ARIA'S POINT OF VIEW

Today is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.At least, that's what everyone keeps telling me.

I stare at my reflection in the floor-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back at me. The white lace gown hugs my body perfectly, the sweetheart neckline shimmering under the soft lights of the bridal suite. My makeup is flawless. My hair falls in elegant curls over my shoulders.

I look like a bride.So why don't I feel like one?My fingers tremble as I smooth invisible wrinkles from my dress.

"It's just nerves," I whisper to myself.That's what every bride experiences, right?Cold feet and butterflies.The overwhelming realization that your life is about to change forever.

I force a smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes.A knock sounds at the door.

"Come in."My best friend, Mia, peeks inside with a grin.

"There you are!" she says.

."I've been looking everywhere. The guests are arriving, and your mother is asking for you."I let out a shaky laugh.

"Is she still angry?"Mia's smile falters.

"You know how your mom is."Yes....I know exactly how she is.Nothing I ever do is enough.When I graduated with honors, Chloe deserved more attention because she'd won a dance competition.

When I landed my dream job, my parents reminded me Chloe was still "finding herself."When Marcus proposed, my mother hugged him longer than she hugged me.

Sometimes I wonder if I was switched at birth.I shake the thought away,Not today.....Today is about love.....Today, I become Mrs. Marcus Brooks.

Just thinking his name calms me.

For five years, Marcus has been my safe place. The man who held my hand after my grandmother died. The man who promised we'd grow old together.The man who looked into my eyes six months ago and said......

"I'd choose you in every lifetime, Aria."

"You okay?" Mia asks softly and I nodded.

"I just want today to be perfect."

"It will be."I smile, hoping she's right.

The ceremony starts in thirty minutes.

The wedding planner rushes in and out of the room, giving instructions to everyone except me.I suddenly realize I haven't seen Marcus all morning......That's unusual.

He always sends me a message before important moments.A simple.......I love you.

Can't wait to marry you.See you at the altar but now........Nothing.Maybe he's busy, I thought so I reach for my phone.

But there was no messages,not even a missed call.A strange knot tightens in my stomach.

"Mia..."

"Hmm?"

"Have you seen Marcus?"She hesitates.

"I... I think he was getting ready with the groomsmen."Think?She doesn't sound sure.

"I'll go check on him."

"Aria, you shouldn't see the groom before the ceremony."I laugh nervously.

"I don't believe in bad luck."If only I knew what real bad luck looked like.

The hallway outside the bridal suite is quiet.

Most guests are already seated.My heels click against the polished floor as I make my way toward the groom's room......Halfway there, I hear laughter.

A woman's laughter,Soft and familiar so I stop walking......No,It can't be.I tell myself I'm imagining things,Then I hear Marcus's voice.

"I've wanted this all morning."A cold chill crawls up my spine.The door isn't fully closed.....There's a narrow gap,Just enough to see inside.

I shouldn't look,Every instinct tells me to turn around,To trust him,To walk away but Instead...I push the door open.

Immediately time stops.My bouquet slips from my hands,White roses scatter across the floor. Marcus is kissing someone.No........Not just someone,My sister........Chloe.

She's sitting on the makeup table, her dress pushed above her thighs.Marcus's hands are on her waist.His lips are on hers.

Their eyes snap toward me and immediately there was silence.The room becomes impossibly still.

I couldn't breathe,I coudn't blink,I couldn't move.My entire world crashes without making a sound.

"Aria..." Marcus said.

He said my name like I'm the one interrupting something important.Chloe slowly climbs down from the table with an eyeroll.She doesn't even look guilty.....Instead.....She sighs.

"As I was saying," she mutters,

"she always finds out eventually."Eventually?.....Eventually?My knees nearly give out.

"What..." My voice cracks.

"What did you just say?"Marcus runs a hand through his hair.

"It's not what it looks like."I laugh.The sound doesn't even resemble laughter.

"It looks like my fiancé is kissing my sister."

"No......"

"So explain it."Neither of them speaks......The silence tells me everything.

"How long?"Chloe folds her arms.

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me!"My voice echoes through the room.

"How long?"She rolls her eyes.

"Probably a year."The words hit harder than a slap.....One year.Three hundred and sixty-five days.I stare at Marcus and chuckled dryly.

