Chapter 9

The night breeze was cool against his overheated skin as he gripped the railing, staring out at the city skyline.

The Alden estate stood tall in the distance, a testament to the power and wealth that dictated their lives. And inside that estate was Vera, playing a role he couldn’t quite understand but knew she wasn’t suited for.

She wasn’t like them. She never had been.

And yet, here she was, standing beside Asher Donovan, looking every bit the part of the perfect companion. It made his stomach twist with something unpleasant, regret, jealousy, or maybe just the cruel realization that he had made a choice that could never be undone.

“You look like a man being eaten alive by his own choices.”

Lucas stiffened at the sound of Nicholas' voice. He didn’t turn, but he could sense the other man’s smirk even without looking.

“What do you want, Alden?” Lucas muttered, not in the mood for mind games.

Nicholas stepped beside him, his gaze lazily scanning the city lights. “Just enjoying the view. And watching a man drown in his own misery is quite the sight.”

Lucas shot him a glare. “I’m not miserable.”

Nicholas chuckled. “No? Then why do you look like you’d rather throw yourself off this balcony than go back inside to your fiancée?”

Lucas didn’t respond. Because the truth was, for the first time, he wasn’t sure what he felt anymore.

Nicholas sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of men make a lot of stupid choices in my life. But you, Lucas, might just take the prize.”

Lucas’s jaw ticked. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Nicholas turned, finally meeting his gaze. “You let Vera slip through your fingers, and now you’re watching another man claim her. And the worst part? You did it to yourself.”

Lucas felt his temper ignite. “You think this is that simple?”

“I think you made a choice based on fear,” Nicholas said, unbothered by the rising anger in Lucas’s tone. “And now, you’re realizing what it’s cost you.”

Lucas exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. “Even if that were true, it doesn’t matter. It’s done.”

Nicholas studied him for a long moment before smirking. “You keep telling yourself that.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strolled back inside, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts.

He stayed on the balcony for what felt like an eternity, staring at the city that had shaped them all into the people they had become, some by choice, others by force.

And since choosing Camilla, Lucas wasn’t sure which category he fell into.

But one thing was certain, Vera wasn’t his anymore.

And the realization burned more than he cared to admit.

Vera smoothed her dress, the damp spot from the champagne a fading reminder of the night’s chaos. She had had enough. The whispers, the stares, Sarah’s petty attempts at intimidation, it was all becoming exhausting. The sooner she left, the better.

With her decision made, she stepped out of the washroom, her heels clicking against the polished marble floors as she scanned the room for Asher. He stood near the bar, his tall frame exuding effortless authority even as he spoke in hushed tones to someone she didn’t recognize.

She strode toward him with purpose. When she was close enough, he turned, those sharp gray eyes instantly locking onto her.

“I want to leave,” Vera said simply, keeping her voice low but firm.

Asher arched a brow. “We’ve barely been here.”

“We’ve been here long enough,” she countered. “People saw us together. You played your part. I played mine. That’s all that matters, right?”

His gaze searched hers, unreadable for a moment before he let out a small exhale. “Are you okay?”

Vera’s fingers curled at her sides. The question caught her off guard. She had expected resistance, maybe even a smug remark, but not… concern.

“I just don’t see a point in staying any longer.” Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the weight of everything she had endured tonight. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”

Something flickered across his face, gone too quickly for her to decipher. Then, just as smoothly as always, Asher stepped closer, his presence imposing yet undeniably magnetic.

“If you want to leave, we’ll leave,” he said, his voice quieter now, reserved just for her.

The ease of his agreement unsettled her more than if he had argued. She had expected him to make her stay, to insist they continue the charade for as long as necessary. Instead, he was simply… letting her go?

Vera’s jaw tightened, irritation curling in her chest. “Just like that?”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Just like that.”

She didn’t know why that bothered her. Maybe it was the fact that Asher Donovan was supposed to be cold, calculating, impossible to sway. And yet, when it came to her, he was unpredictable.

And unpredictability made him dangerous.

Vera swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away, heading toward the exit.

She didn’t hesitate. She turned on her heel, her strides measured, purposeful, determined to leave the event behind. She didn’t need to look back to know Asher was following. His presence was like a shadow, imposing, steady, inescapable.

The weight of the evening pressed on her. Sarah’s taunts, the eyes of the elite studying her every move, Lucas’s presence lingering like an old scar, she needed to get out of here. She wasn’t about to play this game any longer tonight. They had done what they came to do.

As she walked, her heart pounded, the clicking of her heels swallowed by the low hum of conversation still carrying on inside the grand ballroom. The air outside would be cooler, quieter, less suffocating.

But she wasn’t the only one watching her departure.

Sarah stood near the balcony, watching the entire exchange, her fingernails pressing sharply into her palms. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Instead, a seething rage built within her, burning hot beneath her perfect exterior.

She had already been humiliated once tonight, first when Vera had dared to stand up to her, and now, when Asher had so easily followed after her.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Sarah had spent years positioning herself as the only viable choice for Asher Donovan. She had molded herself into exactly what his family wanted, exactly what society expected.

And yet, Vera, Vera had stepped into this world and effortlessly stolen the attention Sarah had worked so hard for.