THE QUEEN OF THE BLACK RAVENS

People say your first heartbreak is the hardest to survive. They're wrong. The hardest heartbreak is when the people you consider family are the ones who destroy you. I learned that lesson on the night I lost everything. I grew up in the Black Ravens Motorcycle Club. To outsiders, the Black Ravens were dangerous men who lived by their own rules. To me, they were family. I had spent my entire life inside the clubhouse, running through hallways, learning to ride motorcycles before I could even drive a car, and falling asleep to the sound of roaring engines. I was Victor Hayes' daughter.

The club princess. At least, that's what everyone called me. I had five boys who had been by my side for as long as I could remember. Jaxon, Ryder, Mason, Cole, and Ethan. The entire club used to joke that wherever one of us went, the other five followed. Jaxon was my first love. Ryder was my protector. Mason could always make me laugh. Cole was the calm one, the one who kept everyone grounded. Ethan was my partner in crime. They were my best friends. My family. My home. And I trusted them with my life. That was my biggest mistake. "You've been staring at yourself for ten minutes," Ava said, leaning against my bedroom door with a grin. "If you keep this up, we're going to be late." I rolled my eyes and turned away from the mirror. "I just want everything to be perfect." Ava smiled sadly. "You always want everything to be perfect." Tonight mattered. It was my twenty-first birthday, and the entire club was throwing a party downstairs. But that wasn't the reason I was nervous. Jaxon had been acting strangely for weeks. Distracted. Distant. Every time I asked if something was wrong, he would kiss my forehead and tell me I was imagining things. Tonight, he had promised we would talk. Part of me was terrified. Another part hoped he would finally propose. "Stop overthinking," Ava said, walking over and fixing a strand of my hair. "Go downstairs. Everyone's waiting." I smiled. "You're coming, right?" She hesitated. Something about her expression made my stomach tighten. "Ava?" "I'm coming," she said quickly. "I'll be down in a minute." I nodded and headed downstairs. The music was loud enough to shake the walls. The clubhouse was packed with members, family, and friends. Laughter filled the room. Someone had decorated the entire place with black and silver balloons. "There's the birthday girl!" Mason shouted the moment he saw me. A chorus of cheers erupted. For a few minutes, everything felt normal. Ryder pulled me into a hug. Ethan handed me a drink. Cole wished me a happy birthday. Even Jaxon smiled when our eyes met from across the room. But something still felt off. I couldn't explain it. I just knew. I was making my way toward Jaxon when the front doors opened. The entire room fell silent. A young woman walked inside. She looked around my age, maybe a little older. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and the kind of beauty that made people stare. The problem wasn't that she was beautiful. The problem was that Jaxon looked like he had seen a ghost. I stopped walking. The girl's eyes landed on Jaxon. Then she smiled. And Jaxon smiled back. My heart sank. Slowly, the girl walked toward us. Nobody said a word. The tension inside the clubhouse was unbearable. "Jaxon," she whispered. He swallowed hard. "Isabella." I frowned. "You know her?" Nobody answered. I looked around. Ryder looked uncomfortable. Mason was staring at the floor. Cole wouldn't look at me. Ethan looked angry. Fear gripped my chest. "What's going on?" Jaxon finally looked at me. For the first time in six years, I couldn't read his expression. "Aria, we need to talk." My blood ran cold. No. No, no, no. People never said those words unless something terrible was about to happen. I forced a smile. "Okay. Let's talk." "Not here." "Why not here?" Silence. The entire room seemed to hold its breath. Then Isabella stepped forward. "I'm sorry." I stared at her. "Sorry for what?" Tears filled her eyes. That terrified me. Because strangers didn't apologize unless they had done something terrible. I looked back at Jaxon. "What is she talking about?" Jaxon closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was something inside them that I had never seen before. Guilt. "I'm sorry, Aria." My world stopped. Because deep down I already knew. And whatever he was about to say was going to destroy me. "I've fallen in love with someone else." Everything inside me shattered. And standing beside him, holding his hand, was the girl who had just walked into my life. The girl who was about to take everything from me. Isabella. I stared at him, certain I had heard him wrong. "What?" Jaxon's face turned pale, but he didn't take back his words. "I didn't mean for this to happen." A broken laugh escaped my lips. "You didn't mean for what to happen? Falling