“Aria,” Cassandra began, her voice carefully trembling as if she had rehearsed every syllable in front of a mirror. She placed her fork down with deliberate gentleness and turned to me, her eyes already glossy. “I just… I really wanted to thank you. For forgiving me.”

Across the table, Marcus stopped eating. His gaze shifted between us, cautious and unreadable, like he was watching a scene he couldn’t yet control.

“I never intended to hurt you,” Cassandra went on, a tear slipping down her cheek at just the right moment. “The path was slippery, I lost my footing, and I accidentally collided with you. I’ve been reliving it every night since. I’m just relieved we can finally move forward as a family.”

I chewed slowly, forcing down the bitterness rising in my throat. Liar. She had met my eyes before she pushed me. She had smiled. But I couldn’t afford to expose her yet. Two days. I only needed two more days.

So I softened my expression, letting a calm, forgiving smile settle on my face like a mask.

“It’s alright, Cassandra,” I said gently, my tone almost sweet. “Things like that happen. There’s no point clinging to what’s already behind us.” I slid my hand over Marcus’s, squeezing it lightly as though we were united. “Besides, Marcus and I are focusing on what comes next. We have plans for the future.”

Marcus looked at me, momentarily taken aback by the sudden warmth in my voice, before something like approval flickered in his expression. “We do?”

“Of course,” I said brightly, shifting my gaze to Cassandra and holding it. “We’re going to try again for a baby. Isn’t that right, darling?”

The effect was immediate. The color drained from Cassandra’s face so quickly it was almost satisfying. The glass in her hand trembled violently, spilling water onto the tablecloth.

“A—another baby?” she stuttered, her eyes darting to Marcus for reassurance.

“Yes,” I continued, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret. “The doctor says my recovery is going well. And Marcus needs an heir. We’ll start as soon as I’m fully healed. Isn’t that what we agreed on?”

I didn’t wait for Marcus’s response. I reached up, grabbed his lapel, and pulled him down into a kiss—deep, deliberate, and claiming.

It wasn’t affection.

It was declaration.

I felt him stiffen at first, then slowly respond as his pride took over, feeding on the attention. When I pulled away, I saw it clearly in Cassandra’s face—the sharp, burning fury she couldn’t hide anymore. She looked like she wanted to shatter the glass in her hand and drive it through my chest.

“That’s… wonderful,” she managed through clenched teeth, gripping her napkin so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“I think so too,” I said calmly, lifting my wine glass. “To new beginnings.”

**

The following morning, I woke with a clarity I hadn’t felt in weeks. Time was running out, and every second mattered. If Cassandra thought she had already won, she was about to learn how wrong she was.

I called the Caldwell family jeweler, Mr. Beaumont, and requested his entire new collection be brought to the estate. By midday, the living room table was lined with velvet trays overflowing with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires that glittered under the light.

“I’ll take this one,” I said casually, pointing to a diamond choker that cost more than most homes. “And the matching earrings. Oh, and that bracelet over there as well.”

“Aria?”

I turned. Cassandra stood in the doorway in a silk robe that barely reached mid-thigh, her arms crossed tightly as she scanned the table. Her gaze sharpened when it landed on the jewelry.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“Shopping,” I replied lightly, lifting a ruby ring to the light as if I had all the time in the world. “Marcus told me to treat myself. Said it would help with recovery… emotional trauma and all that.”

“That necklace is fifty thousand dollars,” she said sharply, stepping further into the room. “You can’t just spend Marcus’s money like it’s nothing.”

“Actually,” I said, my voice cooling, “I can. I’m his wife. What belongs to him also belongs to me.”

I turned back to Mr. Beaumont. “Add the emerald pendant as well.”

Cassandra stormed closer, her face flushing. “This is ridiculous. You’re only doing this to provoke me. You know Marcus is trying to secure funding for the resort project. You’re being irresponsible.”

“Me?” I let out a short laugh, sharp and humorless. “I lost a child, Cassandra. I nearly lost my leg. Forgive me if I want something beautiful for once. Unlike some people who contribute nothing here except noise.”

“I am a Caldwell!” she snapped. “I’m his sister!”

