Aria’s POV

No surprise–I barely slept bthat /bnight.

Sure, my body felt rxed after the release. But my mind was tense.

Because I knew I did something I shouldn’t have.

So the next morning I got up early, hoping to sneak out before Grayson woke up.

But to my shock, when I tiptoed downstairs, he was already there, sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee.

Does this man ever sleep?!

“Where are you going?” he asked, frowning at me

“Um work? I mumbled.

It’s the weekend.”

1 froze. Crap. After everything that happenedst night, I totally forgot what day it bwas/b.

Just as I was debating whether to awkwardly crawl back to bed, the front door mmed open band /bthe bsharp /bbck /bof heels echoed through the house.

Delh stormed in, crying and yelling

“Grayson, you assholet” she shouted.

Grayson set his cup down and looked at her, all seriousness now “Aria, go back to your room,” he said coldly.

“No! Stay right there!” bDelh /bscreamed at us both. “What, afraid people will find out what you’ve done? Isn’t your little assistant benefiting from all it too!”

I stood there blinking,pletely lost.

What were they talking about?

“If byou /bkeep throwing a tantrum here, I’ll have you thrown out,” Grayson said,pletely unfazed.

Then I’ll tell Mom and Dad!” she sobbed. “Seriouslyb, /bGrayson, why do you hate Jace so much? You actually fired him from his position as department manager! Do you know how humiliating that is for him–FOR US

I sucked in a breath.

Jace got demoted?

I still remembered when he first became manager. We were still together then–he was over the moonb, /bbthrew /ba huge party at his ce for all bhis /bcoworkers, popped fancy champagne like he was king of the world.

bAfter /bhe married Delh, everyone thought it was just a matter of time before he made it to VP.

But now? He bwas /bknocked all the way bback /bdown to a regr employee, That’s the same position he bhad /bwhen he first joined Apex, 4

“He never deserved that position, Grayson said tly. “Not one major project under his name the whole time he held it.”

“But he bwas /btrying!” Delh cried, tears streaming down her pretty face. “He’s been prepping for that summit in btwo /bweeks–he nned to visit all the clients band /bfinally close a major deal! But now you’ve ruined everything!”

“bHis /blife bgot /bruined band /bhe sent you to do the begging?” Grayson sucered. “My decision is final. You don’t work at the familypany, Delh. You bhave /bbno /bbsay /bin this.”

9:47 AM

Delh sobbed harder.

I felt a little bad for her, honestly,

She used to be bthe /b“it girl” of our world–every night after work, we would crowd around the TV to watch her personal reality show. Showing off new designer bags, custom sports cars she was our dream

Now she was crying over that trashbag Jace. She didn’t deserve this.

“Her!” she suddenly snapped, whipping around to bre /bat me. “bYou /bsay Jace isn’t qualified, but you’re letting her rece him? How many years of experience does she even have?

1 froze

Me? Rece Jace! As manager?

That was- insane!

Apex managers were expected to have at bleast /bbten /bbyears /bof experience. bAnd /bonce promoted, the sry hit nearly seven figures.

That was way out of my league.

-I didn’t know anything about that…” I stammered

“It’s just a draft list. Nothing’s been decided, bGrayson /bbsaid /bicily. b“/bbAnd /byou, Delh, you had no business looking at that internalpany list. Jace gave it to you, didn’t he?”

“So what if he did-

“He’s manipting you. Using you to try and control the entire Hart family. I bwon’t /blet bthat /bhappen,” Grayson said, rising to bhis /bfeet and staring her down. “Cool him down. Get him to sign that damn prenup. Or I’ll kick him out of mypany

And with that, he walked out of the living room without sparing her another nce.

I tried to follow his lead, quietly turning to leave too.

“You! Stop right there!” Delh’s voice rang out like a whip.

I sighed and froze halfway up the stairs, turning slowly to face her.

w n

She red at me like she wanted to w my face off. “It’s barely GAM. What the hell are you doing bhere/b! Don’t tell me you’re living here now!”

b“/bUh.. there was an urgent work issuest night,” I lied smoothly. “The boss called me in, and we worked through the night”

She narrowed her eyes. “My brother really bthinks /bhighly of you. But let’s be real–you’re just a young assistant. What makes you qualified to btake /bJace’s ce?”

