Ryan Sinclair stood in the grand foyer of the Hargrave mansion, his fingers tightening around the handle of the briefcase he carried. The weight of the place always suffocated him—high ceilings, cold marble floors, and chandeliers that seemed to gleam with a distant cruelty. The Hargraves were not just any family—they were royalty in their world, and Ryan, despite being married to Amanda, their only daughter, never felt like he truly belonged.

“Late again, I see,” Harold Hargrave’s voice echoed from the top of the staircase. His piercing blue eyes glinted with disapproval as he descended the stairs. Everything about Harold was sharp, from his neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper hair to the cold, calculating gaze that always seemed to strip Ryan of any dignity. 

“I stayed late at the office,” Ryan replied, trying to keep his tone neutral. He was the head of a small department in one of Harold’s subsidiary companies, and despite working harder than anyone else, nothing was ever enough. Not for Harold. Not for Amanda.

“You stayed late because you can’t manage your workload efficiently,” Harold corrected, stopping a few feet away. “That’s not dedication, Sinclair. That’s incompetence.”

Ryan clenched his jaw, forcing himself to swallow the words burning on his tongue. He’d learned early on that arguing with Harold was like throwing a stone into the ocean—it would make no impact and only sink him deeper into the cold abyss. 

Instead, he nodded, his fingers curling tighter around the handle of the briefcase until they turned white. “I’ll do better.”

“I expect you to,” Harold said, the words dripping with condescension. He glanced at the briefcase. “Did you bring the paperwork?”

“Yes,” Ryan replied, handing it over. Harold took it without a word of thanks and turned away, as if Ryan had already ceased to exist in his world. 

The sharp click of heels announced Amanda’s entrance. She appeared in the doorway of the dining room, dressed in a sleek designer gown that hugged her perfect figure, her blonde hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. Her icy blue eyes barely met Ryan’s as she brushed past him, walking over to her father. 

“Is it ready?” she asked, ignoring Ryan completely.

“Of course,” Harold replied, giving his daughter a smile he never once spared for Ryan. “We’ll finalize everything tomorrow.”

Ryan felt a pit open in his stomach. He knew something was being planned, something big, but as usual, he was left out of the loop. Amanda and Harold had been conspiring behind closed doors for weeks, keeping Ryan on the outside of their world, as if he were nothing more than a footnote in their grand designs. 

He cleared his throat, hoping to break the tension. “Amanda, we need to talk.”

She turned to him, her eyes narrowing in irritation. “About what?”

“I haven’t seen you much lately. We barely speak, and…” He trailed off, feeling the familiar weight of hopelessness settle in. Their marriage had been unraveling for months, but every time he tried to talk to her, she shut him down.

Stolen novel; please report.

Amanda rolled her eyes. “I’ve been busy, Ryan. Unlike you, I have real responsibilities.”

Ryan’s heart clenched. *Real responsibilities.* The words hung in the air like a knife to his chest. He’d sacrificed everything for this family, for Amanda, but none of it mattered. To her, he was just an accessory, a placeholder in her perfect life.

“Maybe if you actually did something useful,” Marcus’s voice cut in as he entered the room, “we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Ryan flinched at the sight of Amanda’s older brother. Marcus Hargrave was the epitome of arrogance—tall, muscular, with a smirk that always made Ryan feel two inches tall. He was Harold’s right hand, the favored son who could do no wrong.

“I am doing something useful,” Ryan replied, his voice edged with frustration. “I’m working hard at—”

“Please,” Marcus scoffed, cutting him off. “You’re a glorified errand boy. You only got the job because you’re married to Amanda. Without her, you’d be nothing.”

Ryan’s fists tightened, his blood boiling. He’d spent years proving himself, working tirelessly to earn his place, but to the Hargraves, he would always be an outsider.

“Marcus, enough,” Harold said, though there was no reprimand in his tone. He turned to Ryan. “You should leave. We have important matters to discuss.”

Ryan stared at them, feeling the cold burn of rejection sink deeper into his bones. “This is about me too. I’m part of this family.”

Harold’s laughter was low and cruel. “Part of this family? You’re nothing more than a liability, Sinclair. The only reason you’re still around is because you haven’t screwed up badly enough yet.”

Ryan’s breath caught in his throat. The words hung in the air, suffocating him with their finality. He looked at Amanda, hoping for some sign of support, but her eyes were cold, distant. She didn’t care. She hadn’t cared for a long time.

Feeling the walls close in around him, Ryan turned on his heel and left the room. His footsteps echoed through the empty hallways as he made his way to the guest house, the place Amanda had insisted they stay in instead of the main mansion. It was another reminder that he was separate from them, that no matter what he did, he would never be truly accepted.

Inside, the silence was deafening. The house was dark, save for a single lamp in the corner. Ryan sat down heavily on the couch, his head in his hands. How had things gone so wrong? He had loved Amanda—still loved her—but the person she had become was a stranger to him. Cold, calculating, indifferent.

He thought back to the early days of their relationship, when everything seemed perfect. Amanda had been sweet, warm, and full of life. They’d dreamed of a future together, of building a family, of being happy. But somewhere along the way, the dreams had died, replaced by the harsh reality of the Hargrave dynasty.

A knock at the door startled him from his thoughts. He frowned, not expecting visitors this late. When he opened it, he found Amanda standing there, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

“We need to talk,” she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

Ryan’s heart leaped with a flicker of hope. Maybe this was it—the moment they could finally fix what was broken. But as Amanda spoke, her words sliced through him like a blade.

“I want a divorce.”

Ryan’s world shattered in an instant. He stood frozen, unable to comprehend what she had just said. “What? Amanda, no, we can fix this. We just need to—”

“I’ve made up my mind,” she interrupted coldly. “This isn’t working. It hasn’t been for a long time. I’ve already spoken to my father. The papers will be ready by tomorrow.”

Ryan’s chest tightened. This couldn’t be happening. Everything he had fought for, everything he had sacrificed, was crumbling before his eyes. 

“Is this your father’s idea?” he asked, his voice thick with disbelief. “He’s been trying to push me out since day one.”

Amanda’s gaze didn’t waver. “This is my decision, Ryan. And you need to accept it.”

As the door closed behind her, Ryan stood in the empty house, his heart in pieces. Betrayed by the family he had tried so hard to be a part of. Betrayed by the woman he thought loved him. 

In that moment, the cold truth sank in: He was alone, and the Hargraves had finally won. But what they didn’t know was that Ryan had secrets of his own, and the darkness they had cast him into would soon give birth to something far more dangerous.