in love with someone else? Or humiliating me in front of everyone I love?" "Aria" "No." I shook my head, tears burning my eyes. "Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me this is some joke." Nobody spoke. Not Jaxon. Not Ryder. Not Mason. Not Cole. Not Ethan. The silence was answer enough. I looked around the clubhouse. Every single person was watching me with pity. Pity. I hated pity. "How long?" I whispered. Jaxon looked away. "How long have you been with her?" He remained silent. "Jaxon." "A few months." My heart shattered. "A few months," I repeated softly. "A few months while you were still with me?" He nodded. I took a step back as if he had slapped me. "Wow." Ryder moved toward me. "Aria, let us explain." I looked at him in disbelief. "Explain what, Ryder? Explain why all of you look guilty?" Nobody said anything. My eyes moved from one familiar face to another. And suddenly, I understood. "You knew." Mason closed his eyes. Cole lowered his head. Ethan cursed under his breath. I felt sick. "You all knew." "Aria" "Don't." My voice shook. "Please don't lie to me again." The entire room was silent. I looked back at Jaxon. "Were you ever going to tell me?" "Yes." "When?" "Tonight." I laughed through my tears. "On my birthday?" Jaxon looked devastated, but I didn't care. Not anymore. I had spent six years loving him. Six years of believing that one day we would get married. Six years of building my future around him. And in a matter of seconds, everything was gone. Isabella stepped forward. "I'm really sorry." I turned toward her. "You should be." Without another word, I removed the silver bracelet Jaxon had given me on our first anniversary. I stared at it for a moment. Then I dropped it at his feet. The sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the silent clubhouse. "I never want to see any of you again." I turned around and walked away. Nobody tried to stop me. And somehow, that hurt the most. I barely made it to the staircase before someone grabbed my wrist. "Aria, wait." I knew that voice. Ryder. I pulled my hand away immediately. "Don't touch me." Ryder looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Please, just listen to me." I shook my head. "You don't get to ask me for anything right now." "None of us wanted to hurt you." A bitter smile crossed my face. "That's funny because you all did." "Aria-" "No, Ryder." I wiped angrily at the tears running down my face. "Do you know what hurts the most? It's not that Jaxon fell in love with someone else. People fall out of love all the time." Ryder remained silent. "It's the fact that all of you knew and still looked me in the eye every single day." My voice cracked. "You let me make plans for a future that didn't exist." Pain flashed across Ryder's face. "We were trying to protect you." I laughed through my tears. "Stop saying that. None of you protected me. You abandoned me." For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then I whispered the words that would haunt all five boys for years. "You were supposed to choose me." Ryder looked completely shattered. But I was too broken to care. Without another glance, I walked upstairs, unaware that downstairs, Victor Hayes was staring at a sealed envelope with my name written across it. An envelope he had promised never to open unless everything fell apart. And tonight, everything had.

I didn't remember leaving the clubhouse. One minute, I was standing in the middle of the room with everyone's eyes on me, struggling to breathe as Jaxon confessed that he loved someone else. Next, I was sitting in my car, grabbing the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. Rain poured heavily outside. I hadn't even realized it was raining. My vision was obscured as tears streamed down my face. Jaxon had betrayed me. No. That wasn't the part that hurt the most. The part that destroyed me was that Ryder, Mason, Cole, and Ethan had known. All of them.

The boys who had promised me a thousand times that they would never let anyone hurt me had stood there and watched my heart break. I laughed bitterly. Maybe I deserved it. Maybe I had been stupid. Stupid enough to believe in forever. Stupid enough to believe that people actually kept promises. By the time I reached home, it was almost midnight. The mansion was dark except for one light in the living room. Dad was awake. Wonderful. I quickly wiped my face and climbed out of the car, hoping I could sneak upstairs unnoticed. No such luck. "Aria?" I froze. Dad stood in the doorway, concern written all over his face. "What happened?" That simple question broke me. I burst into tears. He was beside me instantly, wrapping his arms around me. "What happened, sweetheart?" For several seconds, I couldn't speak. The words refused to come out. Finally, I whispered, "Jaxon cheated on me." Dad went still. "What?" I laughed through my