Maya's POV“Oh, Damian has always been the noblest of men,” I cooed, swirling my untouched champagne as I leaned forward, my smile delicate yet sharp. “It’s no wonder he has such a dedicated following. Isn’t that right, Emily?”Emily barely spared me a glance as she set down another tray of drinks with practiced ease. Her expression was composed, unreadable, and it infuriated me.“I wouldn’t know,” she said lightly, her tone void of any emotion that would suggest familiarity. “I was never his patient.”The table let out an exaggerated collective gasp, ever the dramatists when a bit of juicy gossip was at play.“Oh?” I feigned a surprised blink. “I thought… well, with everything I’ve heard…” I trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air like perfume.Emily smiled at me then, and I despised how calm she looked. “Damian is a wonderful doctor, but we’ve never had that kind of relationship.”I tapped my chin as if deep in thought. “Interesting. But tell me, Emily, how is your fami
Damian's POVI never intended to come to this party.When Eloise extended the invitation, I had every intention of declining. I had been preparing excuses in my head, knowing that social gatherings hosted by Maya were never just friendly get-togethers. There was always an underlying motive, a scheme brewing beneath her carefully poised smile.But then Eloise mentioned the venue.Emily’s bar.I agreed before I had time to think about it.Now, as I stepped inside with Eloise on my arm, I was immediately reminded of why I had hesitated.Maya was already holding court, her voice lilting with amusement as she spun yet another version of the story she wanted the world to believe. The moment she noticed me, her eyes gleamed, and she turned her attention toward Emily, her tone growing deliberately louder.“Emily, you must know how we feel,” Maya purred, her voice honeyed with false concern. “After everything that’s happened, it’s just so unfortunate that people keep bringing up old wounds. I
Damian's POVEmily, standing just beyond the table with a tray balanced effortlessly in her hands, froze. Her green eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something shift behind them. Surprise? Doubt? A flicker of emotion she didn’t want me to see? But just as quickly as it came, it was gone, buried beneath the same calm professionalism she always carried like armor.Across from me, Maya’s smile faltered, a thin crack forming in her carefully polished exterior. She hadn’t expected this. She had set the stage so beautifully, twisted the narrative just enough to make Emily seem like the fool, the desperate woman clinging to a man who had never truly belonged to her. And yet, I had just shattered it in one fell swoop.Louis sat rigid beside her, his fingers curled into a fist against the table. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening as if he were barely containing whatever rage had begun to simmer inside him.Someone cleared their throat awkwardly, breaking t
Emily's POVThe glass in my hand trembled slightly as I set it down behind the bar. My fingers tightened into a fist for just a moment before I forced myself to release the tension. I couldn’t let them see me falter—not now, not after everything Damian had just said.His words still echoed in my mind, lingering like an unfinished melody. He had stood up for me. He had declared, in front of everyone, that he admired me, respected me, believed in me. I had known, deep down, that his feelings for me were real. And yet, hearing them spoken aloud, laid bare in front of a crowd of people who wanted nothing more than to see me humiliated; it was overwhelming.I should have been grateful. I should have felt vindicated. But instead, all I felt was the sharp edge of complication cutting through me.Because this was exactly what I had wanted to avoid.From across the room, I felt Maya’s venomous gaze searing into me. Though she had recovered her usual poised expression, her fingers were curled a
Emily's POVThe neon sign outside the bar flickered, casting a hazy glow over the empty street. The last of the patrons had gone, their laughter and lingering whispers fading into the night. I exhaled slowly, my breath curling in the cool air as I locked the register. My fingers ached, my wrist throbbing with every movement. I had lost count of how many drinks I had mixed tonight, how many bottles I had flipped and spun through the air to entertain the ever-demanding crowd. The exhaustion settled into my bones, but I ignored it.Tonight had drained me, but it wasn’t just from the labor. It was everything. Damian’s words, Maya’s venom, Louis’s possessiveness - all of it clashing together in a whirlwind that I hadn’t had time to process. I rubbed my wrist absentmindedly, rolling my shoulders as I prepared to head out. And then I saw him.Damian.He stood at the entrance, his figure illuminated by the dim light from the streetlamp. The sight of him hit me harder than I expected. He wasn’
Emily's POVThe ride home was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. The city lights flickered past the car window, casting shifting shadows over Damian’s face as he drove. My wrist throbbed dully, a reminder of the hours I had spent pouring drinks, shaking cocktails, and carrying trays with more flourish than necessary. I flexed my fingers absently, wincing slightly at the stiffness settling in.Damian noticed. Without a word, he reached over at a stoplight, taking my hand gently in his. His fingers, warm and sure, pressed against the tendons in my wrist, his touch featherlight yet precise. The tension melted almost instantly under his careful ministrations, the ache ebbing away as his thumb moved in slow, deliberate circles. A soft sigh escaped me before I could stop it.“You really are a jack-of-all-trades,” I teased, tilting my head to study him. “Did you pick this up while studying psychiatry?”He glanced at me, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. “Just basic medical knowledge. You’v
