Chapter 1 Chapter One

ZIA'S POINT OF VIEW.

The silver service on my mother's table was published to a mirror finish, reflecting a family that looked perfect only if you didn't look too closely at the cracks.

My father sat at the head, a man who measured his children's worth in market shares. My mother was his silent architect, smoothing over every social ripple with a flick of her lace napkin. And there was Verena- my older sister, the golden child whose light was so bright it usually left me in the shadows.

"I'm getting married!" Verena suddenly announced. She didn't say it with joy, she said it like she was claiming a territory.

I raised my head up, arching a brow in confusion, my eyes landed on Julian. My Julian. The boy who had lived next door for twenty years, the man who had promised to wait for me while I finished my internship in London. He was staring at the vintage Pinot Noir in his glass, he looked utterly displaced like a man waiting for sentencing.

"To Julian," my mother added, confirming my worst fear. "It's the perfect alliance for the firm, Zia. You understand, don't you? Business requires...sacrifices."

The sacrifice was my heart, served on a cold porcelain plate.

They all knew.

They all knew how much I loved Julian and waited for him.

It all made sense now. The sudden order that I should rush back home.

"All these years," I said, the words tasting like ash as I stared at Verena. "You waited for me to leave the country to dismantle my life?"

Verena's smile didn't reach her eyes. It was a sharp, clinical expression. "Love is about timing, Zia. You were always too focused on your little career. Julian needed someone who stayed, someone who fits the legacy."

She reached out, her hand sliding over Julian's. He didn't flinch, but he didn't look at me either. The betrayal wasn't just a sting, it was an erasure. They were rewriting my history as a footnote in their success story.

My father cleared his throat, the sound like gravel hitting a block. "Julian is joining the Vane-West merger. It's a done deal. We expect your full support, Zia. No scenes. There's no time for silly crushes, this is business and your sister's future. Support it."

"No scenes," I repeated as a cold crystalline anger began to replace the hollow ache in my chest. They wanted me to be the quiet bridesmaid, the tragic figure in the background of their triumph. I looked at Julian, then at the prefatory glint in Verena's eyes. I realized then that she didn't even love him. He was just another trophy she'd taken from my shelf because she could.

"Trust me, I wouldn't dream of making a scene," I said, my voice dropping into a low steady, cadence. I picked up my wine, the red liquid swirling like a dark omen. "Infact, I'm relieved. I wasn't sure how to tell you that I've also.....moved on."

The table went silent. Even the clock in the hall seemed to hold its breath.

"Oh?" Verena's brow arched, her expression amused. "Some intern in London?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly," I leaned back, letting a slow dangerous smile play on my lips, a smile I had inherited from my father - it was the kind of smile he used right before a hostile takeover. "I've been seeing someone back here. Someone who understands the 'legacy' even better than Julian does."

I paused, letting the silence stretch until it was uncomfortable.

"I'm with Roan Vane."

The name acted like a physical blow. My father's wine glass hit the table with a sharp clack while my mother's napkin fluttered to the floor as she stared at me with wide eyes.

Roan Vane. The elder, illegitimate King of the Vane Empire. A man who lived in the penthouse of a glass tower and operated in the gray areas of the law. He was Julian's elder stepbrother, but they were worlds apart. Roan was the man everyone feared, the man who didn't attend parties because he owned the buildings they were held in. He was untouchable.

"R-roan?" Julian finally looked up, his expression darkening with a terrifying shock. "That's impossible! He doesn't....he doesn't do relationships! Especially not with someone like you!"

"Maybe you don't know your brother as well as you think, Julian," I said, my heart hammering a frantic, suicidal rhythm against my ribs. "He prefers to keep his private life...private. But we have moved past the discreet stage. Honestly this is good, I was looking for a way to tell you all, but this works fine."

Suddenly, my father stood up, his eyes wide with a terrifying greed I had never seen before. "If you're dating Roan Vane, Zia.....the logistics contract for the harbor...he could sign it with the stroke of a pen."

"He could," I lied, the weight of the gamble crushing the air from my lungs. "And he will. For me."

My side eye caught a glimpse of Verena, whose face was now a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. For the very first time in my life she looked small and it pleased me more than I ever imagined.

The dinner ended in a blur of forced pleasantries, my mother, Julian and Verena remained silent while my father spoke sickening words of affection which I knew came from a place of greed. But as I walked out of our family mansion to my car, the adrenaline began to drain, leaving behind a cold paralyzing reality.

I had just claimed Roan Vane as my lover.

ROAN VANE?! Am I crazy?!

I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through a contact list that didn't contain his number. I didn't even have his email or address.

Fuck, I'm done for.

Well played, Zia. You won the moment for a second but you signed your doom.

Then, my screen lit up.

A message.

From an unknown.

A text that made my blood turn to ice.

'Unknown: I hear we're getting serious, Zia. I'll be at your apartment in thirty minutes. Don't keep your boyfriend waiting.'