Until The Vows Break

Aurora’s POV

It has been eight months since my father died. Eight months of silence pressing against my chest, eight months of learning how loud a house can be when it is empty. I never thought grief could be this heavy—like trying to breathe through water, like waking up every day with a stone lodged in my ribs.

I lost my mother the day I was born, but my father never let me feel that absence. He was mother and father, protector and confidant, all in one. He filled my life so completely that sometimes I forgot other people grew up with two parents. He was my anchor, the reason I felt safe in the world.

And now, when I need him the most, he is gone.

Today is Arianna’s birthday. My stepsister. The girl I always longed to call my sister in truth. I wanted her to be my family, my friend, my ally. But Arianna never let me in. She was a glittering star while I remained earthbound, watching her shine from a distance. She has always been dazzling, untouchable—the kind of woman people are drawn to instantly. She doesn’t even need to try. People love her.

And me? I am the one trying too hard, loving her openly, desperately, only to be met with her polite indifference.

Still, I planned the grandest party in town for her. Since Father’s death, the house has been too quiet, the estate too somber. Adrian—my boyfriend—pushed me to do this. He said Arianna deserved a celebration, that throwing her a party would bring the family closer again. He also knew how much I wanted Arianna to accept me.

So I told myself maybe tonight would be the night she finally saw me as her sister. Maybe tonight we could close the distance between us.

I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, my fingers brushing the mole on my cheekbone. My own private beauty mark. My scarlet silk gown clung to my body with a mermaid silhouette, the fabric shimmering like fire when I moved. Around my neck, a gold necklace with a delicate pendant gleamed, paired with earrings that caught the light every time I turned my head.

For the first time in weeks, I almost felt beautiful again. Almost.

“You look beautiful.”

The whisper came from behind me, low and warm, sending a shiver down my spine.

Adrian.

I turned, catching his reflection in the mirror before I faced him fully. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, his hair perfectly styled, his lips curved in that way that always made me want to lean closer. The rich blend of leather and tobacco filled the air—the scent of the cologne I had given him for his birthday. A gift from me, now permanently his signature.

His arms slid around my waist, pulling me against him. His warmth seeped into me, and for a moment, I let myself relax. Adrian had been my lifeline in these dark months. He was there when I woke up screaming from dreams of my father’s face. He was there when the estate lawyers overwhelmed me with papers and signatures I didn’t understand. He had become my comfort, my constant.

I wanted to kiss him, to lose myself in his touch for a moment, but the clock on the wall pulled me back to reality.

“Adrian, we’re late,” I whispered, slipping from his arms. “I don’t want to give Arianna another reason to be angry with me.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, but he only nodded and followed me out.

Minutes later, we slid into the white Rolls Royce waiting in the driveway. The driver held the door open, and I sank into the leather seat, smoothing my dress over trembling knees. Outside, the city was alive, lights and motion blurring past the windows. But inside, I couldn’t shake the weight pressing against my chest.

By the time we arrived, the venue glittered like something out of a dream.

The ballroom was all glass and crystal, chandeliers dripping like frozen rain from the ceiling. Tables glimmered with polished silverware, plates shining as though dusted with diamonds. The air buzzed with voices, laughter, and the faint notes of a string quartet weaving through it all.

Wealthy men and women I barely recognized approached me with smiles, offering condolences still laced with gossip. I smiled back, practiced and polite, but my eyes were already searching.

For Arianna.

I spotted her at last. She stood in a corner, phone raised, recording one of her endless videos for her followers. My influencer sister. Even now, she seemed made of light, her every move drawing attention.

I approached her with a small velvet box in hand. Inside was the gift I had chosen carefully—a diamond wristwatch, her favorite stone. When she saw it, her eyes widened with delight. She hugged me tightly, showering me with thanks.

But only when the camera was rolling.

The moment the video ended, her smile dimmed. She pulled away.

I pretended not to notice.

The night unfolded in glittering waves—music, laughter, endless toasts that blurred together. For a while, I let myself believe things might truly change. That Arianna’s smile, even if for the camera, could one day become real.

Then the master of ceremonies called her name.

It was time. The cake was ready, candles flickering. The cameras pointed toward the stage. The crowd hushed in anticipation.

But Arianna was nowhere to be found.

A ripple of confusion spread through the guests. I turned, searching for Adrian to send him after her, but he too was gone. A cold knot formed in my stomach.

I excused myself and began searching. Hallways, corners, the garden outside—empty. I dialed their numbers again and again, but neither of them answered.

Then, down a dimly lit hallway at the back of the venue, I noticed it. A red glow slipping from beneath a closed door. And the sound.

Low. Breathless. Moans.

My chest tightened. No. It couldn’t be.

Each step felt heavier than the last. My hand trembled as I reached for the handle. The closer I got, the louder the sounds became, until there was no mistaking what they were.

I should have turned back. I should have walked away. But I couldn’t. I needed to know.

Slowly, I pushed the door open.

And my world shattered.

Arianna was there. Undressed. Tangled in Adrian’s arms. His lips pressed against hers, their bodies moving together, their moans twisting into something obscene.

For a second, my mind refused to process it. My eyes saw, but my heart rejected it. My stepsister. My boyfriend. Together.

The two people I loved most, betraying me in the cruelest way.

My throat burned before the scream ripped out of me.

“What are you doing?!”

They broke apart, startled, their faces snapping toward me. Arianna’s lipstick smeared across her mouth. Adrian’s jacket on the floor. His scent—leather and tobacco—still clung to the air, mixing with Arianna’s floral perfume until I thought I might choke on it.

They stared at me like deer caught in headlights, and I stared back, my chest heaving, my pulse hammering so hard I thought I might collapse.

Everything I thought I knew about love, family, loyalty—it crumbled in that single moment.

And I was left standing in the ruins.