In His Brother's Arms

Aria thought she had the perfect marriage. For three years, she's been the devoted wife of Justin D'Cruz; her best friend, her first love, and a member of the powerful D'Cruz billionaire family. But her fairytale shatters the day she discovers the truth: Justin has a mistress. Worse, he's plotting to divorce her... and he never planned to give her the one thing she always wanted-a child. Shattered and betrayed, Aria's world collapses. Until the most unexpected person steps in; Justin's elder brother, Aaron. He's everything Justin isn't-protective, steady, and willing to fight for her. He offers her a shocking solution to divorce Justin and marry him instead. Aria is forced to make an impossible choice. Now, caught between the hatred of her ex-husband and the forbidden love of his brother, Aria must decide: will she let her broken heart destroy her, or risk everything for the man who wants to put her back together?

Chapters

Chapter 3

Aria's POV

I opened the door and let him in, he turned on the light and sat by my side on the floor with our backs to the door.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"I..." my voice broke, fresh tears began to drop from my eyes again. "I saw Justin's chat with Summer. He wants to divorce me. He's never loved me!" I burst into messy sobs, hiccupping like a fool.

Aaron just sat there. I'm sure his mind was going; "but that's what I've been telling you all these years. Now see."

I can't blame him, I was too blind, too foolish, too stupid, too... in love to notice anything. Justin is a really great actor, because every time I noticed something off, he had the right words to cut through me.

He knew me too well, he knew where to pierce me so that I won't notice.

After what seemed like hours, the room was quiet except for my regular sniffling. His voice broke the silence.

"You know, you're still a young lady. You have a great life ahead of you, Aria." His voice was a whisper, as if he yelled he'd crack through the glass.

"Okay, look..." he turned towards me, "I have an insane idea that will work. Are you ready?"

I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and nodded. I wanted to hear, anything to get back at those two, anything that'd save me from the humiliation.

"I know someone, a lawyer, we can call him right now and ask him to draft divorce papers in your name and bring them here tomorrow morning."

I love the sound of that.

"We can do that?" I asked, genuinely interested. He nodded with a faint smile on his face, brought out his phone, and dialled a number. When the lawyer answered, he told him everything about sorting out divorce proceedings and bringing it to the D'Cruz family's house before 9 am.

I watched and listened to him talk, he was so invested in what made me feel better, I could only wish Justin were like this. Looking back, Justin didn't really show that he loved me, he only wanted me around, and for what reason? Now that's a mystery I have to find out.

"It's done. Now, you just have to prepare your poker face for tomorrow's drama," he pushed me lightly–playfully– with his shoulder.

I could only imagine how messy tomorrow would be, how Justin would react. Will he be concerned? Beg? Be nonchalant? Cause a scene?

Ughhh... seeing that I can't predict his reaction just proved I really didn't know the man I married. I was going with Aaron's plan anyway, I just have to dust myself from the shame and stand my ground.

"Hey. Back to Earth Aria." Aaron snapped his fingers, jerking me from my thoughts.

He stood and put his hands in his pyjama pockets, and stretched out a hand to me. I looked at the hand for a second and took it, helping myself to stand.

I dusted my butt with both hands and pushed my hair to the back of my ears, "Thanks a lot, Aaron. For everything..."

"Anything for my favourite in-law", he chuckled lightly.

That earned a smile from me. He always has the words to put a smile on my face, and he's also probably my favourite in-law. But I can't say that, I'm at war with my heart.

Just as I was about to open the door, his voice stopped me; "You can use me Aria". His voice didn't have any form of humor or sarcasm in it, I turned to face him.

"Huh?" I asked, wearing a confused smile so I don't seem foolish to another brother.

"Anything you need to get to Justin, ask me. If it requires using my name, my body, anything at all... You can use me."

Okay... can someone tell me why my brother-in-law is offering himself as a human shield all of a sudden? And seriously, why did he ever think about that?

My eyes go endlessly around random objects in the study, trying to avoid his eyes. I gave a polite nod and opened the door.

I walked hurriedly to my room, scared another D'Cruz would come after me and offer me promises too good to be true.

Opening the door to my matrimonial bedroom, I saw Justin, still passed out on the bed. I wanted to strangle him, to hit him, for lying to me all these years. To demand answers for why he wanted me around all these years despite feeling nothing romantic toward me. But, I just walked to my side of the bed and lay down, thinking and praying for tomorrow, I must give the most perfect performance tomorrow. I must humiliate Justin tomorrow.

