"I knew it. You’ve been pretending the whole time," he sneered. "Listen up—don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone in either of our families. My relationship with Audrey is none of your business. She’s kind and fragile—nothing like your petty little schemes." His voice dropped low, almost a warning. "If you ever hurt her, don’t think for a second I’ll still go through with this wedding."
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was too much of a coward to be honest with the Hughes family, yet somehow, I was the one painted as the villain in all of this.
I didn’t say another word. I just turned on my heel and walked into my apartment, the weight of it all pressing down on me.
The moment I stepped through the door, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was a video from Audrey.
I hesitated before opening it, but when I did, there they were—Simon, gently helping Audrey fasten a necklace around her neck. The brand was unmistakable. And then it hit me: the bracelet Simon had just given me was the freebie that came with that very necklace.