Too Late Mr. White! I'm Married To Your Rival Now novel Chapter 1

Aria's POV

I never thought Valentine's Day would be the day my heart would truly break.

Liam had reserved a table at La Perle, the crown jewel of Manhattan dining—crystal chandeliers glowing above us, the air humming with soft jazz and the scent of roses at every table. It should have been the perfect Valentine's date, the kind you tell your kids about one day.

"You look beautiful tonight, Aria," Liam whispered, reaching across the table to take my hand.

I smiled, trying to ignore how distant he'd been lately. Ever since Sophia Clarke came back to New York two months ago, my relationship with Liam had changed. Still, I clung to hope. After all, we were getting married in just five days.

"I'm glad we could spend Valentine's Day together," I said softly.

Liam nodded, but his eyes seemed distracted. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

Despite the words, I couldn't help remembering all the dinner dates he'd canceled recently. Always with the same excuse: "Sophia needs me."

Just as our appetizers arrived, I noticed Liam's eyes widen. Following his gaze, my heart sank.

Sophia Clarke stood there, radiant in a white dress that clung to her slender frame, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes—those large, seemingly innocent blue eyes—scanned the room until they landed on our table. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Well, isn't this adorable?" Sophia's voice rang out as she glided toward us, her white silk dress clinging like it was painted on. "Liam, Aria—what are the odds? Manhattan's massive, yet somehow I keep stumbling into you two." Her smile was sugar-sweet, her eyes anything but.

I bit the inside of my cheek. This was the third "coincidence" this month.

Liam stood up immediately. "Sophia, what a surprise."

The warmth in his voice was unmistakable.

"I'm just meeting some friends," she said, her eyes darting to me briefly before focusing back on Liam. "But they seem to be running late."

"Why don't you join us while you wait?" Liam said—too quickly, too eagerly.

I was momentarily stunned, yet my chest felt like being struck by a blunt object, a dull ache spreading outward.

Our romantic Valentine's dinner had just become a party of three.

As the evening progressed, Sophia dominated the conversation with stories that seemed designed to remind Liam of their shared past. Each time, Liam would nod enthusiastically, lost in memories that didn't include me.

I sat there, invisible, watching as my fiancé and his first love flirted right in front of me.

"Sophia," I finally said, my patience wearing thin, "it's Valentine's Day. Liam and I were having a private dinner."

"Oh, Aria," Sophia's voice dripped with false sympathy. "Don't be so possessive. Liam and I are just old friends catching up. Isn't that right, Li?"

"Aria," Liam's voice was sharp. "Don't be so sensitive. Sophia's just making conversation."

I stared at him, stunned by the rebuke. This was supposed to be our night, and yet he was defending her?

"I should go," I said quietly, placing my napkin on the table. The pain of his betrayal was too much to bear.

Before I could stand, the sound of shattering glass filled the restaurant. A man's voice, loud and frantic, cut through the elegant atmosphere.

"SOPHIA! WHERE IS SHE?"

I saw a disheveled man in his thirties, wild-eyed and unsteady on his feet. What froze my blood wasn't his appearance, but the gun clutched in his trembling hand.

"Ryan," Sophia gasped from our table, her face draining of color.

"If I can't have you, no one will!" Ryan shouted, his voice breaking with emotion.

That was when everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Ryan's face contorted with rage. He raised his gun, aiming directly at Sophia.

Liam didn't even look at me. His chair screeched back as he bolted to Sophia, wrapping her up like she was the most precious thing in the world. His arms locked around her, his voice frantic, whispering promises I was never meant to hear.

And me? I was shoved out, left wide open to the barrel of the gun.

The gunshot was deafening.

I felt a searing pain across my upper arm as I fell to the floor. Warm blood seeped through my dress, but all I could focus on was the sight before me: Liam, wrapped protectively around Sophia, his body covering hers, his arms cradling her head.

He hadn't even looked at me. At that moment, I became invisible to him. In his eyes, there was only Sophia.

"Miss, are you alright?" A concerned waiter knelt beside me, eyes wide at the sight of blood on my sleeve.

Fortunately, I escaped with just a graze wound. When the gunshot rang out, security guards had tackled Ryan, causing his aim to veer off target. The bullet only grazed my arm instead of hitting me directly.

The pain in my arm was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

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