Ruthless Vows

Chapter 1

Eva Sinclair stepped into her upscale Manhattan apartment, kicking off her heels with a quiet sigh. The floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the sleek space in the soft glow of city lights, but she barely noticed. It had been another exhausting day-meetings, negotiations, and the constant balancing act of being a woman who had built herself from the ground up.

She made her way to the bar, reaching for a crystal glass and her favorite bourbon. The amber liquid swirled as she poured, the familiar warmth promising a moment of calm. She relished the silence, savoring the brief escape from the world outside.

Then she saw it.

A single envelope sat on the marble counter. Black, with gold lettering that gleamed under the dim light. Her brows furrowed. She hadn't put it there.

Setting her glass down, Eva walked toward it, a strange unease curling in her stomach. It wasn't the type of envelope bills or business offers came in. No, this was something else-elegant, deliberate. Someone had placed it here for her to find.

Her fingers hesitated before picking it up, the paper thick beneath her touch. A name wasn't written on the front. No return address. Just the quiet weight of the unknown.

A slow exhale left her lips.

Something told her that whatever was inside would change everything.

Eva stared at the note, her hands trembling as she read the words again. I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, Eva.

Her breath hitched.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, this-this doesn't make sense."

She grabbed her phone and dialed Alec's number. It rang once, twice-straight to voicemail.

"Alec, what the hell is this?" Her voice cracked as she clutched the note in her other hand. "You leave this instead of talking to me? Call me back. Now."

She ended the call, only to redial. No answer. Again.

A bitter laugh bubbled up, but it held no humor. "You can't just walk away. Not after ten years. Not like this."

She pressed the phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone, praying he'd pick up. When it went to voicemail again, her resolve cracked.

"Alec," her voice wavered. "If you need space, fine. If something's wrong, we can fix it. But don't-don't just disappear. Call me."

She hung up, staring at the note in disbelief. Her mind raced through the past few weeks, searching for signs she had missed. Had he been distant? Had she done something wrong?

"No," she muttered, gripping the paper. "This isn't how it ends."

But as she stood there, phone in hand, waiting for a call that wouldn't come, a cold, sinking feeling settled in her chest.

Alec was gone. And he wasn't coming back.

Eva paced across her apartment, phone pressed tightly against her ear. The call went straight to voicemail. Again.

"Alec, pick up." Her voice was sharp, laced with desperation. "I don't understand what's going on, but you need to talk to me."

She ended the call and redialed. It rang once before cutting off.

Her chest tightened. "No. No, you don't get to do this."

She called again, her fingers gripping the phone so tightly they ached. The same result. Voicemail.

"Alec, this isn't funny." Her voice broke. "If you need space, fine. But after ten years, you owe me more than a goddamn note."

Silence.

She tried again. And again. Each unanswered call sent a fresh wave of panic through her.

By the third day, she stopped calling every hour. By the fifth, she barely checked her phone. The realization was sinking in like a slow, cruel poison-he was gone.

Sitting on her couch, she clutched her phone in her lap, staring at the black screen.

Her best friend, Lauren, called that night. "Eva, you have to stop this."

Eva swallowed hard. "What if something happened to him?"

Lauren sighed. "Then his family would know. Someone would have reached out. But they haven't."

Eva closed her eyes. "Then why?"

"I don't know," Lauren said softly. "But you need to let go."

Eva didn't answer. Because deep down, she knew she wasn't ready. Not yet.

Just when she begins to force herself to move on, the doorbell rings.

She hesitates before opening it. A sharply dressed man stands there, holding another envelope.

"This is for Eva Sinclair." He hands it to her without further explanation

Eva froze at the sound of the doorbell. It was late. She wasn't expecting anyone.

Heart pounding, she set down her half-finished glass of wine and walked toward the door. Her fingers hovered over the handle before she finally pulled it open.

As she walked towards the door she really hoped it was Alec who was ready to give explanations for the letter he left.

A sharply dressed man stood there, his suit pristine, his expression unreadable. He held a sleek black envelope in his gloved hand.

"This is for Eva Sinclair," he said, his tone formal, almost impersonal.

Eva's eyes flickered between the envelope and the man. "Who sent this?"

"I am only here to deliver it."

Something about his calm detachment unsettled her. "Is this from Alec?" Her voice was quieter than she intended.

The man gave no reaction. "Have a good evening, Ms. Sinclair."

Before she could press further, he turned and strode down the hall. She watched him disappear into the elevator, leaving behind nothing but the envelope in her trembling hands.

She shut the door and stared at it, her breath uneven. The last time she had received an unexpected letter, it had shattered her world.

Her fingers tightened around the edges. A part of her did not want to open it-could not handle another blow.

But she had to know.

Slowly, she slid a finger under the seal and pulled out the card inside. Her stomach twisted as her eyes scanned the elegant gold lettering.

Alec Hartwell & Sienna Lockwood request the honor of your presence at their wedding...

Eva's breath left her in a rush.

No. No. No. No.

This couldn't be real.