Chapter 1

Olivia Hayes tapped a manicured nail on the glossy photograph.

"So, Ethan. You see it now. Bella and Victor Cole."

Her Austin office, high up, overlooked the city, but Ethan Miller only saw the picture.

Bella, his wife, laughing with Victor. Too close.

"This is what we talked about, Ethan. The pact."

Olivia' s voice was calm, like always. She was a venture capitalist, used to high stakes.

"He ruined your parents. He hurt my family's interests. You get close to Bella, steer her clear, gather what you can on him. I fund your startup. Principia. Remember?"

Ethan nodded, his throat tight.

He remembered. It was why he' d pursued Bella Rossi, CEO of InnovateATX, three years ago.

A strategic move.

Then he' d fallen in love with her. For real.

"She wants a divorce," Ethan said, his voice flat.

The words hung in the expensive air.

Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Already? Victor works fast."

She leaned back in her leather chair.

"This makes things... messier. Or cleaner, depending on how you play it."

Ethan looked at the photo again.

Bella, his Bella. Her smile, usually for him, now for Victor.

A cold fist clenched in his gut.

The world tilted. He' d put his own dreams on hold for her, for InnovateATX. Been her rock.

For this.

"I'll sign the papers," Ethan said. His voice was surprisingly steady.

"Give her the divorce."

Olivia studied him.

"And Victor? Our deal still stands. Neutralize him."

A beat of silence.

"You know, Ethan," Olivia said, a strange glint in her eye. "My ex, Mark? He also cheated. With a woman Victor introduced him to. Small world, huh?"

She almost smiled.

"Maybe we should team up on a different kind of venture. Revenge. Could be very satisfying."

Ethan didn' t smile back.

He just felt empty.

"I need to go home."

He drove back to the house he shared with Bella.

The house he' d helped design.

He cooked dinner. Her favorite. Grilled salmon, asparagus.

He set the table for two.

Habit. Or hope. He wasn' t sure which.

He waited.

The food got cold.

Nine o'clock. Ten. Eleven.

He texted Kevin Chen, Bella' s executive assistant.

"Is Bella still at the office?"

Kevin replied quickly. "No, Mr. Miller. She left hours ago. With Mr. Cole."

Kevin added, "They had a dinner reservation at Uchi."

Expensive. Romantic.

Ethan looked at the untouched plates.

He scraped the salmon and asparagus into the trash.

The sound was final.

He went to the guest room. He' d been sleeping there for a week, since Bella first grew distant.

Bella didn' t come home that night.

The next morning, she walked in as Ethan was making coffee.

She looked tired but... glowing.

"Morning," she said, a little too brightly.

"Rough night?" Ethan asked, his voice neutral. He handed her a mug. Black, two sugars. The way she liked it.

Or used to.

Bella took the coffee, her fingers brushing his.

She hesitated, looking at him.

He knew what was coming. He' d known since he saw the photos.

"Ethan," she began, her voice soft. "We need to talk."

She placed a folder on the kitchen island.

Divorce papers.

"I want to be with Victor," she said, not meeting his eyes. "He' s back. We reconnected. It' s... it was always him, Ethan."

He remembered the stories. Victor Cole. Her college sweetheart from UT Austin. Intense. Unforgettable, apparently.

The man who' d indirectly destroyed Ethan' s family through a Ponzi scheme connection.

The man Olivia Hayes wanted taken down.

"I know this is sudden," Bella continued, misreading his silence.

"We can take a month. Figure things out. I' ll be generous with the settlement. You deserve that."

She thought he was shocked. Hurt.

He was. But something else too. A strange clarity.

Ethan picked up a pen.

He signed the papers.

His signature, clear and firm.

Bella stared.

"Ethan?"

He pulled out his phone.

He called Olivia.

"Olivia. It's done. She served the papers. I signed."

A pause.

"Yeah. The one-month countdown starts now. Get everything ready for Denver. Principia."

He hung up.

He looked at Bella. Her beautiful, confused face.

"Some things, Bella," he said quietly, "you just have to let go."

A weight lifted from his chest.

It felt like breathing again.

He went to his laptop.

He set a calendar reminder.

"New Life: 30 Days."

Austin was about to be in his rearview mirror.

Or so he thought.