Too Late For Regret: His Discarded Rose

Brianna POV

On the night I thought I finally escaped my mother's shadow, Ashton Cole, my fiancé, shattered my world with a single, cruel demand. He told me he would marry another woman for business, and I could remain his secret lover. My mother's scandalous past, which he once promised to protect me from, became his weapon against me.

I had loved him with the kind of blind devotion that only comes from having been saved. When I was seventeen, a bullied outcast marked by my mother's disgrace, Ashton had stepped in and chased away the monsters. He brought me coffee, walked me to class, spoke of justice and innocence. He was the wall I leaned on when the world felt like it was crumbling. And now, he was dismantling it brick by brick.

The engagement party shimmered around us, a vibrant blur of laughter and clinking glasses. Ashton's hand, still warm from holding mine moments before, slipped away. He leaned closer. His breath, usually smelling of mint and expensive cologne, now carried a cold edge.

"Brianna," he began, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. "We need to talk about our future."

My heart pounded a happy rhythm. I imagined discussions about wedding venues, honeymoon destinations. "Yes, Ashton?" I smiled, my gaze fixed on the diamond gleaming on my finger.

He cleared his throat. "I've decided to formalize my partnership with Kiley McConnell."

My smile froze. Kiley McConnell, the sharp, ambitious new executive at Hampton Industries. I had seen her at company events—impeccably dressed, commanding attention. I once asked Ashton why he spent so much time with her. He said she was "a force of nature," and I mistook admiration for professional respect. A prickle of unease ran through me.

"Formalize your partnership?" I asked. "What does that mean for us?"

Ashton's eyes, once so warm, were now distant, calculating. He adjusted his tie—a nervous habit I had learned to read. But this time, the calculation wasn't about making me feel safe. "It means Kiley and I will marry. For business, of course."

The words hit me like a physical blow. The glittering ballroom, the happy faces, the music—everything spun into a dizzying kaleidoscope of disbelief.

"Marry?" I whispered. "You're going to marry Kiley?"

He nodded, curt. "A strategic alliance, Brianna. Her connections, her drive—invaluable for the company's expansion."

A cold dread seeped into my bones. "And what about me?"

Ashton's gaze finally met mine, but there was no compassion. Only chilling pragmatism. "You'll remain my confidante, my closest companion. Privately. You understand, don't you? It's for the best."

Privately. He wanted me to become his mistress. The humiliation burned through me, hotter than any shame my mother had ever brought.

"Private?" I repeated, my voice rising. "You want me to be your secret lover while you marry another woman?"

He shifted, impatience flickering across his face. "Think about it, Brianna. Your mother's entanglement makes you a liability in certain elite circles. Kiley, on the other hand, brings a clean public