Casey P.O.VThe chaos around the pool finally started to die down, though cameras were still flashing, and people were whispering like they had just witnessed the scandal of the century. I stood there, still holding both drinks, frozen for a second longer than necessary as I watched Zazu resurface from the water. She looked like a drenched cat, mascara streaking down her cheeks, hair clinging to her face like vines. Her opponent, Brooks’ date, was not faring much better, splashing around beside her with an equally ruined look.I pushed through the remaining crowd, setting the drinks down on the nearest table, and rushed over to help. By the time I got close, Zazu was already pulling herself out of the pool, teeth gritted, breathing heavily. Her dress clung to her like a second skin, and I could see the anger radiating off her like heat waves.“Zazu, let’s get out of here,” I said, grabbing her arm gently but firmly. She was staring daggers at Brooks, who was trying to help his date up
Casey P.O.V.The sunlight streamed through the curtains, too bright for the pounding headache I was nursing. I groaned, rolling over in bed, half-hoping that the events of last night had been some bizarre dream. But the ache in my feet from those killer heels and the faint smell of chlorine on my dress from getting too close to the pool told me otherwise.Zazu had already left the room, and I could hear the faint clinking of dishes from the kitchen. I dragged myself out of bed and made my way to the kitchen, hoping coffee would make me feel human again. As I shuffled in, Zazu was sitting at the table, phone in hand, scrolling furiously.“Morning,” I muttered, heading straight for the coffee machine.“Morning? Try chaos,” she said, not looking up from her phone. “We have got a problem.”I blinked, still bleary-eyed. “What do you mean?”She shoved her phone across the table toward me, her expression somewhere between mortified and furious. I glanced down at the screen and froze. There,
Casey P.O.VThe clock had barely ticked past noon when Zazu finally walked through the front door, and I could tell immediately something was off. Her usually lively eyes were dull, her face pale, and she clutched her purse tightly against her side like it was the only thing holding her together. I had been waiting for her, anxious about what the HR meeting might have been about, especially after the fiasco at the charity ball.I sat up from the couch where I had been lazily scrolling through my phone. "Zazu?" I called out softly, noticing the way she stiffened at the sound of my voice. "What happened? How did it go?"She did not answer right away. Instead, she took slow, deliberate steps toward the kitchen counter and set her purse down before leaning against the counter for support. Her hands were shaking, and she seemed to be struggling with her words, like she wasn’t sure how to start.I stood up and approached her cautiously. "Zazu, you are scaring me. What happened in the meetin
Owen P.O.V.The room was packed with family, business associates, and media. Every detail had been meticulously planned, from the champagne fountains to the sparkling chandeliers hanging overhead. It was the kind of glamorous event that only the Brown family could pull off—everything shining, everything perfect. Except for the fact that this wasn’t just a party. It was my last stand.If I did not pull off this fake engagement tonight, Daniel would have everything he ever wanted: my company, my legacy. The board of directors had been leaning toward ousting me, spurred on by rumours of my bachelor lifestyle and Daniel’s relentless whispers in their ears. The fact that he was my cousin only made it worse. Growing up, my mother took him in after his mother died and his father walked out. She raised him like he was her own, and yet, Daniel always viewed me as competition.I could not let him take everything from me. Not after how hard I had worked to build the Brown Group. This engagement
Casey’s P.O.V.As Owen stood on the stage, the lights gleaming off his perfectly tailored suit, I could feel the weight of every single eye in the room. The pressure of the moment, the grandeur of it all, almost made me forget why we were here. Yet, as he turned to me, his gaze softened in a way that made the act feel all too real."Casey Maxwell," saying he kneeled down before me, his voice low but clear. He pulled out a small black box out of his pocket and opened it. I covered my mouth with my hand when I saw the most beautiful ring inside . "You came into my life when I least expected it, and yet, here I am, completely and utterly captivated by you. I can not imagine facing another day without you, without your smile, without the way you challenge me, push me to be better. So, tonight, in front of everyone I care about, I want to ask you… will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?"The crowd let out a collective gasp, and the cameras clicked furiously. It was hard to re
Casey’s POVThe applause from the crowd swirled around us, growing louder as Owen slid the ring onto my finger, the cool metal sending a shock through my entire body. The moment felt surreal, like I was standing outside myself, watching from the sidelines as Owen and I kissed in front of the cameras and the flashing lights. The media frenzy was in full swing, and I was trapped in the middle of it all, wearing a ring that was not mine, playing the part of a woman I was not sure I could be.As soon as our lips parted, Owen whispered into my ear, “Smile, the cameras are still on us.”I plastered on the most convincing smile I could muster, my cheeks aching from the effort. My heart raced as I stole a glance at the audience—journalists, board members, family, all of them watching us with eager eyes. We stepped off the stage, and immediately, Owen was pulled into conversations with members of the press and upper management. I stood beside him, nodding and smiling, trying to blend into the
Daniel P.O.VFrom the corner of the room, I crossed my arms, pretending to look amused by the spectacle. I had been waiting for this day, not because I wanted to celebrate his engagement, but because I knew that my time was coming. Owen had always been the golden boy, the one everyone expected to lead Brown Group into a new era. But if I could expose him, if I could prove this was nothing more than a façade, then I would be the one standing in his place.The board had already been whispering I just needed to stir the pot.I waited until the ceremony was over, and the guests began mingling again. The media was all over Owen and Casey, asking them questions, taking photos. The more public they made this relationship, the harder it would be for him to wiggle out of it when the truth came out.I approached a couple of the board members, keeping my tone light and conversational. “Well, that was quite the surprise, wasn’t it?” I said with a chuckle.One of them, Mr. Allen, turned to me with
Casey’s P.O.V.The car ride home felt charged with an unspoken tension. Owen sat rigidly in the driver’s seat, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy, as if the weight of the night pressed down on both our shoulders. I wanted to break it, to ease whatever was bothering him, but the words wouldn’t come.I glanced at him, catching the flicker of his jaw clenching, and I instinctively placed my hand on his thigh. His gaze dropped to my hand. I quickly removed it. But he then caught my hand and placed it back on his thigh.“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light. “You have been quiet since you came back from the terrace.”“It is nothing,” he said, but the way he spoke felt anything but dismissive. “Just Daniel doing what he is best at. He is causing problems again.” I nodded, not wanting to press him further, though I felt he was holding something back.We arrived at our apartment complex, and Owen parked outside. He