The morning news hit like a thunderclap.

Aria’s face filled the front page of every major outlet, her smile radiant beside Ethan's photo from the charity gala where she’d first realized what kind of man he truly was.

HEADLINE: Ethan Devereux Announces Engagement to Heiress Aria Vale, Wedding Set for Late Summer.

Her phone wouldn’t stop ringing. Messages, calls, congratulatory emails, and friends she hadn’t spoken to in years suddenly wanted to be part of her big day.

But Aria hadn’t ...