Until The Vows Break

Aurora’s POV

The room spun. My chest felt like it had been cracked open, every breath jagged as Adrian’s lips left Arianna’s. The taste of betrayal was bitter in the back of my throat, sharp enough to choke me.

I wanted to scream, to rip the chandeliers from the ceiling and shatter the glittering illusion of perfection Arianna lived in, but my body refused to move. All I could do was stand there, trembling, my fingers numb as if the blood had drained from me.

“Aurora,” Adrian muttered, his shirt half unbuttoned, Arianna’s lipstick smudged across his jaw. His voice was flat, not even shameful—just annoyed that I had walked in.

Arianna adjusted her dress, slow and deliberate, before meeting my eyes. Her smile was razor-sharp, the kind that cut without leaving a scar. “You really have a way of ruining things, don’t you?”

My throat tightened. “Ruining? I caught you with my boyfriend—my sister!”

She laughed softly, the sound cruel, melodic. “Half-sister. Don’t be so dramatic.”

Half-sister. Always a half, never a whole. That was what Arianna reminded me of every chance she got—that I was never fully part of her world, no matter how hard I tried.

Before I could answer, the ballroom doors opened and silence swept through the crowd. A man in a tailored suit stepped inside, his expression grave. It was Mr. Halstead—Father’s lawyer. His presence was so unexpected, so heavy, that even Arianna straightened, smoothing her hair as though preparing for the spotlight.

“Forgive the intrusion,” he began, his voice cutting across the murmurs. “But per Mr. Richard Sinclair’s instructions, today marks eight months since his passing. I am bound to read a clause in his will—one that affects the future of this family.”

My heart lurched. Father. Even dead, he still found a way to pull me back from the chaos.

Halstead opened a folder, his tone steady, rehearsed. “The estate and Sinclair Global shall pass to the daughter who marries first. Whichever daughter secures a lawful marriage shall inherit the empire. This decision is final.”

The words thundered in my ears. Marriage? That was the condition?

Gasps rippled through the room, but I only heard the echo of Arianna’s laugh and the way Adrian’s arm slid protectively around her waist. They didn’t look surprised. They looked… prepared.

My stomach twisted. They knew. Adrian hadn’t chosen Arianna just out of lust—he had chosen her because she was his ticket to power. My father’s empire, stolen by the two people I loved most.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them. Without a word, I turned and stormed out of the ballroom, heels striking against marble, each step carrying me farther from the suffocating weight of betrayal.

I didn’t stop. Not when Adrian called after me. Not when Arianna hissed something cruel under her breath. Not even when Halstead’s voice tried to reason with me.

I grabbed my car keys, fled into the night, and drove until the city lights blurred into streaks of gold and red. My breaths came ragged, my chest heaving as the skyline disappeared behind me.

Grief. Betrayal. Rage. They all tangled inside me, choking me until I thought I’d collapse behind the wheel. When the highway split, I didn’t care where I was going—I only knew I had to get away.

By the time I pulled over in a quiet neighboring city, my hands shook so badly I could barely unfasten my seatbelt. The streets were alive with noise and neon, yet I felt invisible, a ghost wandering through a world that had already forgotten me.

I found a small restaurant tucked in the corner of a busy street and walked in, desperate for something—anything—to ground me. The warm scent of grilled food wrapped around me, and for the first time that night, my shoulders loosened.

I sat at the farthest table, ordered the simplest meal, and tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. Every bite tasted of ashes, but at least I was sitting, breathing, not drowning.

Then the air shifted. A ripple passed through the room as voices hushed. I glanced up, confused, as waiters scrambled to clear tables, ushering customers out with nervous smiles. Chairs scraped, plates clattered.

“What’s happening?” I asked one of them.

“Mr. Nathaniel just arrived,” he whispered like it explained everything.

I frowned. “And who exactly is Mr. Nathaniel?”

The waiter didn’t answer. He just glanced nervously at the door before rushing off.

And then I saw him.

Tall. Immaculately dressed. His presence filled the room the way fire fills oxygen—demanding, consuming. His dark suit was cut with sharp precision, and his expression was colder than the city night. Men stepped aside, women stared, and no one dared breathe too loudly.

Nathaniel. Whoever he was, he clearly wasn’t used to hearing the word no.

My table was the only one left occupied. He paused when his eyes landed on me, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. “Clear it,” he ordered one of the waiters. His voice was deep, commanding, the kind that expected obedience without question.

I raised a brow, gripping my fork tighter. “Excuse me?”

“This establishment is reserved,” he said simply, like the declaration was law. “Finish outside.”

I laughed bitterly, anger finally finding a release. “I paid for my food. I’m not leaving because you snapped your fingers.”

His eyes narrowed, sharp as glass. He walked closer, each step slow, deliberate, predatory. “You’re either stubborn or foolish. Which is it?”

“Hungry,” I shot back, meeting his gaze. “And last I checked, hunger doesn’t make me your problem.”

Around us, the staff froze, torn between appeasing him and pitying me. But I refused to move. For once tonight, I wasn’t going to surrender—not to Arianna, not to Adrian, and certainly not to this stranger dripping arrogance.

Nathaniel leaned closer, his cologne crisp and intoxicating, his gaze locked on mine. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

I stabbed another piece of food with my fork and chewed deliberately. “And you’re interrupting my dinner.”

For the first time, his lips twitched—not quite a smile, but something dangerously close. He straightened, muttering something under his breath I couldn’t catch. Then, with a sharp glance at the manager, he said, “Leave her. For now.”

The weight of his presence lingered even as he walked past me, claiming a private corner like a king reclaiming his throne. But my pulse still thundered.

I didn’t know who Nathaniel was, or why the world seemed to bend around him. All I knew was that I had finally met someone who didn’t terrify me—but infuriated me.

And maybe, just maybe, he was the very distraction I needed.