tears. "Apparently, everyone knew except me." Dad frowned. "What do you mean, everyone?" "Ryder, Mason, Cole, Ethan." I wiped my eyes angrily. "They all knew." His expression darkened immediately. "Come inside." I followed him into the house. The moment we entered the living room, he handed me a glass of water. I sat on the couch while he remained standing. "Start from the beginning." So I did. I told him everything. About Isabella. About Jaxon's confession. About the boys keeping secrets. About standing in front of the entire club while my life fell apart. Dad didn't interrupt once. But by the time I finished, he looked furious. "They had no right." I shook my head. "No. They didn't." The silence stretched between us. "Do you want me to talk to them?" I immediately shook my head. "No." Because talking wouldn't change anything. Nothing would. Jaxon still loved someone else. The boys had still lied. My family had still chosen silence over me. "I'm going to bed." Dad nodded. "Try to get some sleep." I almost laughed. Sleep. As if that was possible. I walked upstairs and headed straight for my room. The second I closed the door behind me, my phone started ringing. Jaxon. I rejected the call. A second later, Ryder called. Then Mason. Cole. Ethan. One after another. I ignored every single call. A message appeared. Jaxon: Please talk to me. Another. Ryder: We're outside. I frowned. Outside? Confused, I walked toward my window. Five motorcycles stood in front of our house. Five familiar figures stood beside them. My heart clenched painfully. They had actually followed me home. A small pebble hit my window. Then another. I threw the curtains open. "What?" Ryder looked relieved. "Thank God." "Go home." "Aria, please listen." "No." Mason stepped forward. "We just want to explain." I stared at him. "Explain what? How all of you lied to me for months?" Nobody answered. Exactly. "Go away." "Please," Ethan said quietly. I looked at him. "You know what hurts the most?" Nobody spoke. "You were all my family." My voice cracked. "I would have done anything for you." Ryder looked devastated. "So would we." I laughed. "Really? Because family doesn't stand by while someone destroys the person they claim to love." Jaxon finally spoke. "I never wanted to hurt you." I looked directly at him. "Then you should have broken up with me before falling in love with someone else." He lowered his head. Silence. Heavy. Painful. "Please leave." Nobody moved. I felt anger rising inside me. "Leave!" This time, they listened. One by one, they climbed onto their motorcycles. Jaxon was the last to leave. For several seconds, he stood there staring at me. Then he whispered, "I'm sorry." I slammed the window shut. Then I locked it. One by one, I blocked their numbers. Jaxon. Blocked. Ryder. Blocked. Mason. Blocked. Cole. Blocked. Ethan. Blocked. Six years. Gone with the press of a button. I cried myself to sleep. The next morning, I woke up feeling numb. For a few seconds, I forgot. Then reality hit me. Jaxon. The betrayal. Everything. I groaned and buried my face in my pillow. A knock sounded. "Come in." Dad entered carrying a tray. "Breakfast." I sat up slowly. "I'm not hungry." "You need to eat." I sighed. There was no point in arguing. I forced myself to eat a few bites. Dad watched me carefully. "You're staying home today." "I have classes." "No." I frowned. "Dad-" "No arguments." I knew that tone. The conversation was over. My phone buzzed. Unknown Number. I ignored it. It rang again. And again. Frustrated, I answered. "What?" Silence. Then a female voice spoke. "Hello, Aria." I froze. I recognized that voice immediately. Isabella. "What do you want?" "I need to talk to you." I laughed bitterly. "We have nothing to talk about." "Please. It's important." "I don't care." "Aria, there are things you don't know." Anger exploded inside me. "Save it." I hung up. Seconds later, a message arrived. Meet me at the Riverside Cafe at noon. What I have to tell you concerns your mother. My blood ran cold. My mother? Before I could think, another message appeared. Come alone. I stared at the screen. Something told me not to go. But another part of me couldn't ignore it. Because Isabella had just mentioned the one person who could make me do anything. My late mother. And deep down... I knew I was going to meet her. I spent the next three hours staring at my phone. I should have ignored the message. I knew that. Isabella had already taken enough from me. I owed her nothing. Yet I couldn't stop thinking about what she had said. What I have to tell you concerns your mother. My mother had died when I was ten. A car accident. At least, that's what I had always been told. Everyone in the Black Ravens knew how close we had been. Mom had been my entire world. Even after all these years, there were still days when I reached for my phone, wanting to call her before remembering that I