Aria’s POV
I did not return to Ethan’s house that day, and he did not try to reach me. Not even a call or a message.
'He's probably busy introducing Sophia as his girlfriend or something...' I thought, feeling a tight knot in my chest.
By the time the gala started, I no longer needed confirmation. He was already where he wanted to be, and that's with the person he had chosen again and again.
The gown I wore that night was nothing like the soft dresses I used to choose. It was dark, structured, expensive in a way that spoke of authority rather than beauty. When I stepped out, my grandparents both paused.
“You look like a Sinclair,” Grandpa Thomas said quietly.
Grandma Eleanor smiled, pride and worry tangled in her eyes. “They won’t see a vulnerable girl tonight.”
When we arrived at
