ARIANA

The words hung in the air like a death sentence, freezing me in place, my breath caught in my throat. It felt as though the ground had just fallen out from under me. Grayson’s rejection hit me harder than any bullet ever could.

I stared at him, my body numb and my mind reeling, trying to grasp the meaning behind his words. “You don’t… have a wife?” I whispered, my voice barely audible, disbelief clouding my eyes. “But… but I’m right here. I’m your wife.”

Grayson’s expression remained unyielding, his eyes as cold as ice. “No, Ariana. You’re not. You never were.”

The coldness in his eyes pierced through...