] Not for anything else . Just because it was a raw jade stone won by him at an auction where he vowed to outbid anyone , no matter the price . Let it be , she thought . Let it stand as proof that maybe , just maybe , he had loved her a little once . After getting rid of everything , she stepped out the door , preparing for the month - long transition ahead . Her father had vanished off a cliff when she was just seven . Her mother remarried out for racking up gambling debts . ] d into the La She had no family to fall back on . After the divorce , she would have nowhere to go . ] Lane family and was later kicked The only person in the world who could technically count as " family " was her half - brother from her mother's second marriage , Nolan Lane But his reputation was notorious : ruthless , domineering , and cruel . He had never treated her kindly . She'd been avoiding him . for years and seeking his help was out of the question . ] Her top priority now was to use Mason's credit card to purchase a place of her own . She had just cashed out ten million dollars on his card when her best friend Hannah Gale called . ] Since getting married , she had gradually drifted away from her old social circle . Even her contact with Hannah had become rare . For Hannah to call her directly , something serious must be up . ] Aria answered quickly . " Hello , Hannah ? What's going on ? " " The International Equestrian Championship is happening in a month , " Hannah said , clearly frustrated . " But I just got injured during training , and I immediately thought of you , Aria , you were once the most gifted rider , Master Summers ! Can you compete in my place ? " A long - buried memory stirred . If she hadn't married Mason , she would likely be just like Hannah now , a celebrated figure in the world of equestrian sports . [ ] But Mason never liked her riding . He said it was " unbecoming " for a woman to ride horses . He'd even secretly taken her beloved white horse , Phantom , the one she had raised since childhood , claiming he'd found a kind new owner for it . She never saw it again . - Aria remained silent for a long moment . Hannah , mistaking her silence , sounded disappointed . " I forgot your husband doesn't let you compete anymore . Never mind , 1- " ] Before she could finish , Aria cut in , voice firm . [ ] " Who said I'm done riding ? Don't worry . I promise I'll compete for you a month from now . " Joy lit up in Hannah's voice . " Really ? That's amazing ! Aria , all of us always felt it was a shame that you should've never given up your talent for marriage ! I'm so glad you've come aroundr Yeah ... Aria didn't answer , but her hand trembled slightly as she held the phone .[ ] The person she used to be , before marriage , had been dazzling . She had been a straight A student , excelling across subjects . Her art was exceptional , her riding skills top - tier . She had won both modeling and public speaking competitions , and was even a formidable cook . But five years of marriage had buried all of that . She couldn't even remember where she'd left her paintbrushes . She had long forgotten how to walk a runway , and her debating skills had dulled so much she couldn't even win a proper argument . ] The only talent that hadn't gone rusty was cooking because for the past five years , she'd cooked nearly every single day for Mason . Only now did she realize just how much she had sacrificed for that marriage . Luckily , it wasn't too late . She still had a chance to start over from scratch .