"You've been cheating on me... for a year?"He lowers his eyes.

"I'm sorry."Sorry......One tiny word.As if it could stitch together a heart that's just been ripped from my chest.

"Why?"

"I never meant to hurt you."

"Then why?"Before Ethan can answer, Chloe speaks.

"Isn't it obvious......Because he loves me."I slowly turn toward her and saw her smile.

"I didn't steal him, Aria."She tilts her head.

"He chose me."Something inside me breaks.Like glass cracking beneath pressure.I spent my whole life trying to be enough.....Enough for my parents,Enough for my career,Enough for Marcus.

And somehow......I was never enough,I took a shaky step backward.

"I hate both of you."For the first time, Chloe's smile disappears.I turn around before either of them can stop me......I ran

I don't care that my veil catches on the door,I don't care that my makeup is streaking down my face....I don't care that people are staring,Everything hurts.......Everything.

I don't know how long I run before someone grabs my arm.....I whirl around and saw that It's my mother.

"Aria! What on earth are you doing?"I choke on a sob.

"Marcus..."

"What about Marcus?"

"He's with Chloe."My mother's expression changes....Not to shock,Not to anger,To... annoyance.

"You found out."My blood turns to ice.

"...Found out?"She exhales impatiently.

"We were hoping it'd be after the wedding."The hallway begins to spin.

"We?"She avoids my eyes.

"Your father knows."

"No..."

"Your aunt knows too."

"No..."

"They're better suited for each other."I stare at her.

"You knew?"She doesn't answer.

"You all knew?".I let out a broken laugh.

"So today..."I swallow hard.

"I walked down the aisle while everyone knew my fiancé was sleeping with my sister?"My mother's jaw tightens.

"Lower your voice."I look at her as if she's a stranger.

"No."

"You're embarrassing this family."I blink.

"I'm embarrassing the family?"

"Chloe is pregnant."The words slam into me.

Pregnant?My sister......Is carrying Ethan's baby.

"And Marcus has decided to marry her instead."My ears ring.

"I'm sorry, Aria, but this is what's best."Best.....Best for who?

Then, from somewhere behind me, a deep male voice cuts through the silence.

"So you knew he wants to marry Chloe why didn't you guys tell me..... why make me a fool on my wedding day?"I screamed and the guest gasped.

Then, from somewhere behind me, a deep male voice cuts through the silence.

"Interesting."Every head turns.A man in a perfectly tailored black suit slowly approaches, his expensive wheelchair gliding effortlessly across the marble floor.

Silver streaks his dark hair......Looks like he's one of the guest.

His sharp gray eyes settle on me.....not with pity, but with quiet calculation.He stops a few feet away....Without looking at anyone else, he says calmly,

"If your groom no longer wants to marry you..."He extends a gloved hand toward me.

"...then perhaps I should."

ARIA'S POINT OF VIEW

For a solid second after Damien Ashford spoke, the whole room just froze. It felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting for me to confirm if I was even real. His hand was still out there, waiting. My own just trembled at my side. Every single person in that hall was staring, judging, whispering. I could hear it all, like distant thunder.

"She's going to accept," they thought.

"She has no choice."

"What a mess..."

"Aria,"Marcus’s voice called out from behind me. That voice..... The man I was supposed to marry today. Something inside me just… snapped. So cleanly, it didn't even hurt at first. I looked at him and for the very first time, love wasn't there.......I saw betrayal. I saw the faint trace of my sister's lipstick still on his mouth. I saw five years of my life reduced to a punchline I hadn't even known was being told.

"No,"I whispered, my throat burning. I shook my head harder.

"I want to be alone."A sharp gasp swept through the hall. Even Damien’s hand faltered for a split second, but he didn’t move. I took a step back, then turned. And I ran.

The hall behind me exploded. "Aria!" someone shouted. I didn't even know who it was anymore. But I didn't slow down. My heels hammered the marble like gunshots.

My veil trailed behind me, like some ghost I was desperate to outrun. People scrambled out of the way as I barrelled through them, my white dress stained with panic, with lost dignity, with shattered glass I couldn't see but could feel cracking inside my chest. The whispers chased me.

"Did she just bolt from her own wedding?"