“What makes me not?” I bshot /bback. “Yeah, I’m byoung/b. bBut /bbgo /bahead band /bcheck my record at Apex. I’m just as capable as Jace was. Why is it that when a man gets a promotion, it’s talent, but when ba /bbwoman /bdoes, it’s favoritism?”

She stared at me, beyebrows /bbtightly /bknit.

Then, without warning, she grabbed my arm. “Come with me.”

“bWhat/b? Where bare /bwe going?”

“To go shopping. I’m–in a terrible mood and you’re going to stay with me until I feel better!”

Let me bjust /bbsay /bthis: shopping with Delh is bmadness/b.

She drove us downtown in her neonb–/bpink Ferrari, weaving through trafic like bshe /bowned the road. When we reached the bmost /bbexpensive /bbmall /bin the city, her security detail charged into the luxury stores, throwing out all the customers bjust /bso we could shop alone.

9:47 AM

I stood there watching her bmarch /bbthrough /bracks, yanking down five–figure dresses and tossing them on the floor.

“These are garbage. Bag bthe /brest,” she ordered the staff.

They did exactly that. Champagne was brought out. We sat on plush couches while they boxed up half the store.

“Do byou /beven bthink /babout how much you spend in a day?” I couldn’t help asking. She probably blew more in a bmorning /bthan I made in ba /b

decade.

“Why would I think about it? It’s not like I bck /bmoney.”

She said bzily/bb, /bsipping champagne, and then suddenly wheeled around to me

“Oh wait–1 just thought of something! I haven’t bought you anything yet. Time to give you a full makeover!”

“bWhat/b? No, no way!” I bpanicked/b. “I can’t afford bany /bof bthis /bstuff.”

“Who said you’re paying?” She snapped her fingers at salesgirl. “Hey, you! Get my bfriend /bsome real clothes. The limited edition.”

Before I bcould /bprotest, two staff members practically kidnapped me into the fitting broom/b.

bThen /bI became their personal mannequin, trying on outfit after outfit I’d only ever seen in disy windows, then stepping out for Delh bto /bsec.

By the tenth one, I had enough. “Okay, seriously. I’m done”

bDelh /bgiggled. “bYeah /bI agree. Because we just found the prefect dress! Look at you! So pretty.

I nced in the mirror.

She wasn’t wrong

I was wearing a silver–blue gown, strapless, with a dramatic bfishtail /bthat hugged every curve. Tiny pearls and gems shimmered on the fabric as I moved.

It looked like it bwas /bmade for me.

But

No. I shook my head hard. I couldn’t get sucked into bthis/b. I didn’t belong in this world.

“It’s beautiful, but I bcan’t /bafford it. I’m taking it off.”

But before I could even btouch /bthe zipper, bDelh /brushed over and stopped the.

“bNo/bb! /bYou’re wearing that tonight, We’re bgoing /bout bfor /bdinner, and there’s no way you’re walking binto /bba /bfancy ce dressed in bjeans/b.”

“Bur-”

“No buts,” she said firmly, sounding way too much like her bossy brother. “Now go buy me a coffee. Consider it payment.”

And just like bthat/b, bshe /bshoved me out bthe /bboutique door, ordering me to walk a block away to get her coffee.

I sighed and headed for the cafe. Everyone on the street bwas /bstaring at me. My face had gone tomato red. The attention was killing me

So I ran up to the coffee shop as quickly as possible and headed back, When I got to the boutique, I saw a group of security guards standing outside, whispering into their earpieces.

As soon as they spotted me, they approached fast,

b“I /bsaw her. Stand byb./bb” /b

“What’s going on?” I asked, frowning.

“bMa’am/b, that bdress /bbyou’re /bwearing hasn’t been paid for.”

W47 AM

bChapter /b15

“Oh my friend is right inside. I’m sure she’ll pay for everythingter.”

“There’s no one binside /bwho matches your description of a friend, one said sternly.

That’s ridiculous. I leaned to peek inside, ready to point bout /bbDelh/b.

But she was gone, along with her guards.

The pink Ferrari she drove was also gone.

Suddenly, I felt ice in bmy /bbveins/b.

This is theft,” the guard snapped.

“No–listen. I bcan /bjust take it off right now.” I tried to exin.

They didn’t listenb. /b

Two bguards /bgrabbed my arms and bmmed /bme bagainst /bthe wall

You just stole a thirty–thousand–dor dress. We’re calling the cops.”