouldn't bless my marriage, that Noah wasn't the man he pretended to be. I married him anyway.

And I lost my family.

My brother’s message was simple:

Nana’s turning 80 next week. She wants you there. Come home. Please.

My heart twisted into fear. Meeting them when I was divorced?

I don't think so.

I typed automatically:

I don’t think..

Before I could finish the sentence, Aries snatched the phone from my hands.

“Aries!” I protested weakly.

However he ignored me and typed quickly, then sent it.

I lunged for the phone, but he held it above his head.

“What did you do?!”

He read the message aloud, unapologetically.

‘Yes, she’ll be there.And she’s bringing a date.’

My jaw dropped. “Aries!”

He shrugged, infuriatingly calm. “You’re going.”

A message entered his phone as we spoke and he was quick to hide the name of the sender.

Novalie POV

The week before Nana’s birthday dragged on forever.

Every day felt heavy, like time was stretching just to mess with me.

Aries stuck with me the whole time. He didn’t budge. Which I'm grateful for and at the same time skeptical about.

Kira wanted to help too. She almost canceled her shift just to be with me, but I told her not to. I couldn’t bring myself to pull her away from her own life.

I couldn't be more selfish.

Everyone has their life to live.

Aries was there, helping me, treating me like a fragile being and comforting me.

He was everything, Noah had never been.

I know I shouldn't be comparing them both, Noah was my husband and Aries is just a friend. But Aries didn’t fail to remain how terrible Noah was to me, that is why I keep comparing them.

On the morning of Nana's birthday, Aries kicked softly on the guest room door.

“You ready?” He asked, leaning against the frame with his hands in his pocket.

“Let's go home,” he muttered, offering me his hand which I kindly took.

I wouldn't sit back and be a sulker.

As we approached my family's estate, I felt my breath shorten. Anxiety took the best in me.

Large black gates and sprawling white-brick mansion.

The last time I was here…

I walked out as a daughter who's in love and returned years later divorced and bruised.

My fingers twisted nervously in my lap. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come.”

Aries reached over, his hand covering mine.

“We’re already here. No maybes.” he said gently.

He paused and calmly said.

“But if you want to leave… I’ll turn the car around right now. No questions asked.”

That was what made Aries dangerous and magnetic at the same time.

I shook my head. “No. I need to face them.”

He nodded once, then drove through the gates.

When he parked in front of the house, he came around and opened my door before I could move.

“Deep breath,” he murmured, brushing a loose curl from my face.

I inhaled shakily.

“Another.”

His thumb grazed my knuckles. “There she is.”

Together, we walked toward the entrance.

Different kinds of memories came through. The one I thought I had forgotten.

I forced myself to keep moving.

Aries’ arm brushed mine. “You’re not facing them alone anymore. Not today. Not ever again if you don’t want to.”

My throat tightened and I nodded.

The moment we stepped inside, the warmth of the foyer felt suffocating instead of welcoming. Laughter spilled from the living room, familiar, distant and foreign. The scent of expensive candles and roasted meats filled the air.

Then everything stopped.

Because at the center of the living room, covered in the most expensive burgundy fit over an armchair like a triumphant queen,

was Amelia.

And on the armchair under her was Noah.

My ex-husband.

Her legs were crossed over his lap, her hands tangled around his shoulders as she whispered into his ear. She’d gained weight, dramatically, and not in a healthy way. Her face was swollen, features distorted, lips overfilled, cheekbones sharp enough to slice. Whatever cosmetic work she’d done made her look stretched, strained, almost doll-like.

Her eyes landed on me. And the hatred in them was unmistakable.

Noah’s expression morphed instantly. First surprise, then annoyance, then a deep frown like my presence was an inconvenience. He looked very much surprised to see Aries beside me but he quickly shrugged it off.

“Why is he here?” He asked and Aries scoffed.

“I don't think this is your business.”

Conversations died around us.

I felt everyone’s gaze fall heavily on me, the prodigal disappointment, the family embarrassment, the girl who abandoned her blood for a man who never wanted her.

Aries leaned close, his breath brushing my temple.

“Hold your chin up,” he whispered. “You’re worth more than everyone in this room combined.”.

We stepped further into the living room. The pressure getting into my skin

And then..

My stepmother’s voice sliced through the tension.

“Well, well, well…” She let her gaze drag over me slowly, like I was something she’d scrape off her shoe. “Looks like the prodigal daughter finally remembered where she came from.”

A few chuckles sounded, forced, uncomfortable, cruel.

And she wasn’t finished.

“What happened, darling?” she added sweetly. “Did the fairytale end? Or did your prince finally realize he preferred the original model?”

Heat shot up my throat and my fingers curled into my dress. I wanted to yell out at her.

She was the cause anyway. She had pushed me.

Aries’ hand moved instantly, brushing mine lightly in warning, as if telling me to not react. Don’t give them what they want.

So I didn’t, however, Amelia did.

She stood slowly, her heels clicking sharply against the floors. Her arm wrapped possessively around Noah’s shoulders as if she feared I’d steal him back.

Which would have been laughable if it didn’t sting so much.

“Well,” Amelia drawled, “if it isn’t the woman who tried playing me for years. Tell me, Novalie… how does it feel knowing he came back to me willingly?”

I felt my knees weaken.

Noah said nothing.

He simply stared at me with a flat, irritated gaze, like I had shown up uninvited to a private pity party he wanted no part of.

Aries’ low and dangerous voice came beside me. “Nova…?”

I blinked quickly, forcing back the tears burning at the corners of my eyes. I would not crumble.

My stepmother stepped closer, her lips twisted into a smirk. “You must feel foolish, dear. After everything you gave up for him. And here he is… right back where he always belonged.”

Before I could speak, a firm, familiar voice called from behind the dining table:

“That’s enough.”

Every head turned.

My brother, Julian, stepped forward, tall and composed. He looked at me, and in his eyes I saw something I hadn’t seen in years:

Anger.

But not at me. It was at them.

He came to stand beside me, placing himself between me and the rest of the room like a shield. “Our sister is a guest in this home,” he said evenly. “Show some respect.”

Amelia scoffed. “Respect? For her?”

Julian didn’t even look at her. “This is a family celebration, not a circus. If anyone here wants to humiliate Novalie, they can leave now.”

Silence hovered the room.

Even Noah shifted uncomfortably.

My stepmother opened her mouth to retaliate, but Julian beat her to it.

“And since we’re discussing family matters,” he said, voice rising just enough to command the room, “I think now is the perfect time to make an announcement.”

Murmurs course through the crowd and my heart pounded painfully.

Julian reached for my hand and squeezed it.

“Grandfather’s health has been… fragile these past months,” he began. “He’s stepping back from the company sooner than expected.”

My eyes widened and I watched as my stepmother stiffened.

“And as of this morning,” Julian continued, turning fully toward me, “the board has approved his decision.”

“What decision?” my stepmother snapped.

Julian lifted his chin.

“Novalie,” he said clearly, “you will be taking over the company.”