couldn't. If Isabella was using my mother to manipulate me, I was going to lose my mind. But if she wasn't I needed answers. At exactly eleven-thirty, I got dressed and quietly headed downstairs. Dad looked up from his laptop the moment he saw me. "Where are you going?" I hesitated. "Out." "Out where?" "Just out." Dad frowned. "Aria, after what happened last night, I don't think that's a good idea." "I need some air." "Take one of the club guys with you." I immediately shook my head. "No." "Sweetheart" "No, Dad." The last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by the Black Ravens. Not today. Maybe not ever again. Dad studied me for a moment before sighing. "Be careful." I nodded and left before he could change his mind. The drive to Riverside Cafe felt longer than usual. My stomach was in knots. Part of me hoped Isabella wouldn't show up. Unfortunately, she was already there when I arrived. She sat alone near the window, dressed casually in jeans and a white sweater. For someone who had destroyed my relationship less than twenty-four hours ago, she looked surprisingly miserable. Good. I walked over slowly. "You have ten minutes." She looked up. "Thank you for coming." "I came because you mentioned my mother." Isabella nodded. "I know." I remained standing. "I'm not sitting." She looked hurt. I didn't care. "What do you want?" She took a deep breath. "First, I want to apologize." I laughed. "No." "Aria" "No." I folded my arms. "You don't get to apologize and expect everything to become okay magically." "I know." "Do you?" I asked quietly. "Because you walked into my life and took the person I loved." Tears filled Isabella's eyes. "I never wanted any of this." I stared at her. "Funny. Neither did I." For several seconds, neither of us spoke. Finally, Isabella slid a small envelope across the table. My heart immediately started racing. "What's this?" "It belonged to your mother." I froze. "What?" "My father gave it to me a few weeks ago." I didn't touch it. "Why would your father have something that belonged to my mother?" Isabella looked uncomfortable. "Because our families knew each other." I frowned. "What are you talking about?" "Your mother and my mother were best friends." The world seemed to stop. "What?" Isabella nodded. "They grew up together." I stared at her. "My mother never mentioned your family." "There's a reason for that." I laughed bitterly. "Of course there is. There always is." Isabella looked down. "Aria, there are a lot of things you don't know." I was getting tired of hearing that sentence. I picked up the envelope with shaking hands. Written across the front, in handwriting I recognized instantly, were three words. For my daughter. Tears filled my eyes immediately. It was my mother's handwriting. I would recognize it anywhere. "Where did you get this?" I whispered. "My father found it among my mother's things after she passed away." I looked up sharply. "Your mother is dead?" She nodded sadly. For the first time, I saw something familiar in her expression. Grief. Real grief. The kind that never truly leaves. Slowly, I opened the envelope. Inside was a single photograph. My breath caught. The picture showed my mother. Beside her stood another woman who looked remarkably like Isabella. Both women were laughing. And between them stood two small girls. One was obviously me. The other was Isabella. I stared at the photograph in disbelief. "That's impossible." "We were friends when we were little," Isabella said softly. "I don't remember you." "You were only six when my family moved away." I looked back at the picture. I had no memory of it. None. But there was no denying it. It was me. I looked at Isabella. "What happened?" She swallowed hard. "Our mothers had a fight." "About what?" Isabella hesitated. I immediately became suspicious. "What?" She looked away. "It was about you." A chill ran down my spine. "What does that mean?" Before Isabella could answer, someone grabbed my arm. I gasped. Jaxon stood beside me, breathing heavily. "What the hell are you doing here?" Anger exploded inside me. "Let go of me." Jaxon immediately released my arm. "I've been trying to reach you all morning." "I blocked you." "I know." "Then take the hint." Jaxon's eyes shifted toward Isabella. "What is she doing?" I laughed. "Funny. I was about to ask the same thing about you."

Because a man stood near the entrance, I had never seen him before. Tall. Broad shoulders. Dressed in an expensive black suit. And somehow, despite never seeing him before in my life, I knew he wasn't there for coffee. He was there for me. The stranger's eyes locked onto mine, and something cold settled in my stomach. "Aria," Isabella whispered, her face pale. "We need to leave." I frowned. "Who is he?" Before she could answer, the man started walking toward us. Jaxon immediately stepped in front of me. "Stay behind me." I almost laughed.

