Chapter 2

I changed out of my gown and headed back to the Sterlings’penthouse on Park Avenue,planning only to grab a few belongings before leaving for good.

But the second I reached the front door,I ran into a crowd escorting Seraphina back inside,chatting and laughing cheerfully.

All their smiles froze the moment they laid eyes on me.

Fire flared in Damian’s gaze,his tone sharp with reproach.

“Aurora Sterling,why didn’t you issue a statement to the press after calling off the wedding?If you don’t take responsibility publicly,everyone’s just going to pin the blame on Sera again.”

My father,Richard Sterling,curled his lip and spoke in a commanding tone.

“Aurora,your crisis management is abysmal this time.We’ve never had to clean up messes from your canceled weddings before.You’ve let me down badly.Draft a formal announcement right away admitting you called everything off on a reckless whim.”

My supposed best friend Giselle immediately pulled out her phone.

“I’ll have my agent reach out to every major outlet.We can still spin this if Aurora posts the statement now.I’ll also pay online trolls to drag her name through the mud so no one speculates anything bad about Sera…”

I said nothing in response to their unearned,self-righteous accusations.

I simply stared at the countdown ticking away in my head.

Two days and eighteen hours remained.

Then every last one of them would plunge straight into ruin.

“What are you zoning out for,Aurora Sterling?”Damian stepped up to me,his voice laced with a clear warning.“Fix this mess properly,or I make no promises about when we’ll ever reschedule our wedding.”

Seraphina piped up in her usual frail,simpering voice.

“It’s all my fault for holding Damian and my sister’s wedding up.This is entirely on me.There are plenty of auspicious dates left this month—please don’t postpone it any further…”

Her sentence cut short as she broke into a harsh coughing fit.

Damian rushed to her side in an instant,rubbing her back soothingly.

“This isn’t your fault at all,don’t beat yourself up over it.Your sister’s never going anywhere without me;our wedding can happen whenever.”

“I wouldn’t count on that.”

I finally broke my silence with a cold retort.

Every single person in the room went rigid with shock.

I lifted the duffel bag in my hand.“I’m leaving.”

The words had barely left my mouth when—

SLAP!

A crisp,echoing smack rang out across the lavish living room.