Reborn From Ashes: The Obsessive CEO's Claim

edes' engine. The glittering skyline of Manhattan had dissolved behind them, replaced by the skeletal remains of

s smile was the same one that had convinced her to leave her small Pennsylvania town, the one that promised a future as bright as the diamond h

e loosening in her stomach. He was rig

The windows were dark, like vacant eyes. Ethan came around and opened h

the center of the vast, empty space, illuminated by a weak overhead bulb. On it were two cha

a glass. His eyes were intense,

n. She clinked her glass against his. "To us." She took a generous sip

ross her tongue. A wave of dizziness washed over her, so s

e of the table for support. Her finger

y a chillingly flat, indifferent expression

ard on her lower lip. The sharp, coppery taste of her own blood was a grou

ring a stunning Carolina Herrera dress-the one Aria had pointed out in a magazine last week, saying it would b

asked, her voice drip

r in a way that made her stomach clench with a primal fear. The trap was sprung. She saw it all w

er. "Ethan, we're getting engaged.

"Oh, you poor, stupid thing. Ethan was never yours. He's always been with

forward, to claw that smug look off her sister's face, but her legs were leaden

earing from her throat. Her brothe

rs, painted a blood-red, gripping Aria's chin. The pre

in Seraphina's eyes-a triumphant, ugly

him?" she breathed,

om. "He found out some things he wasn't supposed to. About us. So, he

world didn't just crack; it disintegrated into dust. A scream of pure, anima

s calling your name until the end, you know

less despair. The thugs started to close in, their leering

s grasping hand. Her back slammed into something hard and cold. A large metal drum. It tipped, and a cl

e saw it. Lying a few feet away, discarded by

d clear, pierced throu

ng alone. This wasn't a proposal. It was a funera