Chapter 6
Before her, under the evening lights, the city skyline seemed to be infinite and glittering. From where Aria Laurent stood – no more Isabella Marsden, no more the lady who had cried in silence—she could see everything. Under her feet was the world that had once felt like a cage, the tall buildings, the crowded streets.
These days, this was her universe.
She had been establishing a new life away from Adrian’s shadow, redefining herself, getting ready for this moment for the past six months.
But tonight represented the actual start.
Her fingers tightened around the champagne glass in her hand as she scanned the magnificent rooftop location, filled with New York’s most influential personalities. Gathering for the Carter Industries gala, an event hosted by one of the most powerful men in the business, were billionaires, investors, media moguls.
also the man she had gone to visit.
Liam Carter.
Her heart should have thumped. Once upon a time, it might have.
But Aria no longer had the luxury of dread.
She took a steady breath and walked forward, weaving through the crowd with confidence, dismissing the lingering gazes from guys who had no idea who she truly was.
She spotted him near the bar, effortlessly demanding attention.
The last time she had seen him, they were both younger–before she became Isabella Marsden, before he became this.
Tall, broad–shouldered, with keen green eyes that had always seen too much. The air surrounding him sparked with authority, his tailored suit fitting him like a second skin. He was older now, colder. No longer the irresponsible heir but a guy who had established an empire with his own hands.
And yet, when his sight landed on her, recognition blazed quickly.
Aria noticed it in the way his countenance shifted, the little narrowing of his eyes, the way his fingers tightened over his glass.
He knew.
She lifted her chin and approached, her voice smooth and composed. “It’s been a while, Liam.”
He didn’t answer immediately. He studied her–not just her appearance, but the woman she had become.
Then, he breathed a quick laugh. “You should be dead.”
Aria’s lips curved slightly. “I was.”
A lengthy pause stretched between them, packed with words neither of them said.
Liam finally took a sip of his drink before speaking again, his voice lower this time. “I read about the plane crash.”
“Everyone did”
“But you’re here.”
Aria tilted her head “Surprised?”
Liam leaned against the bar, observing her with something dangerously close to amusement. “Not in the slightest. I always knew you weren’t meant to be someone’s trophy.”
Her mouth clinched slightly at his words. A trophy. That’s what she had been to Adrian–a valuable thing to display, not a person to be adored.
Liam’s gaze darkened, detecting the shift in her face. “Why are you here, Isabella?”
“Aria.”
His brows raised
“My name is Aria Laurent now,” she said, swirling the champagne in her glass. “And I’m here because I need your help.”
Liam regarded her for a long minute before smirking. “Of course you do.”
They sat in a secluded area of the rooftop lounge, away from prying eyes and ears.
Liam swirled the whiskey in his tumbler, his gaze focused onto her. “So, tell me, Aria Laurent–why come to me? Why now?”
Aria met his eyes head–on. “Because I know you don’t owe Adrian Marsden a damn thing.”
Liam chuckded, shaking his head. “You always were perceptive.”
She didn’t speak. She let him process, let him contemplate.
Finally, he leaned forward slightly. “Let me guess. You don’t just want to disappear. You desire something else.”
She breathed slowly. “I want him to suffer.”
Liam nodded, as if he had expected that answer. “And what’s your plan?”
Alle paused
She had spent months preparing, repairing, training herself to survive without Adrian. But when it came to the ultimate step–to actually destroy him–something inside her still twisted.
Lid she desire revenge? Or was she still tied to the past?
40
Liam observed her attentively, as if reading her thoughts “You could walk away, you know. Live your life, be free. He already lost you. Isn’t that enough?”
A batter smile tugged at her lips. “No.”
Laar smirked “Good Then let’s begin.”
The next motting, Aria stood before a mirror in a high–rise condominium overlooking Manhattan.
The woman peering back at her was a stranger, yet more herself than she had ever been.
She wore power now–not in jewels and beautiful silk skirts, but in confidence, in control.
And today, for the first time in six months, she would see Adrian Marsden again.
Liam had set everything up. A business meeting A informal invitation to a new investment firm that Adrian had been orbiting
He had no notion that the woman stepping into the boardroom today was his dead wife.
A knock heard at the door. Keira peeked in. “It’s time.”
Chapter 6
Aria took one more glimpse at herself before nodding.
She was ready.
Adrian Marsden sat in his office, drumming his fingernails against the desk, his patience running thin.
He had spent months drowning in anguish, spinning in an endless cycle of fury and desperation.
But suddenly, he was back in control. Or at least, that’s what he told himself.
The moment he received the invitation from Liam Carter, he had been apprehensive. Liam was a powerhouse, but he wasn’t the type to dish away investment opportunities readily.
Still, Adrian needed a distraction–something to draw him out of the depths.
The boardroom door opened, and Adrian scarcely looked up. “You’re late.”
“I had to make an entrance.” The voice threw a shock through his system.
Adrian froze.
The inconceivable voice. The voice that shouldn’t exist.
His head snapped up, his breath stopping in his throat.
And there she was. Standing before him, vibrant, dazzling, untouchable. His dead wife.
His fingers gripped against the desk. His heart pounded. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t real.
“Hello, Adrian,” Aria said easily, taking a seat across from him. “Did you miss me?”
His heartbeat boomed in his ears.
For the first time in his life, Adrian Marsden had no words.
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Chapter 7