"What is going on?" I didn't care. Not anymore. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt like mine.

The air hit me like a slap.....cold, sharp, real. I stumbled out of the grand doors, barefoot now. I don't even remember taking my shoes off. Behind me, the wedding carried on in chaos, but it sounded distant, like it belonged to someone else's life. Not mine.

I kept walking. Then faster. Then running again. People stared as I passed, probably wondering what kind of lunatic wears a wedding dress and looks like she's lost her mind. My lungs burned, my vision blurred, but I didn't stop until the world narrowed to empty streets and the fading hum of noise. I don't know how long I ran......until my legs gave out. Until I finally collapsed on the edge of an empty bridge and began crying harder.

*********

The city spread out below me, a blanket of twinkling lights. Cars crawled like tiny fireflies.......part of a life I no longer belonged to. The wind whipped through my hair, tugging at my veil, still tangled there like a cruel reminder. I buried my face in my hands. And then it happened. I broke......Again. Not quietly,Completely. A sob ripped out of me before I could even think. 'No… no, no, no…'

Five years. Five years of loving Marcus. Five years of choosing him. Five years of being invisible in my own home. And still… I wasn't enough. The wedding dress pooled around me like a sick joke. A perfect bride. No wedding,No groom,No family. Just… betrayal.

My phone buzzed in my hand. That's when I remembered I still had it. Once. Twice. I squinted through blurry tears.

Mia: Where are you?? I let out a laugh, a broken sound. People. As if I still belonged to them. As if I belonged anywhere. I dropped the phone. And cried harder.

Minutes passed or maybe hours, it was getting dark now and it looked like it was about to rain.Time had stopped mattering then…... a sound. Soft,Controlled. A car engine. It stopped right behind me. I didn't move. I didn't even care. Until I heard the door open. Wheels. A smooth, quiet sound against the ground.

Someone stepping out and he wind shifted. And a familiar voice cut through the silence.

"Running away in a wedding dress isn't a good look,".My whole body went rigid. Slowly… I turned. Damien Ashford was here. Here at the edge of my shattered world. A black coat was draped over him, his presence sharp even in the cold air. One of his bodyguards held an umbrella above him, shielding him from the light rain that had started to fall. His gaze met mine,No pity, No surprise. Just a calm, steady observation. Like he'd expected to find me exactly like this.

"Mr. Ashford…" My voice cracked. He studied me for a moment. Then he said, quietly,

"You said no."I swallowed hard.

"I didn't want your pity proposal."His eyes narrowed slightly, not in offense, but in interest.

"That wasn't pity." A pause. Then he took a step closer. The sound of his wheels barely brushed the wet ground as his bodyguard adjusted the umbrella.

"I don't offer pity," he added.

"I offer solutions."My breath hitched.

"I don't need a solution." That was a lie. We both knew it. A long silence stretched between us. Then Damien spoke again, softer this time, but with a sharper edge.

"Then what do you need, Aria Bennett?"My name on his lips felt… dangerous. I looked away because if I met his gaze for too long, I might just crumble again.

"I need…" My voice broke. "I need my life back."A beat. Then he replied,

"You can't have it back. But you can have something better."I snapped my gaze back to him. His expression hadn't changed. Just steady. Controlled. Certain.

"Revenge," he said calmly.

"Against everyone who made you kneel here tonight."My heartbeat skipped. Behind him, the city lights flickered. The rain picked up. Damien extended his hand again.

"Marry me," he said,

"and I will make them regret ever messing with your life."I stared at him. At his hand. At the man who felt like danger cloaked in silence. And for the first time tonight… I didn't run."

ARIA'S POINT OF VIEW

I just stood there, frozen. Damien Ashford's hand remained outstretched between us, as if it was meant to be there, and I was the one intruding on something already settled. The rain had eased to a steady, cold drizzle, patient like him.

"I don't need a solution," I Muttered, my voice even weaker this time. He tilted his head.

"You do," he countered.

"You're just not accustomed to accepting help that isn't sugar-coated." That hit a nerve. Because, frankly, it was true in a way I hated to admit. I looked away, down at the churning, dark water beneath the bridge. It felt so fast, so indifferent.

