After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's Aunt-in-Law

”Fifty percent of your family’s company is now officially owned by the Rossi Group. Vittoria Rossi’s company. The public would love to know your thoughts on all this,” Savannah announced, her voice echoing over the silent studio.

The entire soundstage held its breath.

The camera operators subtly zoomed in on Aria’s face. Savannah sat on the edge of her plush armchair. The narrative was supposed to be: Current wife devastated by the millionaire ex-girlfriend swooping in to buy her family’s dying legacy.

Aria looked directly into the camera.

”Honestly, Savannah? I find it fantastic,” Aria beamed, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes, shifting gracefully in her chair.

The audience murmured in confusion.

”Vale Entertainment hasn’t been an ’empire’ for over a decade,” Aria stated, her voice dropping into a smooth, calm register. ”Despite public belief, that company was originally built by my mother, Eleanor. When she passed away, it was hijacked and corrupted by Lydia and Raymond. Today, it is nothing but a rotting, skeletal ruin of bad investments and terrible PR.”

”Vittoria taking it off their hands is the best thing that could have happened to it,” Aria declared. ”If anyone has the corporate intellect to renovate a haunted house, it’s her. I’m just glad she took out the trash.”

The audience let out a collective, ”Oooooh.”

Savannah quickly scrambled to regain control of the interview. ”But Aria, your father is in the hospital. He is fighting for his life. Regardless of the business aspect, doesn’t it hurt to see him lose everything? He is still your father.”

Aria let out a soft, pitying sigh. She looked down at her lap for a brief second, perfectly playing the role of the wounded, reluctant victim before looking back up.

”A lot of people don’t know this, Savannah,” Aria began, her voice softening into a heartbreaking vulnerability. ”But Bella and I are in the exact same age bracket. In fact, she is only a few months younger than me.”

It took the audience exactly three seconds to do the math. When they did, a horrified gasp rippled through the crowd.

”Yes,” Aria nodded solemnly, confirming the scandal for millions of live viewers. ”My father was sleeping with his mistress, Lydia, while my mother was pregnant with me. My mother didn’t leave him when she found out because she loved him, and she believed in keeping her family together. She suffered in silence with that affair for years, right up until the day she died.”

Savannah’s jaw hit the floor. There were speculations, of course, following Raymond’s quick marriage after his wife’s death and the appearance of a daughter with his name that was never confirmed to be his, but with Lydia’s influence, no one ever expected the truth to actually come to light like this.

”My mother was a saint,” Aria continued, her voice trembling just enough to sell the tragedy. ”She forgave him over and over again, every single time. But I am not my mother. I hold grudges. And I am not ashamed of that.”

Aria squared her shoulders.

”Why would I help the man who subjected both me and my mother to years of abuse just to please his mistress?” Aria asked. ”Growing up, the dogs ate better than me.”

Another shocked gasp tore through the studio. In the front row, a woman literally covered her mouth with both hands in horror.

”So, no, Savannah. It doesn’t hurt to see him lose everything,” Aria stated firmly. ”I don’t want anything to do with the skeleton ruins of their company, and I want absolutely nothing to do with their family. The Vale name means nothing to me. As a matter of fact, I was never even really Aria Vale.”

Aria turned her head, looking at Damien. The warmth that flooded her face was genuine.

”I am Aria Sinclair,” she smiled.

The studio audience erupted into thunderous applause. Women in the crowd were cheering, completely won over by her unapologetic strength and her refusal to cater to her abusers.

Savannah was vibrating with excitement. The producers behind the cameras were giving her ecstatic thumbs-ups.

”That is... incredibly brave of you to share, Aria,” Savannah breathed, leaning forward. She glanced off-camera, noticing the floor director frantically tapping his wrist to signal that they only had two minutes left in the broadcast.

”We only have a few moments left,” Savannah pivoted quickly. ”So, what is next for Aria Sinclair? You’ve had smaller, breakout roles before, but The Empress’s Shadow premieres in a few days, and the early buzz is astronomical. Are you looking into more villain roles? Do you already have a new agency or company in mind to sign with after your current contract with Vale Entertainment expires?”

Aria let out a sweet, coy laugh, tucking a stray rose-gold curl behind her ear.

”I’m keeping my options open,” Aria answered playfully, her emerald eyes glinting. ”I’m a free agent soon. I’m just looking for a team that actually values my vision. That’s all I’m saying for now.”

Savannah grinned as she turned her attention to the billionaire sitting silently on her couch.

”And what about you, Mr. Sinclair?” Savannah asked, batting her eyelashes slightly. ”Sinclair Corp is a titan in tech, real estate, and finance. With your wife’s career about to go supernova, does Sinclair Corp have any plans of expanding into the entertainment industry? A Sinclair Entertainment division, perhaps?”

The studio went quiet, waiting for the Demon King to speak.

Damien leaned forward slightly, his broad shoulders shifting under his crisp white shirt. He looked directly into the primary broadcast camera, his golden eyes cold and calculating.

”Sinclair Corporation already holds significant shares in major entertainment agencies across the globe,” Damien stated. ”My analytics teams are constantly monitoring market trends and seeking out new, viable expansion opportunities.”

”So,” Damien finished, ”it is certainly not impossible for such an expansion to appear in the near future. We go where the value is.”

”Well,” Savannah smiled brightly, turning back to the camera as the outro music began to swell through the studio. ”You heard it here first! A massive thank you to Aria and Damien Sinclair for joining us this morning and sharing their incredible story. Be sure to catch The Empress’s Shadow in theaters next week!”

The red ’ON AIR’ light on the primary camera blinked off.

”And we’re clear!” the floor director shouted.

The audience exploded into cheers again. Aria let out a long exhale, her shoulders dropping as the adrenaline finally began to ebb. She turned to Damien, a triumphant, brilliant smile stretching across her face.