Emily's POVDamian’s gaze flickered toward me, his expression unreadable as he lifted the phone to his ear. I braced myself, instinctively holding my breath. The moment his grandfather’s voice crackled through the speaker, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A cold authority filled the air, his words sharp and commanding.“Damian, what exactly do you think you’re doing?” The question was laced with disdain, as if my mere presence in Damian’s life was an unforgivable offense.Damian remained calm, his fingers idly tracing patterns on the table as he listened. “I’m having dinner,” he said simply, his voice level.His grandfather scoffed. “Dinner? Is that what you call this reckless display? Associating with that woman—Emily—like this? Have you lost all sense of responsibility? Have you even considered what this means for our family?”I stiffened, my nails digging into my palms. That woman. As if I were some nameless mistake, an inconvenience to be swept away.Damian, however, didn’t wav
Emily's POVMorning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the sheets. I stirred, feeling warmth at my side, and when I opened my eyes, I found Damian watching me. His gaze was soft yet intent, as if he were memorizing every detail of my face. A lazy smile tugged at his lips, and my breath hitched at how effortlessly handsome he looked in the morning light.“Good morning,” he murmured, his fingers tracing a slow, delicate path along my arm.I sighed, stretching slightly before turning onto my side to face him. “Morning,” I whispered. For a fleeting moment, I let myself sink into the quiet comfort of his presence.But reality, cruel as always, came rushing back.I had to go home. I had to face my parents.Damian seemed to sense the shift in my mood because he sat up, brushing my hair behind my ear. “I’ll go with you,” he said firmly. “We need to talk to them. Get their blessing.”I hesitated. My parents had already been wary of my relationship with Damia
Emily's POVI couldn’t help it. The smirk spread across my face before I could stop it, satisfaction blooming in my chest like a firework. There, on her wedding night, Maya stood trembling in her glittering red dress, her mask ripped away, her secrets echoing in the cool evening air. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to dance. But I kept my expression composed, the way a queen might regard a jester who had overstayed her welcome.Damian’s arm tightened around me, and now he was looking at Maya with open contempt. “This is your last warning,” he said, his voice a low growl. “If you continue scheming, I will destroy you. Not just with rumors or whispers. I will bring the truth out in the open, and there will be nowhere left for you to hide.”Maya flinched. For the first time, she had no comeback, no clever insult, no crocodile tears. She stood rooted in place, teeth clenched, eyes darting from him to me and back again, her fury barely contained beneath her skin.I stepped forward slightly, no
Emily's POVThe sound that followed was unmistakable. Maya’s voice—clear, venomous—hissed from the tiny speaker.“The day you lost your baby… You still remember it, don’t you?”My breath caught again, but this time it was not from pain. It was from the raw clarity of hearing her confession echoed back to her. Damian stood tall beside me, his phone raised slightly between us all, his face unreadable.“You want to know the truth, Emily? That day… the day everything fell apart for you… I went to Louis’s house. It was Lucy who let me in. And after she left, I changed into your clothes. And while you were asleep… I drugged you.”There was a soft gasp from Maya, but the recording continued, unwavering.“I needed you to look crazy, Emily. And it worked, didn’t it? Poor, unstable, hysterical Emily. And your baby? Well, that was just an unfortunate consequence.”Maya's face blanched as her own giggle crackled from the speaker.“I was the one who released it.”Then my voice joined in, calm, eve
Emily's POVThe tent flap flew open with a suddenness that cut through the tension like a blade, and Maya’s smugness evaporated instantly. I watched as her whole body transformed, as though she were an actress snapping into a different role with revolting ease. She dropped her smirk like a discarded mask and lunged for my hand with trembling fingers, her eyes wide and glistening with freshly manufactured tears.“Emily,” she whimpered, her voice catching, as though she were the one who had just been threatened. “Please… I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to talk—”It was horrifying to watch. She looked like a chameleon caught mid-shift, her oversized, glassy eyes darting between expressions, her mouth twisted into a trembling grimace of sorrow. She was grotesque, a pitiful little thing putting on a pageant of guilt. My skin crawled. I stumbled back, yanking my hand from her claws, my voice sharp and full of loathing.“Let me go,” I spat, shaking off the last trace of her tou
