Chapter 1 Shattered Vows

The pen in my hand hovered just above the line.

Black ink. Stark white paper. The scent of old books and disinfectant stung my nose in the stale lawyer's office, and I realized I'd been holding my breath for the past ten seconds. Maybe longer.

"You don't have to sign it today," my attorney said gently, her voice calm and practiced. "We can reschedule if-"

"No," I said, sharper than intended. I softened my tone. "No. It's fine."

I signed.

That was it. Seven years of marriage, reduced to one signature and a painfully thin manila folder. I felt nothing at first. Not relief, not sorrow. Just... numbness. Like my body had gone offline and my brain was buffering the reality of it all.

"Jordan's team already signed and filed. He waived alimony. No contest," the lawyer continued, sliding the papers into a polished leather folder like she was tucking in a child for bed. "You're officially free, Lila."

Free.

The word hung in the air, bright and cruel.

Jordan Carter-CEO, genius, the man who once brought me coffee every morning just to see me smile-hadn't even bothered to show up. Not that I was surprised. He hadn't shown up for a long time now.

Not to dinners.

Not to anniversaries.

Not to me.

He's busy, I used to tell myself. He's building a future for us.

Until the future showed up wearing red lipstick and thigh-high ambition.

Her name was Claire Foster, and she was everything I wasn't-polished, dangerous, and always two inches from Jordan's side during every press event. They said it was just business. But the lipstick on his collar said otherwise.

I left the office and stepped into the early evening air, pulling my coat tighter against the cold. The city buzzed around me-horns blaring, distant chatter, the scent of roasted chestnuts from a nearby vendor-but everything felt muted. Like I was walking through glass.

When I got home, I kicked off my heels, peeled out of my blazer, and sank into the worn, mustard-yellow couch in my tiny apartment. The cushions welcomed me like an old friend-unlike the sterile walls of the penthouse I'd once shared with Jordan.

This place wasn't much. But it was mine.

I looked around-houseplants on the windowsill, a crooked bookshelf I built myself, a sink full of dishes I'd get to tomorrow. There was freedom in the chaos. Pain, too.

I wasn't okay. Not yet.

But I would be.

I just needed one night where I wasn't "Lila Bennett, divorcée." Just Lila. Just... me.

My phone buzzed on the table.

ZOEY: Party's still on, babe. You coming or hiding in that cute little cave of yours again?

I stared at the screen.

LILA: I'm coming. Just give me thirty.

Freedom deserved a toast-even if it came in the form of cheap champagne and slightly judgmental stares.

---

The loft was packed.

Music thumped through my heels the second I stepped in. Warm lights hung from the exposed beams, casting a soft golden glow over a sea of sleek dresses and expensive colognes. The scent of champagne and perfume clung to the air. Someone laughed too loud behind me.

"LILA!" Zoey squealed, appearing from nowhere like a fairy in six-inch heels. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled back, eyes scanning my outfit. "Black silk? Slit up the thigh? Girl, you look like vengeance."

"Good," I said. "Because that's exactly what I'm drinking to."

She handed me a glass. "To endings."

I clinked mine against hers. "And beginnings."

We drank.

I tried to smile. I tried to mean it. But then I felt it-him.

Eyes.

From across the room.

My spine straightened like a string had been pulled. And I saw him.

Leaning against the bar, a glass of something amber in his hand, suit tailored like it was designed just for him. His gaze was locked on me. Intense. Curious. Dangerous.

And God help me, magnetic.

"Who's that?" I asked, not looking away.

Zoey followed my gaze and whistled low. "Declan Moore. CEO of Moore Industries. Tech mogul. Billionaire. Single. And known for leaving a trail of emotionally damaged women behind."

I blinked. "Well. That's a hell of an intro."

"Don't worry, he's got a strict type," she said, sipping her drink. "Cold, high-maintenance heiresses with trust funds and no souls."

Our eyes met again across the room. He raised his glass, slow and deliberate.

"Guess I'm safe then," I muttered, suddenly aware of every inch of exposed skin.

"You want to leave?" Zoey asked, her voice dropping. "We can bounce. Go get greasy food. Watch bad Netflix."

I shook my head. "No. I want another drink."

I made my way to the bar, heels tapping against concrete, and slid into the empty space beside him. He didn't speak at first. Just looked at me, as if trying to read a page that hadn't been written yet.

"I don't usually come to these things," I said, ordering another glass of champagne.

"Neither do I," he said, voice like velvet and smoke. "But then again, I didn't come here for the party."

My lips curved slightly. "That so?"

"I came for the woman who just signed her freedom away and still managed to walk in like a queen."

I blinked. "You know who I am."

"Everyone in this room knows who you are," he said, sipping his drink. "But I'm the only one who knows you're pretending not to care."

He wasn't wrong.

I hated that he wasn't wrong.

"So what now?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "You psychoanalyze me, and I fall into your bed?"

"No," he said, his smile sharp and slow. "You already decided that part. I'm just here to make sure you don't change your mind."

His words hit something low in my stomach.

And suddenly, I didn't want to be alone tonight.

I wanted to forget.

I wanted to feel.

I wanted to burn it all down and start from ash.

We left before midnight.

No goodbyes. No explanations.

Just two strangers walking into the dark-

-ready to make one mistake they couldn't take back.