They say betrayal comes from those closest to you. I never believed it—until the night I died.
I stood at the edge of the rooftop, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. The city lights below blurred through my tears, and my body trembled from more than just the cold wind slicing through my silk dress. Behind me, the laughter of my best friend and the venomous whisper of the man I once loved echoed like a twisted symphony.
"Ava, don't make this difficult."
Liam Everhart. My fiancé. The man who once swore to protect me. His voice was calm, like he wasn't standing there with a gun in his hand, like he hadn't just shattered my world.
"You should've known your place, darling."
Serena Vale. My best friend. The woman I trusted more than anyone. And yet here she was, standing beside Liam, her lips curled into a smirk as if my pain was nothing more than an amusing spectacle.
I tried to make sense of it—why? How? But the weight of their betrayal crushed me, making it impossible to breathe.
"You stole from the company, Ava. You transferred millions into offshore accounts. The evidence is clear. The police are already looking for you."
I shook my head furiously. "I didn't—Liam, you know I wouldn't—"
"But you did." His voice was sickeningly sweet, laced with mock sympathy. "The documents are signed under your name. The transactions lead back to you. You're guilty, my love. And no one is going to believe a desperate, spoiled little heiress crying for attention."
My legs wobbled. I felt like I was going to be sick.
"Why are you doing this?" My voice cracked, raw with disbelief.
Serena stepped forward, arms crossed. "Because you were never supposed to win, Ava." Her eyes gleamed with cruelty. "You were the naive little princess, living in a world you didn't deserve. And now, it's time for you to disappear."
Disappear.
I glanced at the edge of the rooftop.
That was their plan all along.
"No witnesses," Liam murmured, stepping closer.
I backed away, my heel slipping on the wet concrete. The abyss below seemed to pull me in, and for the first time in my life, I felt truly alone.
I could have begged. I could have screamed. But as I looked into their faces—the two people I loved more than anything—I saw only one truth.
They had never loved me at all.
Liam raised the gun, his finger resting lazily on the trigger.
"Goodbye, Ava."
A loud bang split the night.
Pain exploded in my chest.
I fell.
And just like that, Ava Montague ceased to exist.