The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

Chapter 1

After five years of marriage, Navier Armstrong wanted a divorce.

When she arrived at the office, she spotted the secretary heading toward her husband Lysander

Vanderbilt’s office with a stack of documents.

Using the excuse that she was heading the same way, she took the stack of papers, discreetly slipping the divorce agreement among them.

As she handed over the documents, Lysander was on the phone.

Without even glancing at them, he signed everything–including the divorce agreement.

Navier stared at his signature on the divorce papers, momentarily lost in thought.

So this is it. It’s finally ending.

Just as she reached for the documents to leave, her elbow accidentally knocked over a delicate picture frame on his desk. It toppled over, glass shattering across the surface.

The smiling girl in the photo was now partially obscured by broken glass.

It was Ophelia Belmont, Lysander’s deceased first love.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Lysander abruptly ended his call, his voice snapping with fury.

He shot to his feet and roughly shoved Navier aside.

She stumbled backward and her palm landing on shards of glass. Sharp pain shot through her hand, but she bit her lip, refusing to cry out though tears welled up involuntarily.

Looking down, she watched blood dripping from her fingertips, staining the documents on the floor.

Lysander seemed oblivious to her pain.

He knelt down, carefully picking up the photograph and gently brushing away the glass fragments,

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Chapter 1

terrified of causing the slightest damage. His movements were tender and focused, as if handling a

priceless treasure.

She stared at the man before her, a

years of marriage, and she–a living, breathing human being–still couldn’t compete

still standing there?” Lysander looked at her, his eyes cold as ice. “Don’t come to my office again without my permission.”

silently gathered the blood–stained documents from the floor and turned

leave.

hand was still bleeding, but she couldn’t feel

doorway, she heard Lysander making another call.

undercurrent of urgency. “Have you found anyone who looks like Ophelia yet?”

something, and Lysander’s voice betrayed a

suppressed anguish.

the hell can’t

isn’t

twisting

corner of her mouth curved into a

I did. Don’t worry, I’ll train her

her private estates,

the car sped through busy streets, the scenery blurred past the window while her mind drifted to

And she had loved him for a

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his heart had never belonged to her.

Ophelia Belmont, from the moment she walked into

years old, Ophelia

became despondent, only reluctantly accepting the arranged marriage with Navier as part of a family alliance,

their Manhattan social circle knew

corner in his home for Ophelia

as if she were still

endured it when he covered their bedroom with Ophelia’s

like she was

his obsessive global

stayed by his side long enough, he would eventually

love with her.

someday he would forget about Ophelia, they

of slapping her in the face.

been pregnant three times and

pregnancy–until her

abortion pills into Navier’s food every time

finds out, she’ll be crazy.”

Lysander’s voice was cold. “If I had a child with another woman, Ophelia–wherever she is–would

was when she realized her previous miscarriages weren’t accidents at all–Lysander had deliberately induced them!

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