It's funny how a few hours ago, I was defending him and now, I can't wait to ruin him. I never knew how love could quickly turn into hatred.

My eyes opened as a golden Ray of sunlight piercing through the curtain hit my face, warm and reminding me that I am still alive, that last night wasn't a dream.

Justin was up, The loud tapping on his phone drew my attention to him. I turned to him, he smiled at me and placed a kiss on my forehead as he always does. "Morning Aria."

Yeah, morning Justin.

I returned his smile and turned my back on him. He's probably calling Summer "baby" and other sweet names he's never called me. Just then, my phone pinged. It was a WhatsApp message from a new contact.

"I'm the divorce attorney Aaron told you about yesternight, he sent me your number earlier this morning."

I looked at the time, it was 6:23 am, great. I have a show to prepare for. I went into the bathroom and prepared a cold bath for myself in the bathtub. I stayed in there for minutes, preparing my speech and facial expressions.

I dried my body, got into my closet, and picked the most radiant pair of black velvet pants and a shirt, and paired it with a red stiletto heel. I had gotten that outfit in preparation for my outing with Helena. I have to get another one now.

I parted my hair in the middle and straightened it till the slightest air made it move. I applied burgundy lipstick and paired it with gold dangling waterfall earrings.

I looked at myself in the mirror... I looked different, different in a good way. Different in a way that I won't be intimidated. I won't be trampled upon, I won't be humiliated. I took deep breaths and walked out of the closet to the bedroom.

"Wow, Aria. You look...different, what's the occasion?" Justin's lazy ass was still on the bed, his voice high-pitched. He liked what he was seeing. I hope he keeps this energy the whole day.

"It's a surprise honey. You'll see." I smiled and walked out of the room.

Continue to next part

I was the "perfect" fiancée for Harrison Vincent—regal, silent, and low-maintenance. For two years, I suppressed my career as a forensic accountant to be the "safe" choice that polled well with his family’s shareholders. But at a high-society gala, I found him in a VIP lounge with a socialite wrapped around him. He told her I was just a "boring art piece display stand" he had to drag around until his trust fund was unlocked. I didn't scream or make a scene. I mentally filed a "bad debt" report, tossed my emerald engagement ring into a glass of stale champagne, and walked out of his life. That same night, I found myself in a dark jazz club bathroom, using a strip of my velvet dress to stop the bleeding of a mysterious man with a gunshot wound and eyes like grey flint. The fallout was immediate. Harrison blocked my credit cards, assuming I’d crawl back once I couldn't afford rent. His mother called me a "nobody" while simultaneously begging me to handle the family's medical emergencies because they were too panicked to function. They treated me like a tool they could discard and pick up at will, never realizing I had already moved my things into a cramped Brooklyn apartment. I couldn't understand why they thought I was still their puppet, or why a black Maybach began following me through the city streets. I had saved a stranger's life and ended a toxic engagement, yet the air around me felt heavier and more dangerous than ever. The truth came out at the hospital when the most feared man in the city stepped out of the shadows. It was the man from the bathroom—Collis Vincent, the ruthless head of the family. He didn't just humiliate Harrison; he took my hand in front of everyone and made a chilling declaration. "Harrison is a fool to have let you go, Helena. Your arrangement with him is terminated. From now on, you'll be working with me."

Action Modern Romance

8.4

Mafia's Bloody Wife

8.4

Forced into a marriage with the merciless mafia heir Lorenzo, Elena finds herself trapped in a world of violence and dark secrets. While her husband rules the city with an iron fist, she must navigate the dangerous power struggles within his ruthless syndicate. As their forced union sparks an unexpected and volatile passion, Elena discovers that surviving the underworld means shedding her innocence and embracing the blood-soaked legacy of her new family.

