"You think...someone framed me?" My voice was barely above a whisper when I spoke.

Tears spilled from the brim of my eyes, rolling down my flushed cheeks as I clutched my chest, feeling like I could hardly breathe. It felt like I was stabbed in the chest. My heart was racing so hard I could hear the blood rushing through my ears. I had never thought about it this way before.

Never.

Because I had always been too busy blaming myself. Too busy drowning in guilt. Too busy believing the rumours. So much so that I couldn’t think straight. Especially after realising I was pregnant.

I barely had the time to process that newfound reality, and I was thrust into a marriage with Lucas.

"It’s highly likely the case."

"But...but why? What did I do to deserve this?"

What if I had been innocent all along?

What if my entire life had been stolen because of a lie? An elaborate set up by my own stepsister.

The thought was almost unbearable.

Did I waste the last seven years in guilt, blaming myself for something that I didn’t even do? Did I ruin my own engagement and break the heart of the man I loved so deeply over something that I was simply accused of?

I had wasted all those years when I could have been with him this whole time.

The room was so quiet that I could almost hear the sound of my own heart breaking into halves.

His hand reached for my cheek, his touch so tender like a feather that caressed my skin as he wiped the tears off my face. "I don’t know...my love."

My heart skipped a beat, and I lifted my gaze to meet his eyes this time. "Why do you keep calling me ’my love’"?

"Are you not?"

Silence stretched taut between us, and the air crackled with unspoken tension.

"Don’t worry, I will get someone to investigate this matter. And I promise you..." his words trailed off, his features soft around the edges as his fingers brushed against my chin. "I will get to the bottom of this."

I nodded and found myself leaning towards him until my head rested on him. I heard his sharp intake of breath. Beneath me, his body went rigid for a split second before he finally relaxed, reaching his hand up to pat my back. He didn’t say a word, giving me my own space and time to process.

He didn’t push me off as I quietly lay on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat as I blinked back tears. My mind was still busy trying to piece everything together the entire time.

And then, it clicked.

Jessica.

She was the one who insisted I go to the bar with her. She was the one who made me drink. It had to be her, right?

But why? Why would she set me up with her own fiancé? Why Lucas? What’s her motive? What could she possibly gain from this?

The questions swirled in my mind like a hurricane that I couldn’t escape from, not until Rhys’ voice broke me out of it.

"Evelyn. What are you—"

My eyes snapped up to meet his, concern evident on his face. "Jessica, it’s Jessica," I blurted out, and quickly wiped away all signs of tears. "I think she’s the one who framed me. But why? I don’t get it. Why would she use her own fiancé to ruin my engagement?"

Rhys didn’t immediately answer. His expression darkened as he considered my words, his fingers still resting lightly against my back. I watched as his brows furrowed, carving lines into his forehead.

"There must be something we don’t know yet, or something we are missing. If Jessica truly loved Lucas, she would never willingly put herself in a position where her fiancé could end up with another woman." There was a pause, and I could see the gears shifting in his head. "Unless...she doesn’t."

"What?"

He shook his head, his arm tightened around my shoulders as the corners of his lips tilted into a small smile that never quite reached his eyes. "We will start there, we will investigate Jessica."

"And if she had anything to do with this—"

There was a deadly calmness in his voice now. The kind that usually appeared right before someone was utterly destroyed. His gaze turned ice-cold, his fists clenched tightly beside him, turning his knuckles paper-white.

"She’s going to wish she hadn’t."

***

The day of the gala snuck up upon me faster than I had imagined.

Standing right outside the entrance, smoothing my palms down the sides of my gown for what had to be the hundredth time.

The emerald-green gown hugged my figure, the smooth silk skimmed over my curves before cascading elegantly to the floor. It featured a halter neckline that wrapped around my neck, leaving my shoulders completely bare.

I reached up to fiddle with my earring when Rhys’ voice reached my ear. "Nervous?"

"Of course."

"There’s nothing to be nervous about."

"Oh, yeah? Announcing our relationship in front of hundreds of people, in front of the press? Sure, nothing to be nervous about."

"Actually, it’s closer to a thousand."

My eyes widened as I stared back at him. "Thanks a lot."

A low chuckle left his lips. "Relax, I got you." His eyes dipped to somewhere below my neck, a small crease forming between his brows. "Hold on, there’s something..."

My brows furrowed as I stared at him in confusion. "What?"

Instead of answering, he reached toward me. I froze the moment his fingers brushed lightly against my shoulder. The contact lasted less than a second. Barely anything at all, yet it sent a jolt through me powerful enough to make my breath hitch.

My heart was still hammering when I muttered the word. "Thanks."

He looked down at me, a charming smile plastered across his devastatingly handsome face. "You ready?" He asked, offering me his arm.

Taking in a deep breath, I nodded as I wrapped my arm around his.

The moment we stepped into the ballroom, every conversation seemed to pause.

Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, casting golden light across the sea of guests dressed in designer gowns and tailored suits. Soft music drifted through the air while servers moved gracefully through the crowd carrying trays of champagne.

And every pair of eyes turned toward us.

My grip on his arm tightened instinctively. Almost immediately, I felt his hand settle over mine.

"It’s just a room full of people," he murmured beside me.

I shot him a look. "A room full of people who are staring."

"They stare at everyone."

"They’re definitely staring at us."

His lips twitched. "That’s because you’re beautiful."

I nearly stumbled. Rhys didn’t even glance at me as he said it, meanwhile, my heart was trying to break free from my chest.

Before I could respond, a group of executives approached us, everyone congratulating him on his appointment as the new CEO of TechHub.

The next half hour passed in a blur of introductions, handshakes, and polite smiles. And through the whole time, his hand remained possessively against the small of my back.

I told myself it was just part of the act, but it was still impossible to ignore. Especially not with the way my heart was about to break out of my chest.

But I continued to stand beside him quietly, listening while pretending not to notice the way women kept glancing in his direction. Pretending that there wasn’t this pressure in my chest.

One blonde woman in particular seemed especially interested. It was obvious from the way she laughed a little too hard at everything he said, the way she touched his arm a little too often, and the way she stood a little too close.

An unfamiliar irritation stirred inside me.

The woman daringly leaned forward.

"Rhys, you really should join us for drinks next week...to celebrate your appointment."

"I’m busy."

The woman blinked, like she was taken aback by the crudeness of his reply. "Oh."

His expression remained neutral. "Besides..." His arm slipped around my waist. Every coherent thought vanished. His hand settled firmly against my side as he pulled me closer just to make a point. "My girlfriend tends to get upset when other women ask me out."

The woman’s smile faltered instantly as her gaze flickered over to me. I forced my lips into a default smile, giving her a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Right, right. Of course, how could I?" She turned to face me fully this time. "I’m sorry, Evelyn. I hope you don’t mind."

"Actually...I do." I looked up at Rhys, and our eyes locked. "What did I say about talking to other women?"

The woman’s eyes darted frantically between us for a while before she made up an excuse and disappeared into the crowd seconds later.

I elbowed him lightly. "You enjoyed that."

A smirk appeared. "Immensely. Looks like you enjoyed it too."

I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me. The sight of him smiling made something warm flutter inside my chest. For a brief moment, it felt easy. Natural. Like we weren’t pretending anymore.

When the time finally came, and I was standing on stage with Rhys, just about to confirm our relationship in front of everyone, the ballroom doors swung open.

Then a voice pierced through the air.

"Don’t be fooled by them, they are lying to you. Their relationship is all fake!"