“Adopted,” I corrected quietly, my tone cutting. “And if we’re being honest, you’ve never exactly behaved like one, have you?”

“What is going on here?”

Marcus’s voice thundered through the room as he entered, briefcase in hand, his expression already tight with annoyance. His eyes flicked from the jewelry to me, then to Cassandra.

Before he could say anything else, Cassandra rushed to him. She collapsed against his chest, instantly switching from fury to fragility.

“Marcus,” she sobbed, “she’s being cruel to me. She’s buying all of this just to hurt me. And when I tried to stop her, she said I’m not even real family.”

Marcus exhaled heavily, like a man burdened by constant conflict. Then he looked at the jewelry, then back at me.

“Aria,” he said sharply, disappointment already creeping into his tone. “Is this really necessary? You know the board meeting is coming up. We need liquidity right now.”

“I’m just buying a few things,” I replied softly, forcing my voice to sound wounded. “You told me to rest. You said I should take care of myself. Why is she suddenly the one deciding what I can or cannot do?”

“Because she’s protecting this family!” Marcus snapped, sliding an arm around Cassandra as if shielding her. “She’s right, Aria. This is reckless. Tell the jeweler to leave.”

Heat rushed to my face, not from shame—but from clarity. It was never about the jewelry. It was about where I stood in his life. Even now, even after everything, I was still second.

“So that’s it?” I said slowly, pushing myself up with my crutch. “She cries, and you believe her? She objects, and you obey?”

“She’s my sister,” Marcus said firmly, his voice dropping into something colder. “Stop trying to compete with her. It’s embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing?” I repeated, stepping closer despite the pain shooting through my leg. “I’m your wife, Marcus. I’m the woman who carried your child. I’ve been with you through everything.”

My hand lifted, trembling, pointing directly at Cassandra, who was now smirking against his chest.

“She pushed me off a cliff,” I said sharply, “and you protected her. But I buy jewelry, and suddenly I’m the problem?”

“Enough, Aria,” Marcus warned, his eyes darkening. “You’re being irrational.”

“I’m not irrational!” I snapped back. “I’m finally seeing clearly. You defend her. You excuse her. You choose her—every single time.”

Silence pressed between us, heavy and suffocating.

I looked at him straight on, my heart pounding violently.

“I’m your wife, Marcus,” I said more quietly now, each word deliberate. “Shouldn’t that mean something?”

Marcus didn’t answer immediately. His arm stayed around Cassandra, unmoving, possessive.

His expression hardened.

“Aria,” he said at last, voice low and final. “Don’t make me say what you already know.”

Marcus came into the bedroom carrying a large bouquet of deep red velvet roses. For a moment, he looked like something out of a romantic novel—handsome, polished, and playing the role of a remorseful husband who knew exactly what to bring.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his voice low and rough at the edges. He set the roses down on the nightstand before sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for my hand. “About earlier. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

My eyes drifted to the flowers. They were flawless. Expensive. Carefully chosen. And completely meaningless.

“It’s fine,” I replied evenly, keeping my tone steady. “I was emotional too.”

“I know,” he said with a sigh, gently rubbing his thumb across my knuckles. “Listen, Aria… you know how Cassandra is. She’s always been difficult. My parents spoiled her because of her past, and I guess I’ve carried that over too. But that doesn’t change anything between us.”

He leaned closer, searching my face as if trying to locate forgiveness there. “You’re the one I choose. Always. You’re my wife, my partner. Cassandra is just… family. My responsibility.”

Then he kissed me—soft, lingering, carefully crafted to erase the memory of how he had chosen her over me less than a day ago in front of the jeweler.

“I promise,” he murmured against my lips. “I’ll do better from now on. I’ll make this right.”

I nodded slightly and gave him a small, practiced smile. “Alright, Marcus. I believe you.”

The lie left a bitter aftertaste, but he looked relieved. He stood, smoothing out his jacket like a man reassured, and headed toward the door. “I have a board meeting. I’ll see you at dinner.”

The moment the door clicked shut, my expression collapsed.

