Aria's pov
I woke up this friday morning to the blaring noise of my alarm clock. I'd barely slept due to the late night meeting I had yesterday with Mia, my secretary, but the ache in my body didn't match the buzz of excitement humming under my skin.
In just a few days, everything I'd poured my heart into for two years would finally launch. "DreamForge Studios"my game, my story, my dream was about to go live.
Ethan,my husband, had been handling all the last minute chaos; venue bookings, sponsor calls, PR blasts, the final build.
All I had to do in his words was to show up looking like I belonged there.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand, ready to call him and hear that warm, confident voice say everything was perfect. He flew to London yesterday to meet some sponsors and unlike him,I haven't heard from him since then.
The screen lit up with a flood of notifications. My thumb froze mid-swipe
The top headline from a gaming news page hit me like a slap
"BREAKING: DreamForge Studios Launches TONIGHT! ,Exclusive First Look at 'Eclipse Realm' .The Next Big Thing in Mobile RPGs"
Tonight?
My heart started hammering,I scrolled faster, breath catching.
Invitations,countdown timers, event photos of a glittering ballroom with massive screens flashing my logo.
And every single one named the host,"CEO & Visionary Ethan Caldwell."
The word burned behind my eyes, I wasn't CEO. I'd registered the company,written the business plan on sleepless nights,coded the core mechanics while he slept beside me.
I was the founder,I was supposed to be the one on the fliers adverts.
I opened my email. There it was an invitation sent to my own address, addressed to "Special Guest." Not even a mention of me as a co-founder. Just Ethan's name in bold, like he'd built this from the ground up.
My mind spun through excuses,this could have been a mistake, surprise or maybe a last minute change he forgot to tell me about.
But the cold knot in my stomach knew better.
I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, staring at the screen until my eyes stung. Then I made the only decision that made sense.
I was going tonight to see it for myself.
*******
The Grand Horizon Hotel looked like something out of a dream I used to have.
Red carpet, flashing cameras, champagne flutes catching the light, people in expensive clothes laughing like they owned the night.
I felt like a ghost walking through my own life.
I wore the black cocktail dress Ethan had once called "dangerous",it was the dress we had set out for the launch night.
I slipped into the ballroom and the sound hit me first, electronic beats thumping, voices overlapping, the low hum of excitement.
The main stage was impossible to miss. A huge banner stretched across it;
"DREAMFORGE STUDIOS PRESENTS ECLIPSE REALM
CEO & Visionary,Ethan Caldwell"
My stomach lurched.
I scanned the crowd until I spotted him near the VIP ropes. He stood there tall, golden-haired, with a charming smile turned up to full wattage. Surrounded by investors and influencers, shaking hands like he'd been born for this.
He saw me. For half a second his smile disappeared , maybe due to guilt then it snapped back into place.
"Aria! You made it." He pulled me into a quick hug, lips brushing my cheek. "You look incredible, babe."
I didn't hug him back. "What the hell is this, Ethan? The launch is tonight? You're the CEO?"
He laughed softly, guiding me toward a quieter corner like I was being dramatic.
"Relax. It's strategic, the investors want a strong frontman. You know how it is,people trust a guy in a suit more than you a lady, just relax"
He trailed off, shrugging. "You're still part of it,a silent partner until everything is set then I'll introduce you babe."
"Silent partner?" My voice came out low, shaking. "I built this,every line of code down to the very last story beat. This is my company Ethan."
"And I made it happen," he said smoothly. "You were too soft and idealistic. I handled the hard parts,but just chill babe,all of that doesn't matter,it's only for a while."
I stared at him, seeing the stranger he'd turned into.
"Where's my name?" I whispered.
He glanced around, lowering his voice. "We'll talk later. Enjoy the night and don't make a scene."
He kissed my cheek again,dismissive,and walked back to his crowd.
I stood there, world tilting,my chest tight that breathing in that room was close to impossible.
For minutes I was motionless then it dawned on me that I needed more explanation, a look in the eye telling me why he erased my name from my company.
I slipped out of the ballroom and headed for the elevators when I couldn't find him in the crowd. Ethan who had lived his life mostly as a host always booked the penthouse suite for big nights. If he wasn't on the floor, he'd be up there.
The hallway on the suite level was quiet, lights dim, carpet muffling my heels.
Then I heard it, a low, breathy moan.
It was coming from Room 2804.
The door wasn't fully closed and a male voice echoed from the room,the voice was familiar but I could quite place whose it was with the muffled groans
My hand moved before my brain caught up and I pushed it open.
The room was lit only by the soft glow of the bedside lamps
Ethan was there on the king-sized bed naked.
Mia, my secretary, the quiet girl who'd sat beside me through late-night debugging sessions was beneath him, legs wrapped high around his waist.
His hips rolled in a steady, deep rhythm, muscles flexing under his skin as he thrust into her. She arched, fingers digging into his shoulders, gasping his name like she'd been waiting for this moment forever.
Ethan groaned low in his throat, head thrown back, one hand gripping her thigh hard enough to leave marks, the other tangled in her hair, pulling just enough to make her moan louder.
They didn't notice me,at least not at first.
I stood frozen in the doorway, the sound of skin slapping skin, their ragged breathing, the wet slide of their bodies filling the silence inside my head.
Then Ethan's eyes flicked open,he saw me.
His rhythm faltered for half a heartbeat, pupils blowing wide.
"Aria_"