Emily's POVI remained still. My heart pounded in my chest, but I did not move.That drove her completely mad.Maya’s expression tightened, frustration flashing behind her eyes. This was her moment of triumph, her moment to watch me crumble, to see me break beneath the weight of her cruelty, and I refused to give her that victory.She drew a breath, her lips curling into something sharper, something colder. “Do you remember that video?” she whispered, her voice like silk wrapping around a dagger. “The one that destroyed you? The one that made Louis finally leave you? The one that showed the whole world what you refused to believe?”I clenched my fingers at my sides.A slow, satisfied smirk stretched across her lips. “I was the one who released it.”The world tilted for a split second.Pain lanced through me, sharp, deep, sudden. My breath hitched ever so slightly, but I forced myself to breathe, to push past the suffocating weight pressing down on my chest.For so long, I had wondered
Maya, however, chuckled lightly, the sound as artificial as the diamonds glistening in her ears. "Oh, Emily herself is already annoying enough," she mused, her eyes gleaming. "I did hear something rather interesting, though. Apparently, Damian has been searching for someone, his childhood first love." She tilted her head, her gaze locking onto mine. "Maybe he just thinks Emily looks like her."Her words were not spoken in hushed tones. They were meant to be heard, meant to draw a reaction, meant to make me falter.I did not.Instead, I reached for my fork, cutting through the delicate piece of fish on my plate, tasting the citrus glaze with an appreciative nod. "The ingredients are lovely," I said simply, directing my words to Damian and his grandfather, who sat nearby. Damian smiled, nodding in agreement, and his grandfather gave a pleased chuckle.Maya’s smile tightened.The rest of the night continued in a blur of laughter, music, and speeches. I played my role well. I smiled when
Emily's POVI still came to the wedding despite my reservations.When Damian’s father personally delivered the invitation, I hesitated for a long time. I could have refused and left all the pain in the past, could have spared myself from the whispers, the lingering stares, the carefully measured pity disguised as politeness. But in the end, I chose to face it. I wanted to prove to everyone that I had moved on.With my hand resting on Damian’s arm, I stepped into the wedding reception with composed steps, my expression indifferent, my spine straight. The murmurs started almost instantly, hushed voices passing from one guest to another like a ripple in still water. I could feel the weight of their gazes, lingering too long before darting away when I met their eyes. Most of them were familiar faces, I had once raised my glass to toast their happiness at their own weddings, just as they had once watched me walk down the aisle toward Louis, believing it was forever. And now, they saw me he
Maya's POVStepping out of the bridal suite once more, I felt reborn. The deep wine-red gown cascaded over my frame, sculpted to perfection, seductive yet elegant, as though it had been woven from the very essence of power itself. The rubies glistening at my neck and wrists caught the light with every movement, perfectly matching the fire in my veins. It was not just a dress. It was a statement. It declared to the world that I was untouchable, that I had won.The moment I stepped outside the main doors, heads turned. My father, Charles, was the first to approach, his expression one of pure admiration. His arms opened, and I stepped into his embrace, inhaling the scent of expensive cologne and success."You are breathtaking," he murmured, pulling back to admire me. "Everything about this night is perfection, and all of it is for you, my beautiful daughter."I beamed, tilting my chin up as if soaking in the admiration. "Thank you, Father. This wedding, this reception, it is beyond anyth
Maya's POVThe reception was a masterpiece.Exactly as I’d imagined it—a golden haze blanketing the estate as the sun dipped low in the sky, casting everything in that soft, glowing light you can’t fake. Rows of champagne flutes sparkled like diamonds, the scent of roses wafting through the warm air, mingling with hints of truffle, seared lamb, and other delicacies I had hand-selected from a Michelin-starred tasting.People were talking about it already. I could hear it in the way they murmured as they arrived, the way their eyes widened at the floral arch, the way their compliments grew more effusive with each course. This wasn’t just a reception—it was the event. The kind of thing high society would whisper about for years.Louis and I stood at the entrance like royalty, arms elegantly linked as guests floated toward us with their congratulations and over-the-top gifts. I wanted every single one of them on display—glinting under the chandeliers in the grand salon like trophies. Proo
Emily's POVLouis wasted no time. He pulled her into his arms, pressing a lingering kiss against her temple before resting his forehead against hers. “Finally,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “It’s over. We’re married.”Maya smiled, resting her hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath the crisp fabric of his tuxedo. “Yes,” she whispered. “And it was perfect.”His lips curled into a soft grin as he kissed her once more. “I can’t believe we actually made it through the day.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Now we can start our new life together. Just us and the baby.”At the mention of their child, Maya’s fingers tightened against his jacket. Their baby. The ultimate symbol of her victory. She had everything. Louis, their marriage, their child.She let out a pleased hum, tilting her head to look at herself in the full-length mirror. Louis wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and she sighed in contentment. She wasn’t showing yet, thank Go