**

That afternoon, Cassandra found me in the sunroom. She was holding fabric swatches in one hand and a tablet in the other, looking every bit like someone trying very hard to appear sincere.

“Aria,” she said gently. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

I lowered my book slightly. “What do you want, Cassandra?”

“I just wanted to apologize again,” she said as she settled across from me on the sofa. “I really crossed the line earlier. I shouldn’t have interfered with your shopping. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

She inhaled slowly, widening her eyes in a way that looked carefully rehearsed. “To make up for it, I’d like to help with your anniversary celebration in two days. Since you’re still recovering, I can handle the decorations. I want it to be perfect for you and Marcus. Think of it as a gesture of goodwill.”

I studied her quietly. The sheer nerve of it almost impressed me. She wanted to design a celebration for a marriage she was actively trying to tear apart.

“That’s very considerate of you,” I said calmly. “Alright. Do whatever you think is best.”

**

An hour later, a courier arrived at the service entrance and handed me a thick sealed envelope before leaving without a word. I brought it upstairs, locked the door behind me, and sat on the edge of the bed.

My hands trembled slightly as I opened it.

Inside were the finalized divorce papers—exactly as I had instructed Mr. Pierce. The transfer of assets to Nina had been completed. The trust was dissolved. The Grant fortune was no longer under Caldwell control.

But there was something else.

A small flash drive slipped out as I unfolded the documents. I stared at it for a moment before plugging it into my laptop. My cursor hovered before I finally clicked the first file.

Footage appeared on the screen—grainy, distant, but unmistakable. Marcus and Cassandra inside a hotel room in Paris during what he had called a “business trip.” They were arguing at first. Then suddenly kissing. Not restrained, not accidental—intense, familiar, practiced. Moments later, Cassandra laughed as she pushed him onto the bed.

“Aria?”

I shut the laptop so fast it almost slammed.

Nina was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with confusion. She had slipped in so quietly I hadn’t even noticed her.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, stepping closer. “Why are you crying?”

My fingers touched my cheek. Only then did I realize I was.

“Nina,” I said softly, my voice shaking. “Come here.”

She climbed onto the bed beside me. I took a steady breath, opened the laptop again, and turned it slightly toward her. “I need you to see this. And I need you to understand why we can’t stay here.”

“But…” Nina whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “He’s your husband. And she’s his sister. That’s… that’s not normal.”

“It isn’t,” I said gently. “And it goes beyond that. The kidnapping—Nina, they arranged it. Marcus paid them off to protect her. You were used to control me.”

“I don’t want to stay here,” she cried, burying her face against my shoulder. “They’re horrible people.”

“We’re leaving,” I promised, brushing her hair back. “Everything is already prepared. The papers are signed. The money is secure. It’s just us now.”

“Okay…” she sobbed. “Let’s go. Please.”

Then the doorknob turned.

I went still.

“Go where, exactly?” Marcus’s voice came, calm but edged with something sharp underneath. He stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him. “Aria. Where were you planning to go?”

“Oh,” I let out a small, shaky laugh, forcing my body to relax. “You scared us. We were just talking. Nina’s been overwhelmed lately—she can’t sleep properly. She keeps thinking about what happened. It’s affecting her.”

I looked up at him, letting my eyes soften as if pleading. “I suggested maybe a short trip. For the anniversary. A change of scenery might help her recover.”

He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders loosening. A faint, uneasy laugh escaped him. “Right… a trip. That actually sounds like a good idea, honey.”

He walked over and sat beside me, taking my hand again like nothing had happened. “You really scared me for a second there. The way you said ‘leaving’… I thought you meant something else.”

I forced a small, amused smile. “Leaving you?” I tilted my head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Marcus. I wouldn’t do that.”

A pause.

“Unless you were cheating on me.”

I held his gaze as his expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

“Which you’re not… right?”

“Of course not,” he said smoothly.

But that night, I saw the truth anyway.

Marcus and Cassandra were together again, tangled in the sheets like there had never been a promise made to me at all—like my existence didn’t interrupt their world for even a second.

Cassandra wanted an anniversary celebration.

Then I would give them one. One they would never survive remembering.