Chapter 15

Liam observed her closely, his fingers tapping his glass. "Do you need to go back?"

The inquiry was flippant, but she sensed the underlying gravity. Go back? To what? To a man who had irreparably damaged her? To a life where she was perpetually second best?

Aria shook her head, a slow smirk playing on her lips. "I don't go backward, Liam."

Liam chuckled, raising his glass in a silent toast. "That's my girl."

She exhaled, relaxing into her seat. No, she didn't go backward. Adrian's world was over. Hers was just beginning.

Meanwhile, across the city, Adrian Marsden sat amidst the ruins of his life. His apartment was dark, the only light from the city beyond his towering windows. His phone lay beside him, its blank screen a painful reminder of her absence. He'd sent a message knowing she wouldn't respond. Then, as the silence pressed upon him, he realized how much he'd hoped—for a sign, a hesitation, anything to suggest their story wasn't truly over. But she had erased him, deleted him as if he'd never existed.

His throat tightened as he reached for his whiskey, the drink long devoid of its former potency. How had it come to this? He had once ruled everything—power, control, her. But she had taken it all. And the worst part? She hadn't looked back. A harsh laugh escaped him. She had been right. Love didn't endure treachery. He had only himself to blame.

The jet landed smoothly, the wheels' impact jolting Aria slightly. A new country. A new life. This was the fresh start she'd fought for. As she stepped onto the tarmac, a warm breeze carrying an unfamiliar scent caressed her skin. Liam walked beside her, hands in his pockets, his expression enigmatic as he glanced at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Aria inhaled deeply, letting the moment settle. A new city. A new empire. A new Aria Laurent. She looked at Liam, a soft smile gracing her lips—the kind that bloomed only when the past held no power. "More than ever."

And with that, she took her first step into a future belonging solely to her. The metropolis before her was fresh, unknown, and limitless.

As Aria Laurent emerged from the sleek black car, the warm air enveloped her—a stark contrast to the chill she'd left behind in New York. This was a fresh start, a world untouched by her past. No more shadows of Adrian Marsden. No more betrayal, grief, or regret. Just her. And everything she had built from the ashes.

Liam followed, his clothes crisp, his presence steady. He had been the constant in this new chapter, never demanding more than she offered.

"You look like someone who's already won," Liam observed, pocketing his hands as they approached the imposing building.

Aria smirked. "That's because I have."

And she had. She had shattered the man who once held her heart, crushing it without a second thought. Yet, gazing up at the glass building bearing her name—Laurent Global Investments—she understood something. Winning hadn't been about damaging Adrian. It had been about reclaiming herself. And she had done so completely.

Back in New York, Adrian Marsden was a ghost of his former self. The once-proud billionaire who commanded every room he entered now sat in his empty apartment, surrounded by the reminders of his failures. He had built an empire, only to see it crumble.