Chapter 81
Aria's POV
After Devon left my apartment, I took a moment to collect myself. The encounter with Ethan in the elevator had left me shaken, but Devon's unexpected appearance and gentle care for my injuries had provided a strange comfort. My invitation for dinner tonight had surprised us both, but it felt like the right gesture to thank him for his intervention.
I changed into a navy pencil skirt and cream silk blouse, adding a silk scarf to conceal the bruising on my neck.
As I grabbed my laptop bag and headed out, I couldn't help but replay Devon's words: "Your address was at the top of the list." The idea that he had people monitoring Ethan's movements should have disturbed me, but instead, I felt an unsettling mix of protection and intrigue.
At the office, I handed my phone to my assistant. "Melanie, hold my calls and messages today. I can't deal with any more Blake or Harper family crises."
"Of course, Ms. Harper," she replied, taking my phone with a sympathetic smile.
I buried myself in marketing strategy documents, grateful for the distraction. But barely an hour later, Melanie knocked hesitantly on my office door.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Marianne Blake has been trying to reach you. She's asked if you could meet her at Brew House in SoHo. She says it's urgent."
I froze, pen hovering over my notepad. Marianne. Despite everything Ethan had done, I couldn't bring myself to hate his mother. She'd been my mother's closest friend, had practically helped raise me after mom died. The thought of facing her now, after I'd publicly humiliated her son, made my stomach twist.
"Tell her I'll be there, but I'll be half an hour late. Family emergency."
In the car, I tried to prepare myself. What could Marianne possibly want? Whatever it was, I knew this meeting would be painful for both of us. I fingered the small box in my purse, containing the Tiffany necklace and the Blake family heirloom emerald bracelet she'd given me as her "future daughter-in-law." At least returning these would provide some closure.
---
The private back room at Brew House was dimly lit and quiet. Marianne sat alone at a corner table, elegant as always in a Chanel suit, but the shadows under her eyes told a different story. When she saw me, she straightened, her posture impeccable despite her obvious exhaustion.
"Aria," she said, her voice softer than I expected.
"Marianne." I slid into the seat across from her and placed the small box on the table between us. "These belong to your family."
Her perfectly manicured fingers trembled slightly as she accepted the box. "These were meant for my future daughter-in-law. I never thought I'd receive them back this way."
"Neither did I," I admitted, keeping my voice steady.
She opened the box, staring at the glittering emerald bracelet. "I know Ethan has been... friendly with Scarlett. But Aria, I think you might be misunderstanding the situation. Scarlett can be very manipulative—"
"Friendly?" I interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it?"
Marianne sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. "I admit, I noticed some attention between them at family gatherings. But Ethan assured me it was nothing serious. He said he was committed to you."
"Well, he lied," I stated flatly. "And it's been going on for months."
"He's under tremendous pressure from his father and the board," Marianne said, her maternal instinct to defend her son evident in her voice. "The merger with Harper Group means everything to our family business. I'm not excusing his behavior, but—"
I hesitated before adding, "He came to my apartment this morning. Drunk. He tried to force himself on me in the elevator."
Marianne's face drained of color. "Oh my God. Aria, I... I had no idea he would..." She seemed genuinely shocked. "That's inexcusable. I promise you, he will face consequences for this."
"I don't want his money," I said, anticipating her next words. "I just want him to stay away from me."
"Of course," she murmured, then asked tentatively, "How is William doing? I heard about his heart attack."
"The doctors say he should recover," I answered flatly, unwilling to elaborate on my complicated feelings about my father.
Marianne studied me, her head tilting slightly. "Aria, please. For the sake of what you and Ethan once shared... for the sake of your mother's memory and my friendship with her... isn't there any way to handle this more quietly?"
I met her gaze steadily, letting my silence answer for me.
"I need your help, Aria," Marianne said finally, taking out a tablet and sliding it across the table.
I glanced down at the screen, which displayed trending topics across various social media platforms. "#BlakeFamilyScandal" and "Harper-Blake Wedding Disaster" topped the list. A photo of me throwing champagne at Scarlett filled the screen.
"Our stock has dropped fifteen percent since yesterday," Marianne continued, her voice strained. "The board called an emergency meeting this morning. Our PR team suggests we issue a joint statement—you and Ethan—saying the breakup was mutual and amicable."
I almost laughed. "You want me to publicly forgive the man who cheated on me with my stepsister and then tried to assault me this morning?"
"Not forgive," she clarified quickly. "Just... minimize the damage. For both families. Whatever happened between you two privately can stay private. This isn't just about Ethan—it's about hundreds of employees whose livelihoods depend on Blake Fashion's stability."
Her plea might have moved me once, but not anymore. "I'm sorry, Marianne, but I can't do that." I gathered my purse, preparing to leave. "Please tell Ethan not to contact me again. It's better for everyone."
She accepted my refusal with grace, though disappointment shadowed her features. As we parted, there was a finality to our goodbye that felt like closing a chapter of my life.
---
Back in the car, my phone buzzed repeatedly with calls from unknown numbers. I answered one only to hear a reporter demanding a comment about my "revenge wedding stunt." I hung up immediately and turned off my phone.
"Ms. Harper," Melanie said hesitantly, "you might want to see this." He handed me the car's tablet.
My blood ran cold as I stared at the screen. There I was, captured in multiple photos—dining intimately with a man in an upscale restaurant, entering and exiting The Pinnacle Hotel at various times. Though the man's face wasn't clearly visible, anyone who knew Devon Kane would recognize him.
The headline read: "WHO CHEATED FIRST? Sources claim Aria Harper's wedding meltdown was revenge for fiancé discovering her affair."
"This is ridiculous," I whispered, fingers tightening on the tablet as I scrolled through the allegations.
According to the "exclusive source," I had been seeing another man for months before the wedding, and my public humiliation of Ethan was merely preemptive revenge before he could expose me.
My initial shock quickly hardened into analytical clarity. These photos must have been taken by someone following me. But who? Ethan was too self-absorbed to orchestrate something this sophisticated. This had my family's fingerprints all over it—but was it Scarlett acting alone, or Victoria? Maybe even my father?
"These photos are clearly professional surveillance," Sophia said, examining my phone as I paced my office. "The angles, the timing—someone hired a pro to follow you."
"Ethan's not smart enough for this," I muttered. "It has to be Victoria, or maybe Scarlett."
"Or your father," Sophia added quietly. "William has the most to lose from the Blake merger falling apart."
I nodded grimly, then pulled out my phone and dialed a number.
"Did you see the trending stories?" I asked when Devon answered, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm raging inside me.