Chapter 2

“Why?” The word tore from Aria’s lips in a broken whisper, barely audible over the soft music still drifting through the living room.

The rose petals lay scattered at her feet like fallen dreams, and the heart-shaped candles flickered mockingly, their warm glow now cold and accusing.

‘No, no, no… This can’t be real. Not Jayden. Not us.’

Tears blurred the stark black letters on the divorce papers, but she couldn’t look away.

His signature—bold and decisive—burned into her retinas.

Three years of laughter, whispered promises in the dark, his arms wrapped around her like she was the only thing anchoring him to the world.

Could it be forgotten... Just like that?

Her hands shook so violently the papers rustled like dry leaves in a storm. She clutched them tighter, as if sheer force could make the words vanish.

‘He loved her. He chose her.’

She was the 'Cinderella' no one found worthy… the one no one believed in.

He was the exception.

She was the woman he defended against his own family’s icy disapproval.

But the evidence was here, in her trembling fingers.

“Jayden…” She choked on his name and fumbled for her phone, dialling with numb fingers. Straight to voicemail. Again.

The automated voice felt like a slap.

She tried once more, then again, until her thumb ached from pressing redial.

“Please, baby… pick up. Tell me this is a mistake. Tell me you’re coming home.”

Silence answered. The kind of silence that hollowed you out from the inside.

A soft knock pulled her from the abyss. Stella, the head maid, stood in the doorway, concern etching deep lines across her kind face. “Ma’am? I heard—”

Her eyes widened at the tear-streaked ruin of Aria’s makeup, the crumpled papers still clutched like a lifeline. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing,” Aria lied, her voice cracking. She swiped furiously at her cheeks, but the tears kept coming, hot and relentless.

“Just… tell the driver to prepare the car. I need to go to Hunt Corporation. Right now.”

Stella hesitated, clearly wanting to press, but nodded instead. “Of course, ma’am.”

Aria fled upstairs, changing into the first decent dress her hands could find. The fabric felt foreign against her skin, too tight, too constricting—like the panic squeezing her chest. Every second stretched into eternity.

‘Where are you? What did I do wrong?’

The city lights blurred past the car window during the drive, but Aria saw nothing except Jayden’s face…his rare, soft smile reserved only for her.

The way he’d pull her into his lap after a long day, murmuring that she was his peace in a cutthroat world.

Had it all been a lie? Had the tabloids been right all along—that she was just a temporary ornament for the billionaire?

By the time they reached Hunt Corporation, her heart hammered so loudly she could barely hear the driver’s concerned words, telling her to watch out for the car next to her.

Aria avoided running into it by sheer luck. The lobby was eerily quiet by this time. It was already past 8pm.

The marble echoed under her frantic footsteps. A receptionist looked up from behind the gleaming desk.

“Good evening,” Aria said, forcing steadiness into her voice even as her world fractured. “Is Jayden still in his office?”

The receptionist gave her a long, measuring look before offering a polished, insincere smile.

Aria composed herself; she rarely paid him visits at the company, but due to the tabloids, it shouldn't be that difficult to see her husband, right?

“I'm looking for CEO Hunt; I'm his wife. Just tell him Ariana is here to see him.”

The woman’s polite mask slipped for a fraction of a second, recognition settling in revealing something sharper—envy, perhaps, or disdain.

Everyone in this building knew the ‘Cinderella of Manhattan'.

“I’m sorry, madam,” the receptionist replied smoothly, her smile not reaching her eyes. “The CEO left the building around ten this morning. He hasn’t returned.”

Ten this morning? But that was a long time ago… that was when he called to say that he had returned from Spain.

Long before the papers arrived. Long before he was supposed to come home to her carefully planned anniversary.

Aria’s stomach dropped. “You’re sure? His phone… it’s off. He promised he’d be home tonight. It’s our anniversary—”

The receptionist offered nothing but that same empty smile. “I can take your message if you’d like.”

Aria scribbled it down, her handwriting jagged.

As she turned away, she didn’t see the receptionist crumple the note and toss it into the trash with a sneer of envy.

Back in the car, the weight of it all crashed over her. She doubled over, arms wrapped around her middle, sobs wracking her body.

“Where are you, Jayden? Why are you doing this to us?”

The driver cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ma’am… should I return to the mansion?”

She didn’t know. She had nowhere left to turn.

She began to call their close friends and acquaintances, but no one had seen Jayden.

At this point, it seemed Jayden had disappeared after sending her the divorce papers.

The drive back toward the mansion blurred through fresh tears.

Aria curled into herself, arms wrapped tightly around her middle as if she could physically hold her breaking heart together.

‘Where are you, Jayden? What did I do to deserve this?’

~~~♡♡♡~~~

Meanwhile, in the 1st-Class Hospital – ICU Wing…

The sterile hallway smelt of antiseptic and fear.

The entire Hunt family had gathered around the operating room door—Old Master Hunt, the twins' grandfather, looked stern and unyielding; Austin Hunt, the twins' father; and Madam Audrey Hunt looked pale with worry.

Standing apart from them all, radiating icy detachment, was Kayden Hunt. Jayden’s twin. The cursed twin…the black sheep of the family.

Kayden had been freshly released from prison just a few days ago.

His dark eyes flicked toward his family briefly, his expression unreadable.

No one paid him any attention either.

The doors finally opened. Dr. William Murphy emerged, exhaustion carved into his face after five long hours of surgery.

“The patient is out of danger,” Dr. Murphy announced, “but…”

The single word sucked the air from the hallway. The collective sigh of relief died instantly.

“But what?” Madam Hunt demanded, her voice trembling.

Dr. Murphy’s expression was grave. “Young Master Jayden suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the accident. He has tetraplegia—complete paralysis from the neck down. He cannot move or feel anything below the injury site. His arms, legs and torso… are all affected.”

A collective gasp ripped through the family. Madam Hunt swayed; Mr Austin caught her. Old Master Hunt’s grip tightened on his cane until his knuckles turned white.

Tetraplegia. Complete paralysis from the neck down. No movement. No sensation.

Kayden remained motionless, watching it all with cold, unreadable eyes. Inside, a storm raged – complicated emotions he refused to name.

Should he consider this karma for everything his brother had done to him all these years?