Action Mafia Romance

8.4

Marked by the Wrong Wolf; The Mark I didn't Choose

8.4

Kiara Woods never planned on ending up in Red Hollow. She came to the small border city looking for silence, somewhere to hide, to finally breathe after everything she left behind. But Red Hollow is not the quiet refuge she imagined. The forest seems to watch her. Shadows move when she turns away. And everyone in town looks at her like they already know something she doesn't. She notices it the moment she meets Rylan Wolfe. Storm-gray eyes. A voice like a warning. A presence that pulls at her even when she tries to avoid him. The entire town fears him... and Kiara can't understand why. Until the night the forest chooses her. A burning mark appears on her skin-alive, pulsing, impossible. A bond she didn't want. A connection she didn't ask for. And it links her to Rylan. Suddenly, Kiara is thrown into a world she never believed existed-wolves that move like shadows, creatures hunting her mark, and a dark presence stalking her every step. Rylan insists he's the only one who can keep her safe, but trusting him feels just as dangerous as the things chasing her. Rejecting the bond might kill her. Accepting it might break her. Because Rylan is dangerous, forbidden... and absolutely the wrong wolf. But the deeper Kiara falls into Red Hollow's secrets, one truth becomes impossible to ignore: The forest didn't just mark her. It claimed her. And the wolf she was never supposed to belong to... is the one she can't stay away from.

Action Mystery Werewolf

9.7

My Stepsister Stole My Groom

9.7

She stole my wedding. I stole her future. On the morning of my wedding, I caught my fiancé Kellan tangled in the sheets with my stepsister. The betrayal should have shattered me. Instead, it lit a fire in my veins. So I did what any woman scorned would do. I pointed to the most dangerous man in the room-Drexon Moreaux, Kellan's ruthless billionaire uncle-and declared, "Him. I'll marry him instead." Drexon could have laughed in my face. The Moreaux empire's heir apparent, a man forged in boardroom battles and whispered about in elite circles, had no reason to entertain my reckless demand. But he said, "I do." Now, my stepsister's smug smile is crumbling. My ex-fiancé is forced to call me Auntie. And Drexon? He watches me with dark, calculating eyes, as if I'm a puzzle he's determined to solve. This marriage was supposed to be my revenge. But with every lingering touch and midnight confession, Drexon is turning it into something far more dangerous-something that feels like love. Too bad the Moreaux family doesn't believe in happy endings.

Action Billionaire Romance

8.9

Pregnant With The Ruthless Billionaire's Secret

8.9

Aubree Hamilton was the top-tier executive assistant to Wall Street's most ruthless titan, Beck Franco. A month ago, she made a catastrophic mistake and spent the night in his bed. Thinking she had erased the mistake with a morning-after pill, she panicked upon his return and lied about being engaged to push him away. But Beck, a man who despised disloyalty above all else, immediately suspended her and ordered her escorted out of the building. Her nightmare only escalated when her toxic ex-boyfriend attacked her on the street, tearing her purse open and exposing the empty morning-after pill box to the public—and to Beck, who was watching from his penthouse. After having his security rescue her, Beck trapped her in his car, ruthlessly tearing apart her fake engagement. Later in her apartment, the suffocating tension between them almost ignited into a kiss, but a violent wave of nausea suddenly hit Aubree. She shoved him away with all her strength and violently threw up in the bathroom. Beck took it as the ultimate physical disgust. He walked out, deeply humiliated and dangerously obsessed, unleashing his resources to investigate her every move. Left alone and trembling, Aubree finally checked the crushed white box. The pill she took had expired a month ago. Staring at the two bright pink lines on the pregnancy test, she made a desperate vow: Beck Franco could never know she was carrying his child, and she had to disappear before he found out.

Action Billionaire Mystery

8.7

Ruin Me, Gently

8.7

Isabelle couldn't stop drinking as the music pounded through the club. She was trying to drown out the image of her best friend, Aurora, who was pregnant with her fiancé's child, on what should have been Isabelle's engagement night. But fate had other plans. When an employee calls in sick, Isabelle volunteers to fill in, unaware she is about to walk straight into the arms of Don Miller-the club's most powerful and dangerous client. He was ruthless, commanding, and known for treating women as playthings. Don doesn't believe in love... until Isabelle. One glance, one reckless touch, and something shifts. She stirs a hunger in him he thought he'd buried forever. And when he learns what broke her, Don makes Isabelle an indecent offer: He promises to mend her shattered heart and destroy everyone who betrayed her-if she surrenders to him completely. Two broken souls. One dark deal. Isabelle is about to learn that submission might just be the sweetest form of revenge. What begins as a dangerous bargain soon spirals into something deeper, darker, and far more intoxicating than either expected. Maybe love isn't always gentle. Sometimes it's an obsession. Sometimes it's surrender. And sometimes... it's the most exquisite kind of ruin.

Action Mafia Romance

In His Brother's Arms

Chapter 3

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