Of course, it was her home. The sheer scale of Aria’s family’s wealth still caught me off guard. At this point, I should probably stop questioning it and simply assume that everything around her exists on a royal, almost unreal scale.

Aria took my hand, interlacing her fingers with mine as she gently pulled me toward the main entrance. "Come on. I want to introduce you to everyone."

As we walked inside, I could feel the eyes of the other guests on us.

After walking inside further, we got under a huge chandelier.

Beautiful handiworks adorned the walls and everywhere, and the place was filled with guests, all in elegant suits and dresses.

The grand hall was breathtaking, the massive crystal chandelier above us cast a warm, golden light over the entire space, making everything sparkle.

Intricate hand-carved woodwork, marble sculptures, and priceless paintings covered the walls, while tall arched windows looked out onto the illuminated gardens.

The room was alive with the soft murmur of conversation, the clink of champagne glasses, and the faint sound of classical music playing from a live string quartet in the corner.

Aria stayed close to my side, her arm linked with mine as she guided me through the crowd. She looked radiant in her pink dress, drawing admiring glances from many of the guests, but she only had eyes for me.

Suddenly, Aria tensed beside me, her hand tightening around my arm as a man walked up to us, flanked by men in sharp suits.

I recognized the guy—it was Aria’s fiancé. I had seen his picture on Aria’s phone when we first met.

He moved with the kind of arrogant confidence that came from money and power, his eyes scanning me with clear disdain before settling on Aria. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"I was looking for you, Aria," the guy said, his tone dripping with possessiveness as he stopped in front of us. He was tall, well-groomed, and wearing an expensive tailored suit that screamed old money.

His gaze flicked back to me with a mocking smirk. "And who might this be? Your new servant, or just someone who wandered in by mistake?"

"Hahahahaah", his goons, burly men in equally sharp suits, let out a loud, mocking laugh behind him, clearly there to intimidate and back up their boss.

The sound drew even more attention.

Several guests nearby stopped their conversations mid-sentence, turning their heads to watch the unfolding drama. Whispers started spreading through the crowd like wildfire.

Aria’s grip on my arm tightened for a brief second before she straightened her posture, lifting her chin with regal confidence. She didn’t pull away from me. Instead, she stepped slightly closer, pressing her body against my side in a clear display of possession.

"Great, Fabian. I was actually looking for you," Aria said calmly, her voice steady and loud enough for the surrounding guests to hear. She slid her arm more firmly through mine, her fingers interlacing with my hand as she held me close. "I want you to meet my boyfriend, Alex."

She turned to me with a soft, proud smile. "Alex, this is Fabian."

Fabian’s face tightened for a split second, a flash of pure anger crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a cold, forced smile.

His jaw clenched visibly, and his eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down, clearly sizing me up and not liking what he saw.

The goons behind him shifted uncomfortably, sensing the sudden shift in tension.

Several guests who had been close enough to hear Aria’s words immediately started whispering among themselves.

The murmurs spread like wildfire through the elegant crowd, elegant women in designer gowns leaning toward each other, men in tailored tuxedos raising eyebrows and exchanging shocked glances.

The soft classical music in the background suddenly felt distant as the attention of the entire ballroom shifted toward the unfolding drama in the center of the hall.

Fabian’s face tightened visibly. He looked around, noticing how people were talking, staring, and clearly gossiping about what they had just witnessed.

The public humiliation was hitting him hard. His fake, condescending smile faltered for a split second, replaced by a flash of genuine anger and embarrassment before he forced it back into place.

"Boyfriend?" he repeated, his tone dripping with mockery as he let out a short, forced laugh, looking around at the crowd in an attempt to make them think Aria was joking. "You must be joking, Aria. Right?"

He gestured toward me with a dismissive wave, trying to play it off as absurd. "This... nobody? Come on, darling, this isn’t funny."

But Aria didn’t back down. She stood taller, her arm still firmly linked with mine, and spoke loudly and clearly so that everyone nearby, and many further away, could hear every word.

"No, Fabian," she said, her voice ringing out with confidence and finality. "Alex is my boyfriend, and I’m breaking up with you today."

The words landed like a bomb. A collective hush fell over the immediate area, followed by a surge of louder whispers and gasps.

The scandal was instant and public.

The goons behind Fabian shifted forward slightly, their postures tense and ready. They were most probably his paid bodyguards, broad-shouldered, sharp-suited men whose job was clearly to intimidate and protect.

But Fabian raised his hand quickly, signaling them to stop. He forced a polite, almost gracious smile onto his face, though it looked strained and didn’t reach his eyes.

He was clearly trying to salvage the situation and avoid any further public embarrassment in front of the elite crowd.

"I’m glad for you, Aria," Fabian said, taking an immediate turn in tone. "I’m really happy for you."

He stepped forward, positioning himself between us in an attempt to look friendly and in control. He placed one hand on Aria’s shoulder and the other on mine, acting as if we were all old childhood friends sharing a casual, civilized moment.

The gesture was forced and awkward, meant to project composure while the whispers around us grew louder.