Twenty-four hours ago, I would have found his protectiveness comforting. Now, it only made me angry. "I can stand on my own, Jaxon." He looked like he wanted to argue, but before he could, the stranger stopped in front of our table. For several seconds, he simply stared at me. Then he smiled. "Miss Hayes." I stiffened. "Do I know you?" "No." His smile widened slightly. "But your mother knew me." Every muscle in my body froze. "My mother?" The man nodded. "My name is Adrian Cross." The name meant nothing to me. "Should it mean something?" His expression changed. "Apparently not." I glanced at Isabella. She looked terrified. "What is going on?" "Not here," she whispered. Adrian ignored her. "I've spent years looking for you, Aria." I felt Jaxon tense beside me. "Looking for her, why?" he demanded. Adrian's gaze shifted to him. "And you are?" "Jaxon Knight." Recognition flashed across Adrian's face. "The boyfriend." I looked away. "Ex-boyfriend." The awkward silence that followed was almost painful. Adrian turned back to me. "May we talk privately?" "No." The answer came from both Jaxon and Isabella. Adrian sighed. "I expected this reaction." I folded my arms. "I think you should start explaining." He reached inside his jacket. Jaxon immediately stepped forward. "Easy," Adrian said calmly, pulling out an old photograph. My heart stopped. It was another picture of my mother. She couldn't have been older than twenty. She stood between two people. One was a younger version of Adrian. The other... I frowned. The woman looked exactly like me. Same dark hair. Same eyes. Same smile. "What is this?" Adrian looked directly at me. "That's your mother." I pointed to the second woman. "Then who's she?" Silence. A horrible feeling settled in my chest. "Who is she?" Adrian hesitated. "My daughter." I stared at him. "What?" He swallowed. "Your twin sister." The world stopped. I laughed. I actually laughed. Because this had to be some joke. "I don't have a sister." Adrian's expression softened. "You did." My heart dropped. "Did?" Pain filled his eyes. "Her name was Amelia." I couldn't breathe. Nobody had ever mentioned a twin. Not once. I looked at Jaxon. He looked just as shocked as I felt. I turned back to Adrian. "You're lying." "I wish I were." "Why would my parents keep something like that from me?" Adrian looked away. "Because Amelia disappeared sixteen years ago." Silence. Complete silence. I stared at him. "Disappeared?" He nodded. "She was taken." Every instinct in my body screamed that I wasn't going to like where this conversation was heading. "Taken by who?" Adrian remained silent. I laughed bitterly. "Everyone in my life seems to enjoy keeping secrets." "Aria," Isabella whispered. "Maybe we should go." "No." I looked directly at Adrian. "I want the truth." He sighed heavily. "The night Amelia disappeared, your mother blamed herself." My chest tightened. "Why?" "Because she was supposed to be watching both of you." I felt sick. My mother had carried that guilt for years. Alone. "After Amelia disappeared, your mother cut ties with everyone." I frowned. "Everyone?" Adrian nodded. "My family. Isabella's family. Everyone." "Why?" His answer shattered me. "Because she believed one of us was responsible." I stared at him. "You think someone kidnapped my sister?" Adrian looked exhausted. "We know someone did." The café suddenly felt too small. Too crowded. Too loud. I pushed away from the table. "I need air." "Aria-" I ignored Jaxon and walked outside. Cold air hit my face immediately. None of this made sense. A twin sister. A kidnapping. More secrets. How much more could one person take? The café door opened behind me. I knew without turning around that it was Jaxon. "You shouldn't be alone right now." I laughed humorlessly. "Funny. I've never been more alone." He was silent. After a moment, he spoke again. "I know you hate me." "I don't hate you." My voice cracked. "I just wish you'd loved me enough to tell me the truth." The silence that followed hurt more than words. "I'm sorry," he whispered. I closed my eyes. "I know." For the first time since yesterday, we stood together without arguing. It almost felt normal. Almost. Then a car screeched to a stop across the street. Both Jaxon and I turned. A black SUV. Dark-tinted windows. My stomach dropped. Because a woman was standing beside the vehicle. A woman who looked exactly like me. And when our eyes met, she smiled. "Hello, Aria," she called. "I've been looking for you." My entire world tilted. Because the woman standing across the street was supposed to be dead, I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I just stood there staring at the woman across the street. She looked exactly like me. Same dark hair. Same eyes. Same height. It was like looking into a mirror. "Aria?" Jaxon's voice sounded distant. "What's wrong?" I slowly raised a trembling hand and pointed. Jaxon followed my gaze. I felt him freeze beside me. "What the hell..." he whispered. The woman smiled again. Then, to my horror, she started walking toward us. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run. But my feet refused to move. "This isn't possible," I whispered. "Aria, get back inside," Jaxon said immediately, stepping in front of me. "No." I pushed past him. I needed answers. The woman stopped a few feet away. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. We stared at each other. Finally, she smiled sadly. "You really don't remember me, do you?" I swallowed hard. "Should I?" Pain flashed across her face. "I guess not." My heart was racing so fast it hurt. "Who are you?" The woman looked down before meeting my eyes again. "My name is Amelia." The world stopped. Behind me, I heard Jaxon curse softly. "No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, that's impossible." Tears filled her eyes. "I know this is hard to believe." "My twin sister disappeared sixteen years ago." Amelia gave me a broken smile. "I know." I stared at her. "You're supposed to be dead." "So was I." Silence. Heavy. Painful. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to feel. Yesterday, my biggest problem had been losing Jaxon. Today, I discovered that I had a twin sister. A sister everyone believed was dead. "Where have you been?" I whispered. Amelia opened her mouth to answer. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Everything happened at once. Jaxon tackled me to the ground. People started screaming. Cars screeched. And when I looked back toward Amelia... She was gone.