Broken Ring, Broken Bond Chapter 06

Broken Ring, Broken Bond Chapter 06

Ten minutes later, the first trending topic blew up on PackNet.

[Old Flame Reunion—Lead Designer Scam.]

Right after that, a second one hit the top of the feed.

[Crestmoon Pack Group Launch—The Pack Hospital Receipt Scandal Reversal.]

My advisor posted the full timeline—from me submitting the original draft in Paris, to Crestmoon Pack Group forcefully swapping the lead via internal email, to Tessa copying my design presentation word for word.

Every document had a clear timestamp.

The most damning piece was the backstage security footage of the “accidental” file switch.

The footage showed Tessa’s assistant slipping in a USB drive while everyone was distracted. It wasn’t a full medical record—it was a pre-edited media bomb designed to make her look like a victim.

Those hospital receipts were planted by Tessa herself.

Public opinion flipped instantly.

[She tried to frame the original designer by playing the victim, and it backfired?]

[That’s so gross—stealing her work and stealing her boyfriend.]

[Julian’s first move was to force Aurora to apologize. Wild.]

—

I sat in the back of a taxi, my phone buzzing nonstop.

Julian called.

I answered.

His voice was frantic.

“Aurora, where are you?”

“A hotel.”

“Did you post that PackNet trending topic?”

“The evidence is real.”

“I asked if you posted it.”

I looked at my reflection in the car window.

“Yes.”

He was silent for a long time.

“You had to blow this whole thing up this bad?”

I asked softly.

“Julian, when you forced me to apologize publicly at the launch, did you ever think it would blow up?”

His breathing hitched.

“I thought… back then…”

“That I did this to her.”

—

He didn’t say anything.

I finished the sentence for him.

“You’ve always been ready to believe her first.”

Julian’s voice dropped.

“I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Aurora…”

He sounded panicked now, like he’d finally realized what he was losing.

“Where’s the ring?”

I didn’t expect him to ask that.

“I threw it away.”

“Which trash can?”

I frowned.

“What do you need it for?”

“Just tell me which trash can.”

His voice was low, like he was holding something back.

I didn’t answer. I just hung up.

I’d just picked up my keycard in the hotel lobby when Tessa called.

—

She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

“Aurora, are you happy now?”

I hit record on my phone.

“Happy about what?”

“I just wanted everyone to know Alpha and I have a history. I never meant to hurt you.”

“So you planted the Pack Hospital receipts to commemorate your history?”

She choked.

Then her voice went sharp.

“So what? Those babies were real! Everything I went through was real! Why do you get to show up out of nowhere and make him dump me?”

I said evenly, “I didn’t meet him until three years ago.”

She laughed coldly.

“But he loved me first.”

I didn’t say anything.

My silence seemed to set her off.

“Do you know why he never dared tell you about those babies? Because he made me get rid of the second one. He said his career was just taking off, he couldn’t be tied down by a family.”

My hand tightened around the keycard.

—

“You should tell him that.”

“I will.”

She laughed suddenly.

“But don’t get too excited. You think he’s chasing you now because he loves you that much? He’s just used to you obeying him. Once you stop doing what he wants, he’ll dump you too.”

She hung up.

I stood in the elevator, watching the floor numbers tick up one by one.

My phone rang again.

It was Julian this time.

I didn’t answer.

He sent me a photo.

In the picture, he was standing by the trash area backstage at the launch, his sleeve stained with grime, clutching the ring box in his hand.

[I found it.]

I stared at the photo for a long time.

I never texted back.

The elevator door opened.

At the end of the hallway, the lawyer my dad sent was waiting for me.

—

He handed me a file.

“Ms. Brooks, we’ve finished sorting through the joint assets and the partnership split agreement you asked for. Also, your father wanted to confirm—are you absolutely sure you want to terminate all remaining private collaborations with Crestmoon Pack Group?”

I took the pen.

“I’m sure.”

Right after I signed, my phone lit up again.

Julian sent a message.

[Aurora, we need to talk.]

I turned my phone to Do Not Disturb code.

I closed the file.

Just like a door, finally clicking shut.