Revenge: The Wife He Left To Die

FOUR YEARS LATER…

ETHAN'S POV

Four years had passed since the world mourned my wife, Charlotte Blackwood.

Four years since her name disappeared from the headlines and was slowly replaced by other stories that demanded the public's attention. Four years since I had stood in front of cameras and told the world that she was dead, even though her body had never been found. Four years since I had watched the woman I once loved become nothing more than a photograph and a painful memory I could never completely bury.

Yet somehow, life had continued.

Tonight, Blackwood Empire's annual charity gala was filled with everything money could buy. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm golden glow across the ballroom, while waiters moved between elegantly dressed guests with trays of champagne and expensive hors d'oeuvres. Soft music played in the background, blending with the endless conversations of businessmen, investors, celebrities, and influential figures who had gathered from different parts of the country.

I stood near the entrance with Selena beside me, acknowledging guests with polite smiles while my attention remained fixed on the large clock mounted on the opposite wall — she was late.

"You're looking at that clock like you're expecting it to apologize for being slow," Selena said, glancing at me with a small smile.

I looked at her and managed a faint chuckle. "I'm just wondering if she's actually coming."

"She said she would."

"I know."

"Then she'll come."

Selena reached for the champagne glass in my hand and took a small sip before handing it back to me. She looked beautiful tonight, dressed in a black evening gown that hugged her figure perfectly, her dark hair styled into loose waves that fell over her shoulders. Anyone looking at us from a distance would probably assume we were the perfect couple.

Perhaps that was exactly what she wanted them to think. After Charlotte's death, Selena had remained by my side. At first, I had convinced myself that I needed someone to help me through the grief. Eventually, our relationship became something the public accepted without question. She became the woman beside me at charity events, business dinners, family gatherings and every other occasion where people expected the CEO of Blackwood Empire to have someone on his arm.

But tonight wasn't about Selena, it was about Aurora Sinclair, one of the most talked-about businesswomen in the country, yet very few people could actually claim to have met her. She had built her company almost from scratch, turning what had once been a relatively small investment firm into a rapidly expanding business empire with interests in technology, real estate, finance and luxury brands.

What fascinated people even more was the mystery surrounding her.

She rarely appeared publicly, didn't give interviews, and avoided red carpets and business conferences, choosing instead to let her executives speak on her behalf. Even photographs of her were practically nonexistent. Whenever the media tried to uncover her identity, they found nothing substantial.

There were even rumors that Aurora Sinclair wasn't a real person at all and that the company was being controlled by a group of wealthy investors hiding behind the name.

I had never believed that last theory, and tonight, I was finally going to meet her.

"Have you ever seen her?" Selena asked suddenly.

I turned toward her. "Aurora?"

She nodded.

"No."

"Neither have I." Her brows pulled together slightly. "It's strange, isn't it? Someone can become one of the most powerful business figures in the country without anyone knowing what she looks like."

"That's probably intentional."

"You think she's hiding something?"

I shrugged. "Everyone with that kind of money is hiding something."

Selena laughed softly. "That's true."

"Still, I'm glad she accepted the invitation," I said, looking across the ballroom again.

"So am I." Selena's smile widened. "A collaboration with Sinclair Group could be exactly what Blackwood Empire needs right now."

“That's why I wanted her here.”

Over the past few months, Blackwood Empire had been looking to expand its hospitality operations, and Haven Group's agricultural supply and distribution network could provide the reliable partnership we needed. I had personally approved the invitation, but I never expected Aurora Sinclair to attend the gala herself.

Yet she had agreed to come.

That alone had caught my attention.

"Do you think she'll actually stay for the entire gala?" Selena asked.

"I have no idea, Selena."

"Well, I hope she's worth all this anticipation."

I smiled faintly. "We'll find out soon enough."

As if my words had summoned her, the music suddenly faded into the background when the large ballroom doors opened.

Several guests turned toward the entrance, their conversations dying one after another as everyone's attention shifted in the same direction.

I instinctively looked up.

At first, all I saw was a woman standing beneath the golden light spilling from the hallway.

She was wearing a long black gown that fell elegantly against her figure, the fabric moving gently with every step she took. Her hair was styled neatly, falling over one shoulder, while a pair of simple diamond earrings caught the light whenever she moved her head.

She carried herself with the kind of confidence that made people move aside without being asked. Whispers immediately began spreading through the ballroom.

"Is that Aurora Sinclair?"

"I think so."

"She's beautiful."

"Finally, someone has actually seen her."

My grip tightened around the champagne glass. Something about her felt familiar, but I couldn't explain it.

Then she lifted her face.

Immediately our eyes met, my heart stopped. The glass I was holding nearly slipped.

I stared at her, unable to breathe as memories I had spent three years trying to bury suddenly came rushing back.

“No,” I whispered, my mind refusing to accept what my eyes were seeing.

The woman standing across the ballroom couldn't possibly be her. I blinked several times, but she remained there, looking directly at me.

"Charlotte?" The name escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Selena turned sharply toward me. "What?"

I couldn't answer.

She followed my gaze, and the moment her eyes landed on the woman at the entrance, the color drained from her face. For several seconds, neither of us moved.

The woman began walking toward us, her expression calm and unreadable, as though she had never seen us before.

.

Selena's fingers suddenly closed around my arm. "Ethan," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "That's her."

I swallowed hard. "No."

"That's Charlotte."

"How?" Selena whispered, her grip tightening around my arm. "How is she here?"

My mind raced through every possibility, desperately searching for an explanation that made sense.

"She’s supposed to be dead," she whispered, gritting her teeth. “We buried her.”

"I– " I tried to speak, but the words didn’t come out.

Finally, she got to us.

“Hello,” she smiled, her gaze settling on me. “You must be Ethan Blackwood, CEO of Blackwood empire.”

Her voice sent shivers down my spine. She was definitely Charlotte, but why is she pretending not to recognize me?