ARIA’S POVI wake up with a pounding headache, my vision blurred, and realize I'm tied to a chair. Panic sets in as I try to piece together how I got here, my mind racing through the events leading up to this unsettling moment.Then everything flashes back to my mind. Someone had rushed to my office, telling me that one construction worker was on the verge of ending his life and I had given directives to call the ambulance and then I headed to the site where I was told that reporters were gathered to film the scene. But then, nothing was there and someone sedated me.I struggle desperately to free myself from the ropes binding me to the chair, but it's no use. As I attempt to shout for help, I realize my mouth is stuffed with a cloth. Yuck! The sensation is disgusting, making me feel even more trapped and vulnerable.I know I've been tricked and kidnapped, but I wait anxiously to see who this disgusting person is behind the carefully planned scheme.The place looks unfamiliar—an aband
ADAM’S POVI hope it's not who I'm thinking! Aria going missing isn't unusual—she has many enemies, mostly because of me. Neal has been right all along; every time something happens to Aria, I’m to blame.Aria has never been safe. She's always been a target. Even after Eva was jailed, my mother has been bitter and silent. I doubt she has abandoned any cruel plans that may have crept into her mind. I'm certain she has something to do with Aria's disappearance.I rush home to confront her. There's no time to waste, and I swear, if she has anything to do with any illegal activities, I'll send her to join her daughter in jail. Every time I try to mend my ties with Aria, they have to mess it up.My mother is in the living room, watching her favorite shows when I grab the remote from the table angrily and shut down the television.“Adam! What has gotten into you?!”My mother springs to her feet from the couch and stares at me furiously.“What has gotten into YOU!”I throw the question back
REGIS’ POVAfter Neal's messages, I immediately called Aria to check on her whereabouts, but her phone went unanswered. It's incredibly unusual for Aria not to respond to our calls.I can't shake the worry that something might be wrong. What if Aria went to Adam? He's been trying his hardest to reconcile with her. I pray Aria isn't hurt or in danger. If anything has happened to her this time, I won't hesitate to take action against whoever is responsible.I'm anxiously waiting for Neal's text to shed some light on the situation when I receive a call from Adam. As soon as I pick up, Adam starts bombarding me with questions. He sounds extremely worried, and his voice trembles slightly. However, he immediately asks about Tanya. This strikes me as odd.“Uncle… Has Tanya contacted you?”“Contacted me? Why would she contact me?”Adam gets straight to the point and tells me that Aria is missing, suspecting Tanya's involvement in her kidnapping. I'm left wondering why Tanya would do such a th
ADAM’S POVI believe Tanya will surely contact my uncle. Women like her, manipulative and cunning, often resort to such tactics. She knows how to exploit vulnerabilities, and she will likely use Aria as bait to lure him to her lair, knowing his protective instincts will compel him to act.Tanya's scheming mind is always a step ahead, calculating every move to ensure she gets what she wants. This makes her incredibly dangerous, and I'm certain she has already devised a plan to trap my uncle using Aria as the perfect pawn.Therefore, I drive straight to my uncle’s house, determined to speak to him directly about Aria and Tanya. I know that together, we can come up with a plan to save her.However, just as I arrive, I see my uncle rushing out of his house, his face pale with urgency. He quickly gets into his car and speeds off alone, the tires screeching as he pulls away.The sight of him driving off so fast fills me with a sense of foreboding. What could have happened to make him leave
ARIA'S POV My husband and boss Adam, is laughing at every joke that leaves the lips of his first love while I watch them through the glass doors that separates his office from mine. I had been dutifully preparing some documents that needed his signature and also setting up his meetings for the day like I have done for 7 years as his secretary but since Sophia’s arrival, I have been unable to get any work done. I feel a pang in my chest every time Adam laughs, almost tearing up at the thought that he has never laughed like that around me. I stare at her slender frame, her lush black hair that bounces back into place even when she throws her head back in laughter and the grace in every of her movements. Sophia is an epitome of feminine grace and every of her features is proof of why Adam has been hung up over her even though they separated years ago. Even though he married me. The dark binds of his office are brought down abruptly, blocking my view of them both and now all I can see i
ARIA'S POV I am speechless for the next few seconds as his words hit me like a freight train. I wait. I wait for his hard eyes to soften with remorse at the harsh words he threw at me but that doesn’t happen. He is glowering at me, nose flaring angrily. “Adam, how…how could you say that to me?” I say, my eyes crossing over to Sophia who is now hiding her own frame behind his tall, muscular one, “In front of her?” “Because it’s the truth!” He yells again, startling me into making a small helpless sound. Adam has never yelled at me. And even though it hurts me to admit that he is truly saying the truth, he has never said it to my face and I never really thought he would. I have always known it yet it hurts to hear it come from him. It feels like a thousand needles are pricking my heart and making me bleed out with so much pain. He runs his fingers through his hair, seeming frustrated. Like he would rather not have this conversation with me. And just when I think it is over, he cont
ARIA'S POV Grandmother’s funeral is being held on a gloomy day, much to my displeasure. I listened to the weather forecast so I could choose the perfect day for the funeral, and according to the forecast, the day is supposed to be sunny and bright just like Grandmother. I feel duped standing by grandmother’s grave with the sky covered in clouds that only worsen the dark and depressing feeling that has settled in my guts since her death. I have cried so much that I have no tears left to shed at grandmother’s grave and now have to wear dark sunglasses to hide how red and puffy my eyes are rather than to complement my black dress. There are a few people hanging around the other graves in the cemetery to pay their last respects to their loved ones and at each grave, there are at least two people; couples holding each other, families comforting each other and even church processions. I am alone, with no one to comfort me since no one else bothered to attend my grandmother's funeral. W
ADAM’S POV I want a divorce. The words circle around my head non-stop. Of all the shits I have had the pleasure of hearing–and trust me, I hear a lot of crap as a CEO–Aria asking for a divorce out of nowhere has to be the worst. I am a man who takes pride in my strength and ability to handle situations no matter how unexpected they are. It comes with the job, yet for some reason, I am unable to utter a single word or move my feet until she gets into the car with my uncle. When I finally come to my senses, she is long gone, leaving me to drown in the pool of shock she created. I am shocked at her audacity; the way she looked me in the eyes as she hit me with those words. Aria’s cold hazel eyes totally betrayed the meek and timid trait that I have only ever known her for. I am equally shocked at myself for actually being affected by it when I shouldn't have batted an eyelash, after all, I never wanted to marry her. The three years of living with Aria felt like I was in bondage creat