Chapter 1: The Night He Chose Her
Rain poured relentlessly against the floor-to-ceiling windows, turning the city lights into blurred streaks of gold and silver. Inside the grand ballroom, everything sparkled—crystal chandeliers, expensive gowns, polished smiles.
But none of it belonged to Aria.
She stood near the edge of the room, fingers tightening around the tray of champagne glasses she was serving. Her simple black uniform felt painfully out of place among the glittering elites. She wasn't supposed to be noticed.
And yet—
"Make sure you don't spill anything," her supervisor whispered harshly as she passed. "Do you know who's here tonight?"
Aria nodded silently.
Of course she knew.
Everyone knew.
**Ethan Blackwood.**
The youngest billionaire CEO in the country. Cold. Untouchable. A man rumored to have destroyed competitors without blinking—and hearts without caring.
Aria had never seen him before.
But tonight, she would.
---
A sudden hush fell over the ballroom.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't announced.
But it spread—like a ripple of electricity.
Aria felt it before she saw him.
Then the doors opened.
He walked in like he owned not just the room—but the air everyone breathed.
Tall. Impossibly composed. Dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit that made him look less like a man and more like a verdict.
His sharp gaze swept across the room once—calm, unreadable, dangerous.
Women straightened.
Men stiffened.
Even the music seemed to hesitate.
Aria lowered her head quickly, focusing on her tray.
*Don't look at him. Don't get noticed.*
That was the rule.
That was how she survived.
---
"Champagne."
The voice was low.
Close.
Too close.
Aria froze.
Her heart skipped as she slowly lifted her eyes—
—and met his.
For a moment, the world disappeared.
His gaze locked onto hers, dark and piercing, as if he could see through every secret she had ever buried.
Aria's breath caught.
No one had ever looked at her like that.
Not curious.
Not kind.
Not even interested.
But this—
This felt like being chosen.
---
"I asked for champagne," he repeated calmly.
Her hands trembled slightly as she held out the tray.
"Y-yes, sir."
He didn't take a glass immediately.
Instead, his eyes remained on her face.
Studying.
Measuring.
Deciding.
It made her skin burn under his gaze.
*Why is he looking at me like that?*
She was just a server.
Invisible.
Replaceable.
Nothing.
---
"You're new," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Aria swallowed. "Yes."
A pause.
Then—
"Look at me."
Her breath hitched.
She hesitated.
No one spoke to him like this. No one disobeyed him.
Slowly… she raised her eyes again.
And instantly regretted it.
Because something in his expression had changed.
It wasn't cold anymore.
It was… intent.
---
Without warning, he reached out.
His fingers brushed lightly against her wrist.
The contact was brief—but it sent a shock straight through her body.
Aria almost dropped the tray.
Gasps whispered through the nearby guests.
Everyone was watching now.
*No… no, this is bad.*
---
"Come with me," he said.
The room went silent.
Aria's heart slammed violently in her chest. "I—I can't. I'm working—"
"You are now working for me."
His tone was calm.
Final.
As if the decision had already been made long before she opened her mouth.
---
Her supervisor rushed forward, pale and panicked. "Mr. Blackwood, she's just a temporary staff—if there's any mistake, I sincerely apologize—"
"There's no mistake."
Ethan didn't even glance at him.
His eyes never left Aria.
"I want her."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But absolute.
---
Aria felt the weight of every gaze in the room pressing down on her.
Confusion.
Jealousy.
Shock.
And something darker.
Danger.
"Why… me?" she whispered before she could stop herself.
For a second, something flickered in his eyes.
Something unreadable.
Then he leaned closer—just enough for only her to hear.
"Because," he said quietly, "you're the only one here who doesn't look at me like you want something."
Her breath trembled.
"That makes you… interesting."
Before she could respond, he straightened.
"From tonight onward," he said, his voice returning to that cold authority, "you belong to me."
The chandelier lights flickered slightly as thunder roared outside.
And just like that
Aria's life was no longer hers.
She didn't know it yet…
…but this was the beginning of a love that would ruin her—
…and a secret that could destroy them both .