“Aria,” Cassandra began, her voice carefully trembling as if she had rehearsed every syllable in front of a mirror. She placed her fork down with deliberate gentleness and turned to me, her eyes already glossy. “I just… I really wanted to thank you. For forgiving me.”
Across the table, Marcus stopped eating. His gaze shifted between us, cautious and unreadable, like he was watching a scene he couldn’t yet control.
“I never intended to hurt you,” Cassandra went on, a tear slipping down her cheek at just the right moment. “The path was slippery, I lost my footing, and I accidentally collided with you. I’ve been reliving it every night since. I’m just relieved we can finally move forward as a family.”
I chewed slowly, forcing down the bitterness rising in my throat. Liar. She had met my eyes before she pushed me. She had smiled. But I couldn’t afford to expose her yet. Two days. I only needed two more days.
So I softened my expression, letting a calm, forgiving smile settle on my face like a mask.
“It’s alright, Cassandra,” I said gently, my tone almost sweet. “Things like that happen. There’s no point clinging to what’s already behind us.” I slid my hand over Marcus’s, squeezing it lightly as though we were united. “Besides, Marcus and I are focusing on what comes next. We have plans for the future.”
Marcus looked at me, momentarily taken aback by the sudden warmth in my voice, before something like approval flickered in his expression. “We do?”
“Of course,” I said brightly, shifting my gaze to Cassandra and holding it. “We’re going to try again for a baby. Isn’t that right, darling?”
The effect was immediate. The color drained from Cassandra’s face so quickly it was almost satisfying. The glass in her hand trembled violently, spilling water onto the tablecloth.
“A—another baby?” she stuttered, her eyes darting to Marcus for reassurance.
“Yes,” I continued, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret. “The doctor says my recovery is going well. And Marcus needs an heir. We’ll start as soon as I’m fully healed. Isn’t that what we agreed on?”
I didn’t wait for Marcus’s response. I reached up, grabbed his lapel, and pulled him down into a kiss—deep, deliberate, and claiming.
It wasn’t affection.
It was declaration.
I felt him stiffen at first, then slowly respond as his pride took over, feeding on the attention. When I pulled away, I saw it clearly in Cassandra’s face—the sharp, burning fury she couldn’t hide anymore. She looked like she wanted to shatter the glass in her hand and drive it through my chest.
“That’s… wonderful,” she managed through clenched teeth, gripping her napkin so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“I think so too,” I said calmly, lifting my wine glass. “To new beginnings.”
**
The following morning, I woke with a clarity I hadn’t felt in weeks. Time was running out, and every second mattered. If Cassandra thought she had already won, she was about to learn how wrong she was.
I called the Caldwell family jeweler, Mr. Beaumont, and requested his entire new collection be brought to the estate. By midday, the living room table was lined with velvet trays overflowing with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires that glittered under the light.
“I’ll take this one,” I said casually, pointing to a diamond choker that cost more than most homes. “And the matching earrings. Oh, and that bracelet over there as well.”
“Aria?”
I turned. Cassandra stood in the doorway in a silk robe that barely reached mid-thigh, her arms crossed tightly as she scanned the table. Her gaze sharpened when it landed on the jewelry.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
“Shopping,” I replied lightly, lifting a ruby ring to the light as if I had all the time in the world. “Marcus told me to treat myself. Said it would help with recovery… emotional trauma and all that.”
“That necklace is fifty thousand dollars,” she said sharply, stepping further into the room. “You can’t just spend Marcus’s money like it’s nothing.”
“Actually,” I said, my voice cooling, “I can. I’m his wife. What belongs to him also belongs to me.”
I turned back to Mr. Beaumont. “Add the emerald pendant as well.”
Cassandra stormed closer, her face flushing. “This is ridiculous. You’re only doing this to provoke me. You know Marcus is trying to secure funding for the resort project. You’re being irresponsible.”
“Me?” I let out a short laugh, sharp and humorless. “I lost a child, Cassandra. I nearly lost my leg. Forgive me if I want something beautiful for once. Unlike some people who contribute nothing here except noise.”
“I am a Caldwell!” she snapped. “I’m his sister!”
“Adopted,” I corrected quietly, my tone cutting. “And if we’re being honest, you’ve never exactly behaved like one, have you?”
“What is going on here?”
Marcus’s voice thundered through the room as he entered, briefcase in hand, his expression already tight with annoyance. His eyes flicked from the jewelry to me, then to Cassandra.
Before he could say anything else, Cassandra rushed to him. She collapsed against his chest, instantly switching from fury to fragility.
“Marcus,” she sobbed, “she’s being cruel to me. She’s buying all of this just to hurt me. And when I tried to stop her, she said I’m not even real family.”
Marcus exhaled heavily, like a man burdened by constant conflict. Then he looked at the jewelry, then back at me.
“Aria,” he said sharply, disappointment already creeping into his tone. “Is this really necessary? You know the board meeting is coming up. We need liquidity right now.”
“I’m just buying a few things,” I replied softly, forcing my voice to sound wounded. “You told me to rest. You said I should take care of myself. Why is she suddenly the one deciding what I can or cannot do?”
“Because she’s protecting this family!” Marcus snapped, sliding an arm around Cassandra as if shielding her. “She’s right, Aria. This is reckless. Tell the jeweler to leave.”
Heat rushed to my face, not from shame—but from clarity. It was never about the jewelry. It was about where I stood in his life. Even now, even after everything, I was still second.
“So that’s it?” I said slowly, pushing myself up with my crutch. “She cries, and you believe her? She objects, and you obey?”
“She’s my sister,” Marcus said firmly, his voice dropping into something colder. “Stop trying to compete with her. It’s embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing?” I repeated, stepping closer despite the pain shooting through my leg. “I’m your wife, Marcus. I’m the woman who carried your child. I’ve been with you through everything.”
My hand lifted, trembling, pointing directly at Cassandra, who was now smirking against his chest.
“She pushed me off a cliff,” I said sharply, “and you protected her. But I buy jewelry, and suddenly I’m the problem?”
“Enough, Aria,” Marcus warned, his eyes darkening. “You’re being irrational.”
“I’m not irrational!” I snapped back. “I’m finally seeing clearly. You defend her. You excuse her. You choose her—every single time.”
Silence pressed between us, heavy and suffocating.
I looked at him straight on, my heart pounding violently.
“I’m your wife, Marcus,” I said more quietly now, each word deliberate. “Shouldn’t that mean something?”
Marcus didn’t answer immediately. His arm stayed around Cassandra, unmoving, possessive.
His expression hardened.
“Aria,” he said at last, voice low and final. “Don’t make me say what you already know.”
