bI /bstood in front of the chapel.

Pink roses and white lilies decorated every corner. My favorite flowers.

The guests bwere /balready seated. Soon, at the end of the red carpet would stand the man I once loved, waiting to marry his bride.

Everything bwas /bperfect.

Except I wasn’t the bride.

“I really need to bsee /bbJace /btoday.”

I begged the bodyguard blocking the door. A beat–up suitcase and two boxes sat at my feet. Everything I owned in the world.

“No you don’t. Get out of here,” the bodyguard said icily.

bsaw /bdisgust in his eyes. Yeah I get it. No one has sympathy for the crazy ex who shows up at the wedding.

But I have my reason to be here.

b“/bIf you don’t let me see him, I’ll just stand here and all the guests will see me,” I threatened under my breath.

Jace wouldn’t want that. Especially not today.

Because today, he was marrying Delh Hart.

She is the sister to Alpha Grayson Hart of Redstone Pack. A 100% high–society darling.

All the guys in the world knew that marrying Delh would totally change their lives, including Jace.

So he made the easy call–marrying thedy who could turn him from a small–town nobody into a golden boy. And dump the girl who stayed by his side forst 4 years when he had nothing.

He didn’t want any guests to see me here. Because I represented his broke, embarrassing past. He wanted me nowhere near his glittering new world.

Tears stung my eyes as I thought of that. Like a knife was twisting in my chest.

“Let me in or I’m starting to yell.” I choked.

The bodyguard frowned. “Wait here.”

He finally called somebody. A few minutester, he waved me in.

I wiped my eyes and struggled into the hall with my suitcase and boxes.

Instantly, I felt out of ceb. /b

Everything reeked of wealth here. Expensive perfume. Manicured nails. Not a hair out of ce. It was everything you imagined about the upper–ss and way more.

And me?

I was wearing a baggy T–shirt and jeans. My sneakers had holes.

b“/bGod, a homeless. She stinksb./bb” /bA woman mutter as I walked by.

No it couldn’t be. I just showered this morning. My hair still smelled like strawberries and coconut.

But poverty had a scentb, /bapparently.

“Mr. Carter is inside.” The bguard /btook me to ba /bclosed door and warned, “bMake /bit quick.”

9:17 AM

@

☆

“Thank you.”

The room inside looked like something out of a movie. Marble bfloors/b. White carpet. A chandelier that probably cost more than my

apartment.

And there he was.

The man I used to love.

Adjusting his bowtie in front of a mirror.

Jace was still heartbreakingly handsome. No wonder Delh fell for him.

When he turned and fixed his gorgeous blue eyes upon me, I still felt my heart brace/b.

“Hey, bJace/b,” I said quietly.

And immediately, I wanted to punch myself.

Hey, Jace?!

That’s the best I could do?

His bface /bwas ice cold.

“You shouldn’te, Aria.” he said with a frown. “Your ratty suitcase, your ripped jeans, your Vans. None of that belongs here.”

Well if you wanted to be brutal and vicious, that’s how it’s done.

“Don’t you think I deserve an exnation? You dumped me over a fucking email!” bI /bsnapped.

He shrugged. “Look around you. The wealthiest people in the world came for me today. This suit I’m wearing bcost /bmore than you can make in your entire life. What more exnation do you want?”

Wow.

I always knew he was ba /bcold, calcting bastard.

I just didn’t realize how deep it ran.

“Maybe chasing Alpha’s sister got you here bfaster/b. But you know what? When she finds out how shallow and cold you are. You’ll lose it

all.”

Anger red across his bface/bb. /b

“I know how to love someone! I bjust /bwon’t waste that on a small–town girl like you.” he said freezingly, “Are we done here?”

“No.”

I took a deep breath and got into the real reason I came.

“You’re marrying a rich girl. Fine. But why did you have to get me fired?”

Yeah. I used to work for this jerk.

From intern ito /ifull–time at Apex Corp, he was my supervisor.

Our office romance bwas /ba secret. And just days ago, I found out he was getting married with Apex CEO’s bsister/b. And I was out of a job thanks to him.

“Right, your job.” The jerk shrugged, “You got your job all thanks to me. Now that I’m not around, maybe they finally saw how ipetent and stupid you are. Problem?b” /b

Was he fucking kidding me?!

“I graduated top of my ss. Made it through b7 /brounds of interviews. My performance exceeded every quarterly target. I earned that

b9:17 /bAM

xx

job!” I snapped.

“Come on, Aria. You really gonna be bso /bbna?ve/bb?/bb” /b

He walked bcloser/bb, /bsmirking.

O

b“/bYou passed the binterviews because /bbI /bbsaid /bso. Your bsales/b? bI /bcontacted those bcustomers /bfor you. Without me, you’d be nothing but a pretty bface/bb./bb” /b

He seized my chin and looked me over with a disgusting look. I pped his hand away.

“Give me my job back,” I hissed, my voice slightly trembling. “My dad’s debt. My grandma’s medical bbills/bb…/bI need the money. You of all people should know what bit’s /blike to be poor. Don’t. Make. Me. Beg.”

bI /bbwas /bthrowing my pride at his bfeet/b.

But he justughed.

“Well, how about I offer you a deal?” he said as though he’d been waiting for this moment.

He brushed my hair back, fingers trailing down to my corbone. I shivered in disgust.

“You and I. We never fuck. You were so clinging to that pathetic no–sex–before–marriage rule. Maybe it’s time to grow up. Let me fuck you once and I’ll write you very handsome check. How does that sound?”

I widened my eyes in shock.

Then I pped him. HARD.

“FUCKING HELL… What the hell are you doing?! I’m getting married in front of everyone in fucking 10 minutesb!/bb” /bHe roared covering his swollen face.

“Fuck you, Jace!” I yelled, “You’re a spineless freeloading puss! And hey–congrats on the wedding. Hope your junk bis /bsoft like a fucking spaghetti tonight!”

Then I stormed out dragging my suitcase and boxesb, /bignoring his angry curses behind me.

Hot btears /bpoured down as I dashed bacross /bthe hallway.

God this couldn’t be any bworse/b.

I was prepared to drop all my self–esteem and begged with my life. Because I needed the job and money.

But I still let him get to me.

Now what do I do?

My sry barely covered my rent, my father’s debt and grandma’s bill. Now with my job gone, I already got kicked out by myndlord. I probably had to sleep in a park tonight.

So do I go back and let that jerk win? Let him humiliate me…No. I’d rather die than that…

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” someone yelled.

Too bte/b.

bI /bmmed right into the man in front of me.

bHe /bwas tall. So tall I felt like I’d bjust /bwalked into a brick wall.

His diamond cufflink bwas /bsharp like ba /bbde/b. When bwe /bcollided, it sliced clean through my thin T–shirt with a loud rip.

In one second, the front of my shirt was torn openb, /bexposing my white bce /bbra.

“Ah!” bI /bbgasped /band looked up.

This was the most handsome man I’d bever /bseen. His face was like a statue carved by a master artist. And his expression was so cold and distant.

When he looked down bat /bme, I swear I was about to drown in those stormy gray eyes of his.

Suddenly, I recognized who he bwas/b.

This bwas /bAlpha of Redstone Pack. CEO of Apex Corporation.

Jace’s brother–inw.

THE legendary. Grayson Hart.

b“/bAria Collins?b” /b

His voice bwas /bsexy and velvety.

He lowered his head and his eyes dropped to the exposed part of my bra. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the color of his eyes seemed to darken as he stared.

Wherever his gazended, my skin started burning up.

But wait.

How did he know my name?