Chapter 5

Aria POV

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I lost my balance. My hand slipped." Chloe covered her mouth, her apology dripping with fake sincerity and malicious joy.

Looking at the broken violin, my fists clenched so hard my nails drew blood. That was the last piece of my family I had left in this cold house.

Just then, the front door swung open, and Ethan stormed in.

Seeing the shattered glass and the broken violin, his face darkened instantly.

Chloe reacted in a split second. She instantly squeezed out tears, running to Ethan and grabbing his arm. "Ethan! Thank God you're home. I just came to visit Aria and apologize about the design credit. But she has such a temper! She started screaming at me, told me to get out, and then she went crazy and smashed her own violin..."

Ethan looked at the violin on the floor.

He knew how much that instrument meant to me. He also knew exactly who Chloe was, and he knew damn well I would never destroy my brother's gift.

But he just stepped in front of Chloe, shielding her, and looked at me with cold disapproval.

"Aria, enough," Ethan's voice was stern, full of authority. "Chloe came to see you, and you throw a tantrum? Even if you're upset about yesterday, you don't take it out on property, and you definitely don't attack my guests."

I stood there, looking at the man I had loved for three years across the wreckage.

No screaming. No tears. No explanations.

Just a deep, exhausting sadness.

"Ethan, that was the violin my brother gave me." My voice was quiet, dead.

"It's just a violin!" Ethan snapped, his eyes cold. "I'll buy you a better one from Europe tomorrow! Ten of them if you want! But your attitude right now is unacceptable. Apologize to Chloe. Now."

He wanted to break me. He wanted to show me that in his world, he was king, and I had to submit, no matter how badly I was hurt.

I looked at him, and for the first time, I smiled.

It was a cold, lifeless smile, like a rose freezing in the snow.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

I didn't fight back. I didn't argue. I turned to Chloe, who was hiding behind him with a smug grin, and said flatly, "I apologize, Miss Sinclair. My bad. I shouldn't have startled you."

Ethan froze.

He expected me to cry, to beg him to believe me, to scream at Chloe. But my instant submission, my complete lack of emotion, rattled him.

"Alright, Chloe, go home first," Ethan said irritably, pulling his arm out of her grip and sending her away.

The living room fell silent.

Ethan stepped over the broken glass and reached out to hold me. "Babe, I..."

I took a step back, dodging his touch.

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." I didn't look at him as I walked upstairs, leaving him alone in the mess.