Everything tonight felt that way. Fast. Dark. Indifferent. Behind me, my life was still going up in flames. Ahead of me... this stranger. Someone I couldn't begin to understand. Someone offering marriage like it was a business deal, not a life.

"I don't even really know you," I whispered. After a beat, he simply stated,

"Damien Ashford."

"I *know* that," I snapped, frustrated.

"I mean...... I've only heard your name......who are you to think you can just... do this?" Something flickered in his eyes, not offense, but amusement.

"I don't *think* I can," he said.

"I *know* I can." That sheer arrogance should have sent me running. Instead, my chest tightened. People who spoke like that usually held all the cards. I swallowed.

"You mentioned revenge," I murmured.

"Against my family."

"Yes."

"And Marcus?" Another slight pause.

"Yes." My fingers clenched tighter.

"What did they do to you?" That question finally seemed to get his attention, not in an emotional way, but like I'd stumbled too close to something I shouldn't.

"You sound like you want revenge too"

"That's not important," he said.

"It is to me," I shot back immediately. A heavy silence fell between us, filled only by the rain. Then Damien spoke, his voice slower now.

"You're asking questions that don't serve you right now."

"That sounds like a threat," I said.

"It's a warning." My heart hammered against my ribs. I hated how infuriatingly calm he was, as if nothing could shake him, as if I was the only unstable element in this whole mess.

"I don't trust you," I declared.

"Good," he replied instantly. I blinked. That was not what I expected. He continued,

"Trust makes people predictable. I don't need you to be predictable." My breath hitched.

"Then what *do* you need from me?" His gaze locked with mine, holding it for a moment too long. Then he said,

"Compliance." The word landed like a punch to the gut. My throat felt tight.

"Com... what?" He didn't soften it or rephrase it, just let it hang there.

"I will handle everything," he stated.

"Your family. Your ex-fiancé. Your reputation." A beat passed.

"You will play your part." My chest rose sharply.

"And what part is that?" His voice dropped slightly.

"Wife." The word didn't evoke romance; it felt like ownership. I immediately took a step back.

"No." A single, hard, final word. Damien didn't flinch, not even a little. He simply lowered his hand, slowly, as if he'd anticipated my refusal.

"You'll say no," he said calmly,

"because you still believe you have options." I frowned.

"I *do* have options." He looked at me then, really looked, and something in his expression sent a chill down my spine.

"No," he said, quiet and certain.

"You don't." A silence descended, heavier than the rain. I hated that my mind tried to disprove him and failed. Because he wasn't lying. My family had made that abundantly clear. Marcus had made that clear. Even the world had made it clear when no one stepped up for me.

Damien took a small step back, turning towards his car. For a second, I thought he was leaving. Then he spoke without looking back.

"You can stay here," he said, "and wait for them to decide what happens next." A pause.

"Or you can come with me... and decide for yourself." He glanced over his shoulder.

"Choose." The word echoed, but it didn't feel like a choice at all. It felt like a cruel illusion. My fingers trembled at my sides, my wedding dress a damp reminder of everything I'd already lost. Behind me ..... nothing. Ahead of me...... him.

A man who offered no comfort, no lies, just danger presented in a perfectly straight line. I took a step forward, then stopped. My voice cracked.

"If I come with you... what am I to you?" Damien paused, just for a second, then answered,

"A beginning." It wasn't an answer, but somehow, it felt worse. I closed my eyes, took a breath, then another. And then I walked forward. Not running, not falling. Walking. Straight into the rain. Straight towards him.

The instant I reached the car, the door swung open automatically. Warm air washed over me, a contrast so stark it made my chest ache. I hesitated one last time before getting in. The door clicked shut behind me, silence swallowing everything.

Damien slid in after me, as calm as ever, the world outside vanishing behind tinted glass. For a moment, we just sat there. Then the car began to move, slowly, irrevocably, like something irreversible had just begun.

I stared out the window as the bridge faded behind us, my old life receding into a distance I could no longer reach. My voice was barely a whisper.

"What happens now?" Damien didn't look at me.

"Now," he said,

"you stop being their victim." A pause, then colder,

"And start becoming something they can't control......My wife" The car turned onto the main road, and I realized, I had just left my entire life behind... without having the faintest idea of what I was walking into.