Chapter 4 Awakening

Ariana sat in the darkness of her apartment, the only light coming from the flickering candle on the coffee table. The shadows danced against the walls, but she didn't move. Didn't blink.

Her phone lay in front of her, the screen cracked from when she had thrown it earlier. Liam had called fourteen times. Sienna had texted. Both had left voicemails, their voices filled with fake remorse, but Ariana hadn't listened.

She was done listening.

Her fingers traced the rim of her wine glass, her nails tapping against the crystal in slow, deliberate movements. Her body still ached from exhaustion, her abdomen sore from the pain she had suffered all day. And yet, the burning anger in her chest was stronger than anything she had ever felt before.

They thought they could betray her and walk away unscathed.

They thought she would cry, break, and disappear.

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

Ariana took a slow sip of wine, letting the bitterness settle on her tongue as she leaned back into the couch. Her mind was no longer clouded with heartbreak-it was sharp, focused.

She wasn't going to beg Liam to love her. She wasn't going to waste another second mourning a friendship that had never been real.

She was going to destroy them.

Ariana reached for her notebook, flipping to a fresh page.

At the top, she wrote two names in bold, capital letters:

LIAM CARTER

SIENNA HAYES

She tapped her pen against the paper, her dark eyes narrowed. If she was going to ruin them, she needed leverage.

Step One: Identify Their Weaknesses

She started with Liam.

His Reputation: Liam prided himself on being an untouchable businessman. He was the golden boy of Carter Enterprises, the man with the perfect life and perfect girlfriend. The media adored him. Investors trusted him. If the world saw him for what he truly was-a liar and a fraud-he would crumble.

His Business Deals: Liam had told her things in confidence. Deals that weren't always... legal. He had laughed about it over dinner, brushing off the gray areas in his contracts as "necessary risks." She hadn't thought much of it then. But now? Now it was ammunition.

His Ego: Liam was arrogant. He thrived on control. If she could take that away from him, if she could make him feel powerless, she could break him without lifting a finger.

She smirked. Good.

Then, she moved on to Sienna.

Her Social Status: Sienna was nothing without her connections. She needed to be adored, to be admired. If Ariana could turn people against her, Sienna would be isolated.

Her Career: Sienna worked at an elite PR firm, handling high-profile clients. If even a whiff of scandal touched her name, she would lose everything.

Her Secrets: Ariana knew things about Sienna. Personal things. Things she had trusted her with. Sienna had weaponized Ariana's vulnerability against her-now it was time to return the favor.

Ariana exhaled slowly, staring at the two names on the page.

This wouldn't be an emotional outburst. She wasn't going to scream, cry, or make a scene.

No.

She was going to dismantle them piece by piece, so slowly that by the time they realized what was happening, it would already be too late.

She tapped her pen against the page before writing the final step.

Step Three: Make Them Watch As She Wins.

Ariana closed the notebook, her jaw tight.

They had taken so much from her.

It was time to take everything from them.

A soft chime interrupted her thoughts.

Her mother.

Ariana stared at the phone, debating whether to answer.

She finally swiped to accept the call, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Hi, Mom."

"Sweetheart, it's late. Are you okay?"

Ariana closed her eyes. No. No, she wasn't okay.

But she had spent years perfecting the art of pretending.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "Just tired."

There was a pause, and then her mother's voice softened. "Ari, I know you. You only get quiet when something is wrong."

Ariana hesitated. Her mother always saw through her.

She imagined her now-Victoria Cole, always poised, always elegant. Her mother had been a force of nature in the business world, a woman who had built an empire from nothing. She had taught Ariana to be strong, to never show weakness.

Her father, James Cole, was the opposite. He was kind, gentle in a way that softened the sharp edges of his wife. He had taught Ariana how to dream, how to love.

And now?

Now she felt like she had failed them both.

Her fingers curled around the phone. "Liam cheated on me."

Silence.

Then, her mother's voice came, clipped and icy. "With who?"

Ariana's throat tightened. "Sienna."

There was a long pause, then the sound of something being placed down on a table.

"That little snake," her mother murmured.

Ariana let out a breathless, bitter laugh. "You always hated her."

"I always knew she was dangerous," her mother corrected. "She smiled too much. A woman who smiles like that is always hiding something."

Ariana swallowed the lump in her throat. "I should've listened to you."

"You loved them," her mother said simply. "Love makes fools of us all."

Ariana closed her eyes, her hand gripping the notebook beside her.

"I don't want to be a fool anymore, Mom."

For the first time, she heard pride in her mother's voice.

"Good," Victoria said. "Then make them regret it."

Ariana exhaled, her chest tightening. "I will."

And for the first time in hours, she meant it.

Ariana ended the call, her mind already spinning with possibilities.

The game had begun.

Tomorrow, she would start with Liam. She would find the weakest crack in his perfect image and pry it open until his entire world came crashing down.

Then, she would deal with Sienna.

And when it was over?

She would be the last one standing.