( Shattered Echoes & Sharp Edges)
The Vale Residence had never felt this… hollow.
Ethan Vale stepped inside, and the silence hit harder than any boardroom battle ever had.
Not quiet—no.
Empty.
Like something essential had been ripped out and no one bothered to replace it.
His gaze drifted automatically to the entrance.
The orchids.
Dead.
Completely lifeless.
Their once-delicate petals had shriveled into brittle remnants, stems leaning like they'd simply… given up. A small wooden tag still hung beside them—Aria's handwriting carved into it, precise and elegant.
"Orchids thrive on patience, not neglect."
Ethan let out a dry, humorless laugh.
"Guess they took your side," he muttered.
---
Lucas trailed behind, hesitant.
"Sir… maybe we should—"
"Leave."
One word. Flat. Final.
Lucas shut up instantly.
Smart man.
---
The next morning, sunlight spilled into the glass garden.
It revealed a mess.
Ethan Vale—CEO of Vale Corporation, feared by competitors, worshipped by investors—was sprawled on the ground like a fallen king.
Shirt wrinkled.
Eyes shut.
A bottle dangling loosely from his fingers.
And clutched tightly in his other hand…
A tiny wooden lion.
Aria's.
Of course it was.
Lucas froze at the doorway.
…I deserve a raise for dealing with this, he thought.
"Sir," he tried carefully. "You have the monthly board meeting today."
No response.
"…Sir?"
Ethan shifted slightly, brows furrowing as if reality itself annoyed him.
"Cancel it."
Lucas blinked. "I can't."
A pause.
Then—
CRASH.
The bottle flew past his head and shattered against the glass door, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
Lucas didn't even flinch this time.
Progress.
"You can't?" Ethan's voice was hoarse, dangerous. "Watch me."
---
Minutes later, silence returned.
Ethan opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling.
Why isn't she here?
The thought came uninvited. Sharp. Relentless.
Why wasn't Aria sitting by the piano, playing something soft and irritatingly beautiful?
Why wasn't she smiling like she hadn't just dismantled his entire existence?
…
Because he destroyed it first.
His throat tightened.
For the first time, the truth didn't feel like something he could argue against.
---
He grabbed his phone.
Opened her chat.
Scrolled.
Message after message. Unread. Ignored. Pathetic.
His thumb hovered.
Then typed.
I miss you.
Sent.
For a split second—hope flickered.
Then—
❗ Message failed. You are blocked.
Ethan stared at the screen.
Once.
Twice.
Then he laughed.
Low. Broken. Almost unrecognizable.
"Of course," he whispered. "Why wouldn't you?"
---
A week passed.
Messy. Drunken. Unfiltered.
Lucas covered everything—investors, media, internal chaos. Barely.
But even fire can't stay hidden forever.
So when Ethan finally walked into Vale Corporation again…
Everyone felt it.
The air shifted.
He looked terrible.
And somehow—more terrifying.
---
"Let her in."
Lucas paused. "Are you sure—"
"I said," Ethan's voice dropped, lethal, "let her in."
---
Claudia Vale walked in like she owned the place.
Designer bag. Fake smile. Zero awareness.
"Ethan~" she sang, placing a thermos on his desk. "I made soup for you. Stayed up all night."
Ethan didn't respond.
Just… looked at her.
Really looked.
And suddenly—
All he could see was everything Aria wasn't.
Shallow. Loud. Opportunistic.
Annoying.
God, how did he ever tolerate this?
Claudia shifted under his gaze.
"W-what?"
Ethan leaned back lazily, voice calm.
Too calm.
"What do you want?"
Straight to the point.
She brightened instantly. "Ah, actually… it's about your cousin—"
"Get to the number."
"…Five hundred million."
Silence.
Then—
A file slid across the desk.
Claudia frowned, opening it.
Her face drained of color instantly.
Photos.
Casino entries.
Debt slips.
Transaction records.
Every ugly little secret—neatly documented.
"Y-you—"
"Investigated you?" Ethan finished, tilting his head. "Shocking."
She snapped, "You had no right—"
"I funded your stupidity," he cut in coldly. "Every single mistake."
Another file dropped.
"This," he said, "is what you owe me."
Claudia's hands trembled.
Numbers stared back at her.
Massive. Crushing. Real.
"I didn't sign this!"
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Your handwriting says otherwise."
---
She broke.
Collapsed. Grabbed his leg.
"Ethan, please—you have to help me—"
He kicked her off.
Not hard.
Just enough to send a message.
"Try touching me again," he said softly, "and you'll be removed."
No emotion.
No hesitation.
---
Something in her snapped.
Her face twisted, eyes wild.
"Oh, so now you act powerful?" she sneered. "What's the point? She still left you."
That landed.
Of course it did.
"So what if you have money?" Claudia laughed bitterly. "Aria Larkspur doesn't want you anymore. Everyone leaves you. Maybe you're the problem."
Silence.
Dangerous.
Heavy.
Ethan looked at her.
Really looked this time.
And smiled.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Just… sharp.
"Finished?" he asked.
She froze.
He pressed the intercom.
"Security."
Claudia panicked. "Ethan—!"
"A delusional guest," he continued smoothly. "Remove her."
As guards dragged her out, she screamed—
"You ruin everything! No one stays with you—no one—!"
---
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Ethan stood there, unmoving.
Then slowly…
He sank into his chair.
Her words echoed.
But not because they mattered.
Because they were true.
His gaze drifted to the empty space beside the piano in his office.
For a brief second—
He imagined Aria there.
Arms crossed. Expression unimpressed.
"Honestly, Ethan," she'd say. "Your taste in relatives is worse than your decision-making."
A hollow chuckle escaped him.
"…Yeah," he murmured. "I noticed."
---
Somewhere far away—
Aria Larkspur was living.
Breathing.
Moving on.
And for the first time in his life—
Ethan Vale realized something terrifying.
No amount of power, money, or control…
Could bring her back.