Chapter 8
Lucas stood in the doorway, face dark as thunder, fury radiating from every line of his body. “You ran away without telling me? Do you know how long I spent looking for you?”
Aria slowly lifted her head, eyes hollow. “Why would Mr. Sinclair be looking for me?”
Lucas froze.
Yeah, why was he looking for her?
He’d already auctioned her off, already gotten together with Madison. But seeing her being taken away, something had clawed desperately at his chest.
After settling Madison, he’d immediately sent people to track Aria down, even going to the hotel himself.
When he’d kicked down that hotel room door and found only a bleeding man clutching his head, he’d nearly committed murder on the spot.
‘I… I wasn’t worried about you,” Lucas’s throat worked painfully. “You’re still technically my employee. I can’t let anything happen to you on my watch. Where’s my reputation if you get hurt?”
The excuse sounded hollow even to him.
ulled her lips into something resembling a smile but said nothing.
ucas took a shuddering breath, forcing down the chaos in his chest. “Madison and I are together now. Tomorrow night I’m throwing a celebration party–you need to be there.”
When she didn’t respond, he frowned. “Did you hear me?”
‘I can’t make it tomorrow.” Aria looked toward the window. “Tomorrow’s the last day… I’m going to find Adrian.”
Lucas missed the second half of her sentence, his phone buzzing with Madison’s call demanding he come back to try
on formal wear.
He answered irritably, then shot Aria one last cold look. “Tomorrow. Don’t make me say it twice.”
He slammed the door behind him.
The next day.
Aria didn’t go to the party.
She went to the cemetery and bought the plot next to Adrian’s.
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My Husband’s Guide to Losing a Perfectly Good Wife in Five Easy Steps
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Chapter B
“Adrian,” she stroked his photo on the headstone, voice tender, “just wait a little longer. We’ll be together again
soon.”
Leaving the cemetery, she took a taxi to the Manhattan Bridge.
Five years ago, this was where Adrian had brought her to meet his family.
They’d been planning their whole future together when the accident happened.
The car had plunged into the river, and Adrian used his last strength to push her to safety while he drowned.
“Aria, live…” Those were his final words to her.
Now Aria stood at the bridge’s edge, river wind whipping through her hair. Her phone buzzed–a message from
Lucas:
[The party’s starting. Where the fuck are you?]
She stared at it for a long time before slowly typing back:
[I’m not coming. I’m going to find the person I love.]
Her lockscreen showed the photo of her and Adrian–him kissing the top of her head, eyes infinite with tenderness.
“Adrian, this time I’m coming to you.”
lipped from her fingers into the water below.
ad her arms like a bird finally breaking free of its cage and leaped.
he river swallowed her in an instant, and through the rushing water, she thought she saw Adrian standing in the light, reaching out to her;
“Aria, I’ve been waiting so long for you.”
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