Chapter 4

Aria's POV

I stumbled out of the club like a ghost.

It was the dead of winter, and large snowflakes began to drift down from the dark sky, landing on my bare shoulders. Yet, I felt absolutely nothing. My body was numb; my entire world had shattered into a million sharp pieces.

I was adopted by the King family. Christian was my foster parents' only biological son, and he was my older brother.

He had loved and protected me since we were kids.

When I first arrived at the King estate, I was terrified, too scared to eat or play. My foster parents were renowned research scientists, practically living in their laboratories.

It was Christian who took my hand, fed me, played with me, and introduced me proudly to everyone as his little sister.

Chloe Albright was my high school classmate. She had been obsessed with Christian for as long as I could remember.

At first, Chloe tried to get close to me just to grab Christian's attention.

But during our high school graduation prom, Chloe publicly confessed her love to Christian in front of the entire class. Christian rejected her flatly, and she was utterly humiliated.

From that day on, Chloe became my worst nightmare.

She put laxatives in my water bottle, making me a laughingstock at school.

She stuffed dead rats into my locker to terrify me.

She cornered me in the girls' restroom, slapping my face, pulling my hair, and forcing me to drink dirty water from the floor.

By then, Christian was already away at military academy. I didn't want to worry my foster parents, so I endured it all in silence, never saying a word.

But my silence only made Chloe more vicious.

For five years, all through high school, Chloe bullied me mercilessly until I finally left for college in another city.

I thought my nightmare was over.

I had no idea I had never escaped.

Two years ago, my foster father arranged a setup for me with the son of an old family friend from overseas.

Hunter Vance.

Or rather, Julian Carter pretending to be Hunter.

On our first date, Julian was quiet but incredibly attentive. He asked about my food preferences and listened to my thoughts with absolute focus.

Ever since Christian joined the special forces, no one had looked after me like that.

Julian was different.

When I was sick, he would show up at my apartment with medicine immediately, staying by my side all night.

When I worked late at the news agency, he would wait downstairs in his car, sending me a text: "Here to take you home, sweetheart."

For two years, he treated me like royalty, placing me on a pedestal.

I thought I had finally found the man I would spend the rest of my life with.

But now, I knew it was all a staged performance.

"Julian, you've got serious patience, acting the devoted husband for two whole years."

"It's just acting. I tell her what to do, and she does it. Very obedient."

Their mocking words echoed in my head like a death knell.

I clutched my chest, unable to draw in a single breath.

I didn't even know who to hate more.

My legal fiancé, the real Hunter Vance, had never even shown his face to me. And the man I had slept next to for two years, I only just learned his real name today.

No wonder Julian hated it when I called him "Hunter" in bed.

Every time I cried out "Hunter" in his arms, he would grip me harder, pushing deeper, forcing me to call him "baby" or "Julian" before he would let me go.

I staggered into a quiet bar down the street, ordering shot after shot, pouring the burning liquid down my throat.

My mind became hazy, but the agonizing pain in my heart only grew sharper.

Hours later, I stumbled back to the empty villa we called home.

I dug out our marriage certificate from the safe, my hands trembling as I inspected it.

The paper was cheap, the seal imitation. It was such a lazy forgery.

But of course. If the man was fake, how could the marriage certificate be real?

Everything was a lie.

My tears soaked the fake document, smudging the names written on it.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

It was Helen, my foster mother.

I respected my foster parents deeply, though we had grown distant over the years due to their endless research projects.

"Mom," I whispered, forcing down the sob in my throat.

"Aria, sweetheart, how are you?" Helen's voice was naturally quiet, but warm.

"I'm doing great, Mom. Don't worry about me." I wiped my tears quickly. "How are you and Dad?"

"We are doing well," Helen said, her tone softening. "Aria, your father and I have made a decision. We're getting older, and I'm retiring next month. We want to move abroad to Australia and live a quiet life by the coast."

"That's wonderful, Mom! When are you leaving? I'll come to the airport to see you off." I fully supported them. They had given their lives to science; they deserved peace.

"Aria, we want you to come with us. Your news agency has an international bureau in Sydney. You can request a transfer." She paused. "Talk it over with Hunter. You two can come together. You have no other family left in New York besides us, and we don't feel comfortable leaving you behind."

Hunter?

My foster mother had no idea that the "Hunter Vance" they had introduced to me was currently plotting to destroy their son and daughter.

If this were yesterday, I would have refused. I would have insisted on staying in New York with Julian.

But now, there was absolutely nothing left for me here.

"Okay, Mom. Let's go together."

"Really?" Helen sounded overjoyed. "Wonderful! We'll handle your visa and transfer paperwork. We leave in two weeks."

I hung up the phone and looked around the grand villa.

This was supposed to be our marital home. I had designed every corner of it myself. I had handpicked every piece of furniture, every plate, and every curtain.

I thought I was building a sanctuary of love.

Instead, I had built a beautiful stage for my own execution.