Siren, who stole the Billionaire’s frozen heart

AT LATE EVENING

ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:

The rain was coming down in sheets, soaking my hair, my coat, my everything, but I didn’t care. My heels splashed through puddles as I cut through the alley beside our building, a shortcut home, the one I always took when I couldn’t wait to see Adam. I was already picturing it: walking through the door, his grin when he saw me, the way his arms wrapped around me like the world outside didn’t matter. I needed that. I needed him. Then I heard it.  A laugh. High, syrupy. Familiar.

I stepped closer to the corner and froze. Adam was there and so was Rosalie. They were pressed against the brick wall, his hands locked around her hips, her body flush against his. She had one heel hooked around his leg, as if she were claiming territory. Her lips were on his, slow, deliberate, like she was savouring something stolen. And he was kissing her back. I couldn’t breathe. My fingers went numb, my umbrella slipping from my hand and hitting the pavement with a smack.

"Adam?" My voice cracked, but it cut through the rain like a blade.

They quickly broke apart. Rosalie turned first, her mouth glistening, a smirk curling like she’d been dying for me to see this.

"Oh… hey, sis." Her tone was pure venom coated in honey.  She leaned in toward him again, not touching, just close enough to make my blood boil. "Guess you got home early."

Adam’s face was pale, eyes wide, lips parted like maybe he’d come up with an excuse. A lie. Something to make this disappear.

"Isabella, I-"He started.

"Don’t." My voice was flat. Sharp. I didn’t want to hear his voice. Not ever again.

Rosalie tilted her head, biting her lip like she was holding back a laugh. 

"Relax, Izzy. It’s not like you ever knew how to keep him happy."Rosalie smirked.

I didn’t move toward her. I didn’t slap her. I didn’t scream. That would’ve given her what she wanted.  Instead, I looked at Adam. Just once. One last time. The man I thought was mine stood there with her lipstick on his mouth. And that was all I needed to know.

"We are over Adam."I said, holding back my tears.

I threw ring at him, turned, and walked away.  The rain swallowed the sound of everything, my heels, my breath, his voice calling after me. I didn’t run. Running meant I was escaping something and I wasn’t escaping. I was done. I didn’t look back. The rain kept pouring, plastering my hair to my face, soaking me to the skin. The engagement ring had left my hand cold and empty, but lighter somehow, like I had just ripped off a chain. My chest, though… my chest felt like it had been carved open.

Streetlights blurred in my vision, whether from rain or tears I didn’t care to know. My legs carried me without thought, through streets I barely recognized. Every step away from Adam and Rosalie felt heavier, but I kept moving. If I stopped, I might shatter. That’s when I saw it, a narrow alley I’d never noticed before, lit by the faint glow of a flickering blue neon sign. The Blue Lantern. Music spilled into the night, low and smoky, curling through the rain like an invitation I didn’t ask for but needed anyway. I pushed the door open.

The warmth hit me first, wrapping around me like a blanket. The air smelled of whiskey, wood, and something faintly sweet. Dim lights pooled gold over worn leather seats, shadows clinging to the corners. A handful of people nursed drinks at scattered tables. No one looked twice at me, which was exactly what I wanted. From behind the counter, a familiar voice called me.

"Well, if it isn’t the nightingale herself."A voice said.

I glanced up. It was Vince, the owner. A bear of a man with kind eyes who’d been running this place longer than I’d been alive. He didn’t ask why I looked like a drowned cat. He didn’t need to.

"Hey, Vince." I said, my voice rough.

He eyed me for half a second, then tilted his head toward the small stage in the corner. It seems he was excited to see me around here. It was nice. Inside a bar, I was popular singer named 'Siren' and I already had a few customers who arrived just to see me.

"Mic is free. You know the rule when Siren’s in the room, she sings."He grinned.

My chest tightened. I had no mood to argue with Vince, but I might need to do something to make myself feel better.

"Not tonight." I murmured.

Vince arched a brow.

"Bad night?"He asked.

"Something like that." I managed a weak smile.

"Well." He said, sliding a glass of water toward me. "You can sit here and drown in whatever’s eating you… or you can pour it into a song and make them all feel it too."

I stared at the stage. The single spotlight over the mic stand was like a dare. My fingers itched. My throat burned with words I didn’t even know I wanted to say. Finally, I sighed and pushed the glass back toward him.

"Fine. But don’t blame me if they all leave crying."I frowned.

Vince grinned.

"That’s the Siren I know."He smirked.

I climbed onto the stage, my wet coat hanging heavy on my shoulders. The mic was cool against my fingertips. I closed my eyes, letting the silence stretch just long enough for the room to notice me. When I started singing, my voice was low and raw, carrying the weight of the rain, the betrayal, and the sharp sting of goodbyes I didn’t want to say. When the last note faded, I opened my eyes, and that’s when I saw him. In the corner, Xavier Blackstone was watching me. Not just watching but listening. He lifted his glass slightly, his gaze locked on mine like I was the only thing in the room worth noticing. It seems that I caught the eyes of amysteriouss billionaire, but I had no time for this. I needed to leave soon and figure out what Iwouldl do next.