---- Chapter 9 | woke up to the dull ache in my arm and the tight pull of fresh bandages. Sunlight streamed through the window. Liam was asleep in the chair beside my bed, his head resting on his hand | looked at my arm. The doctor had been clear: the delay in specialized treatment meant the scarring would be more significant. Permanent. A physical reminder of Ethan's choice. Of his ultimate betrayal. Ethan came in later, alone this time. He looked tired, a little guilty. "Ava, | am so, so sorry," he began, perching on the edge of my bed. "About the burn room. Chloe was... she was hysterical. You know how she is. | promise, I'll find the best plastic surgeon in the world. We'll fix this. No one will ever know." Empty promises. He still thought everything could be fixed, smoothed over, bought. He didn't stay long. "Chloe needs me," he said, as if that explained everything. It did, in a way. Chloe herself visited later, her own hands lightly bandaged. "Oh, Ava, your poor arm! | feel so terrible that | got the special room. Ethan insisted. He said my skin is just so sensitive." She sounded genuinely sympathetic, yet completely oblivious to the depth of what had happened. 7 | just nodded. ---- When they were gone, | looked at the scar, now an angry red against my skin. This scar wasn't a tragedy. It was a catalyst. It was the final piece of evidence | needed. The final push The next day, Liam helped me check out of the hospital. Back at his brownstone, | made a call. A week later, my arm mostly healed but the scar a vivid toadmap of betrayal, | went to a tattoo artist Liam knew, someone renowned for delicate, intricate work. Over the scar, she tattooed a constellation: Lyra. Its brightest star is Vega. Liam had once told me about his passion for astronomy, how he found solace in the vastness of the stars. We'd spent a few quiet evenings on his rooftop, him pointing out constellations, sharing stories of the myths behind them Lyra, the lyre of Orpheus, a symbol of enduring artistry and, in some tales, tragic love. For me, it was a symbol of a new song, a new direction. The delicate lines of the stars, rendered in minimalist black ink, transformed the ugly scar into something beautiful, something chosen. Ethan saw it a few days later. He'd dropped by Liam's, ostensibly to discuss some family business, but mostly, | suspected, to check on me, to make sure | was still playing my part. "Nice tattoo, Ava," he said, his eyes lingering on my forearm. He traced the lines with his finger. "What is it? Looks like an L. For Love? Or maybe for Liam?" He smirked, still arrogant, still believing he understood me. "Or maybe," he added, a teasing glint in his eye, "for LuSinan?" That was a private joke from ---- early in our relationship, a silly, made-up "exotic' name he'd once called me. He was so confident, so dismissive of any deeper meaning. He didn't recognize Lyra. He didn't know its significance to Liam, or now, to me. "It's just a design | liked," | said coolly. He nodded, satisfied with his own interpretation. "Suits you." Liam's return from Kyoto was fast approaching. He sent a text: "Landed. See you tonight. Can't wait. L." My heart did a little flip. A genuine one. | texted back: "Can't wait either. A." That evening, Ethan showed up at the brownstone unannounced. | was in the living room, reading. Liam was due any minute. Ethan looked agitated. "Ava, we need to talk." "About what, Ethan?" He came closer, trying to take my hands. "About us. This whole charade with Liam, it's gone on long enough. Chloe is stable now. We can end this." | pulled my hands away. "End what, Ethan? My engagement to Liam?" "Don't be difficult, Ava." He tried to kiss me. | turned my head. "Ethan, stop. You're the Best Man, remember? It wouldn't look good." He scowled. "This isn't funny anymore." His phone rang. Chloe's name flashed on the screen. He answered it, his voice instantly softening. "Hey, baby... Yeah, ---- tees ae I'm just... running an errand... Of course, I'll be there soon... Love you too." He hung up and looked at me, a flicker of his old confidence returning. "Look, I'll deal with Chloe. We'll let her down gently. But you and me, Ava, we're endgame. You know that. I'll make it up to you, for all of this. We'll have that wedding." | just looked at him, my expression unreadable. He still didn't get it. He never would. He left, still believing he was in control, still believing | was his for the taking. The doorbell rang a few minutes later. It was Liam. He looked tired from his journey, but his eyes lit up when he saw me. The wedding was in two days. | was ready. The morning of the wedding, | woke up feeling strangely calm. Serene. My phone was buzzing incessantly. Ethan. Ethan: Ava, where are you? The wedding is today! Liam's wedding! You're supposed to be his date! Ethan: Ava, pick up! This isn't funny! You can't ditch Liam on his (fake) wedding day! Chloe will be devastated! Ethan: ARE YOU SERIOUSLY IGNORING ME? He called. | let it go to voicemail. He called again. This time, | answered. "Ava! Finally! Where the hell are you? You need to get to the Botanical Garden! You're Liam's girlfriend, remember? You ---- need to be there for him! For Chloe's sake!" His voice was a torrent of frustrated demands. | smiled into the receiver. | was in the bridal suite at the Garden, my hair and makeup perfectly done. My stunning wedding gown hung nearby. "Oh, I'll be there, Ethan," | said, my voice sweet, calm. "Don't you worry." | hung up. A little while later, there was a knock on my door. It was Ethan. Dressed in his Best Man tuxedo. He looked flustered, angry. "Ava! What is the meaning of this? Why are you in a wedding dress? Whose wedding dress is that? This isn't your wedding! It's Liam's! To... to some other woman he supposedly met!" He was sputtering, confused | just smiled. "Hello, Ethan. Ready to do your duties?" He stared at me, his jaw slack. "My duties? What are you talking about?" "You're giving me away, remember? That was the deal." The color drained from his face. "Give you away? To Liam? No. No, this is a joke. This is your jealousy game. It stops now." "It's not a game, Ethan," | said, my voice soft but firm. "I'm marrying your brother. Today."