Chapter 1

Ava Chen stared at the brochure in her hand. "The Sanctuary – Your Curated Life."

It promised a new identity, a secluded haven, even companions.

A family, a partner, all chosen, all designed for her.

She traced the glossy logo, a stylized wave crashing on a forested shore.

This was more than an escape. It was a complete erasure, a chance to build walls so high no one from her old life could ever touch her again.

The thought was terrifying, and exhilarating.

She had to finalize the arrangements soon.

A throat cleared nearby. "Mrs. Croft? They're waiting for your entrance."

Ava slipped the brochure into her clutch.

Showtime.

Tonight was the Chen Foundation's annual gala, an event Julian, her husband, had meticulously orchestrated.

He called it "Ava's Night," a celebration of her "tireless" charity work.

Ava knew it was a celebration of Julian Croft, the devoted husband, the philanthropic power player.

She forced a smile for the assistant and walked towards the ballroom doors.

The applause was deafening as she entered.

Julian was already on stage, beaming, his arm outstretched towards her.

He looked every bit the adoring spouse in his custom tuxedo.

"And here she is," Julian's voice boomed, amplified by the speakers, "my incredible wife, Ava! The heart and soul of our foundation."

He pulled her close, a public display of affection that made her skin crawl.

The cameras flashed.

Ava smiled wider, the perfect heiress, the perfect wife.

Inside, she felt like a hollow shell.

"He's just wonderful to her," a woman whispered at a nearby table as Julian led Ava to their seat of honor.

"Such dedication. Did you hear he personally oversaw every detail of this gala?" another replied.

"And that gown he designed for her with de la Renta for their wedding? A masterpiece of love."

Ava caught snippets of the praise.

They saw the performance, just as Julian intended.

They didn't see the calculation in his eyes, the way his smile never quite reached them when they were alone.

Ava remembered the early days, after Ethan.

Ethan Vance, her college love, who had tossed her aside for her sister, Liv.

Liv, the golden child, who collected hearts like trophies.

Julian had appeared then, a rock in her storm.

He was attentive, understanding, everything Ethan wasn't.

He had been her savior.

Or so she had believed.

Now, she saw the long game he' d played. Years of careful grooming, culminating in this gilded cage of a marriage.

A waiter stumbled near their table, a tray of champagne flutes tilting precariously.

Before anyone could react, Julian was there, his hand steadying the tray, his voice calm.

"Careful there," he said, a charming smile for the flustered waiter.

He turned to Ava. "You alright, my love? Wouldn't want any of that to spoil your beautiful dress."

Another perfect gesture for the audience.

Ava nodded, her throat tight. "I'm fine, Julian."

Later, Julian' s head of security, a man named Marcus, approached their table with a discreet nod.

"Mr. Croft, that matter with the press leak about the new acquisition? Handled. The source has been... persuaded to retract."

Julian squeezed Ava' s hand. "You see, darling? Nothing to worry your pretty head about. I take care of everything."

He meant it to sound like he was protecting her, her interests, their shared life.

Ava knew he was protecting his meticulously crafted image, his control.

She offered a small, strained smile. "Thank you, Julian."

No happiness, no relief. Just a dull ache of resignation.

Suddenly, Julian' s phone, lying face up on the table, lit up.

A text from Liv.

`Julian, emergency! Daddy' s being impossible about the Aspen trip. Need you NOW!`

Julian' s focus snapped to the phone, his brow furrowing with genuine concern.

All pretense of attentiveness to Ava vanished.

"Excuse me, my love," he said, already rising. "A small family matter with Liv. She needs my advice."

He barely glanced at Ava.

"I'll be back shortly."

He strode away, his phone already to his ear, his voice low and urgent as he spoke to Liv.

Ava watched him go.

Abandonment. It was a familiar feeling.

She pulled out her own phone, her fingers flying across the screen.

Liv' s latest Instagram story popped up.

A video of Liv pouting playfully in a luxurious boutique, surrounded by shopping bags.

The caption: `Retail therapy emergency! 😜 SOS @JulianCroft, need your impeccable taste!`

No distress. No family crisis. Just Liv, demanding attention, and Julian, rushing to provide it.

Ava' s heart, already scarred, felt another sharp tear.

She was always second. Always overlooked.

She thought of Ethan, his eyes following Liv around every party, his laughter louder when Liv was near.

He' d said Ava was too serious, too quiet. Liv was a firework.

The memory still stung, even after all these years.

Julian had been so different then.

He' d listened to her, validated her pain, promised her a love that was steady and true.

He' d picked up the pieces Ethan had shattered.

He' d made her believe in devotion again.

What a fool she' d been.

A wave of nausea hit her.

She needed air.

Ava excused herself, murmuring something about the powder room.

She walked past the chattering guests, the clinking glasses, the facade of her perfect life.

She found a deserted corridor leading to a service exit.

Leaning against the cool wall, she took a deep breath.

That' s when she heard their voices.

Julian and Liv.

They were in a small alcove just around the corner, hidden from view.

"...honestly, Liv, your timing," Julian was saying, his voice a low murmur, but carrying in the quiet corridor.

"Oh, don' t be such a bore, Jules," Liv' s voice, playful, seductive. "You know you love playing hero. Besides, the takeover plans are almost ready. We just need to ensure Ava' s shares are fully under your control before we make our move on Dad."

Ava froze. Takeover? Her shares?

"The pre-nup was a good start," Julian continued, "but her independent holdings... it' s taken years to get her to trust me with managing them. Another few months, and we can trigger the clauses we need. Once she' s financially neutered, and Dad is out, Chen Tech will finally be run by someone who deserves it. You."

Liv giggled. "And you' ll be right there with me, won't you, darling? After all this... performance with Ava."

Ava' s blood ran cold. Performance.

"Everything I do, Liv, is for you," Julian' s voice was raw, filled with an intensity Ava had never heard him direct at her. "She was just a means to an end. A very patient, very elaborate means. Once this is done, and she' s... dealt with... we can finally be together properly. No more hiding."

"My devoted Julian," Liv purred. "You always know how to get what I want."

Ava pressed her hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

The ski lodge fire last winter... Julian had rushed to Liv' s side, leaving Ava to fend for herself, saying Liv was more "fragile."

Her sudden autoimmune flare-up a year ago... Julian' s public display of "unwavering support," the large donation to research in her name. All calculated. All part of the show to gain her trust, to control her.

Every loving gesture, every whispered promise, a lie.

He didn' t just prefer Liv. He was in love with Liv. He had used Ava, methodically, cruelly, for years.

Her parents, Marcus and Eleanor Chen, they' d always favored Liv.

Liv, the charismatic social media star. Ava, the quiet, serious heiress.

Ethan had chosen Liv.

And now Julian, her husband, the man she' d trusted with her broken heart, had built their entire life on a foundation of deceit, all for Liv.

Everyone. Everyone chose Liv.

The despair was a suffocating weight.

But beneath it, a cold, hard anger began to form.

She wouldn't be a pawn. She wouldn't be "dealt with."

She thought of the brochure in her clutch. "The Sanctuary."

A fabricated life. Fabricated relationships.

It sounded insane.

But what was more insane? A life of manufactured love, or a life she manufactured herself, on her own terms?

The decision was made.

She would disappear. She would build her own world, a world where she was not a footnote in Liv' s story.

She would find her sanctuary, even if she had to buy it, piece by painstaking piece.

Ava Chen would cease to exist. And someone new would rise from her ashes.