The next morning, Aria woke before dawn.

The city outside was still cloaked in quiet gray, the kind of silence that made her feel invisible, safe, for once. She stood before the mirror, studying her reflection. The woman who stared back didn't look broken anymore. She looked dangerous.

She had made her decision.

For weeks, she'd been Ethan's polished trophy, his showpiece at charity galas, his obedient fiancée, his perfect performance. But now she would become something else entirely: his ...