Chapter Fifteen

Jayden 

The murmurs hadn’t stopped. Even as the orchestra resumed its melody and guests returned to their conversations, the energy in the room had shifted.

Richard Kane’s announcement had stolen the night.

I stood frozen in the middle of the ballroom, my mind racing. Emilia was his wife. She was pregnant with his child. And he had just kissed her in front of everyone, making a clear and public declaration.

And the worst part?

No one was talking about my engagement to Katherine anymore.

The moment that was supposed to cement our status, the carefully planned announcement meant to elevate our position in the company, had been utterly overshadowed. Instead of congratulating me and Katherine, guests whispered amongst themselves about Emilia and Richard.

Katherine was fuming beside me, gripping her champagne glass so tightly I thought it might crack. Her lips were pulled into a tight line, and her usual poised demeanor had faltered. “This is ridiculous,” she hissed, keeping her voice low. “They just had to make a spectacle of themselves.”

I clenched my jaw, exhaling slowly. I refused to react emotionally, not in front of these people. But deep inside, my blood was boiling.

Then, just when I thought the night couldn’t spiral any further out of my control, Richard’s voice rang out once again.

“If I may have a moment of your attention,” he said, his tone steady, measured—but carrying a distinct edge that made the room quiet instantly.

I lifted my head. He was standing near the orchestra, a whiskey glass in one hand. Emilia stood beside him, her expression unreadable.

Richard’s gaze swept across the room, and though he hadn’t said my name, I knew exactly where this was going.

“I have a question,” he continued, his voice calm but purposeful. “Lately, I’ve heard some... interesting rumors within these walls. Whispers that I now realize were designed to undermine my wife’s credibility.”

A wave of unease rippled through the crowd. People exchanged glances, shifting in place.

Richard’s grip on his glass tightened slightly. “I don’t tolerate gossip in my company,” he went on. “And I certainly won’t tolerate it when it concerns my wife.”

The air turned heavy, suffocating.

Then, like a slow-moving tide, the guests’ attention turned.

Toward me.

I could feel their gazes—some hesitant, some knowing. I could practically hear the unspoken accusations swirling through the room.

Someone behind me whispered, “It was Jayden, wasn’t it?”

Katherine stiffened, her nails digging into my arm. “Ignore them,” she whispered sharply.

But the damage had already been done.

Richard’s gaze finally landed on me.

“I believe the man behind these rumors should have the opportunity to explain himself,” he said, his voice controlled, but the challenge in it unmistakable.

A quiet murmur ran through the crowd.

I met his gaze, keeping my expression composed. “If you have something to say to me, Mr. Kane, I’d prefer we discuss it in private.”

Richard studied me for a moment, then nodded once. “I was thinking the same thing.”

His words weren’t a suggestion.

Katherine clutched my sleeve. “Jayden—”

I gently pulled away. “It’s fine.”

Despite the tension building inside me, I followed Richard out of the ballroom. The polished double doors closed behind us, muting the hum of the party. We walked a short distance down a quiet hallway, the distant sounds of music fading with each step.

Richard stopped near an empty lounge area, then turned to face me. The moment we were alone, the controlled facade he had worn in the ballroom disappeared.

And in its place was something far colder.

“You’ve been busy,” Richard said, his voice even but firm. “Spreading lies. Sowing doubt.”

I kept my posture straight, hands at my sides, my expression neutral. “With all due respect, Mr. Kane, I have no idea what you’re referring to.”

Richard’s gaze darkened. “Don’t insult my intelligence, Turner.”

The weight of his words settled between us, thick with unspoken meaning.

I inhaled slowly. “I would never intentionally spread false information about Mrs. Kane,” I said carefully. “However, people will always speculate when things are kept secret. No one knew about your marriage. Naturally, it raised questions.”

Richard didn’t move, but the air around him seemed to tighten. “Questions are one thing. Malicious rumors meant to discredit my wife are another.”

I kept my expression composed. “I assure you, Mr. Kane, I meant no disrespect.”

He studied me for a long moment, then exhaled slowly. “Listen carefully, Turner. I don’t care about petty workplace politics or the gossip people entertain themselves with at these events.”

His gaze sharpened.

“But I do care when my wife is the target.”

I swallowed but held his stare. “Understood.”

A tense silence stretched between us.

Finally, Richard stepped back, adjusting his cufflinks with deliberate ease. “Let me make one thing clear,” he said, his voice dropping just slightly. “The only reason I’m having this conversation with you is because I don’t consider you a real threat. If I did, this would be handled very differently.”

I knew a warning when I heard one.

And I knew better than to challenge it.

After a brief pause, I inclined my head slightly. “I appreciate the clarity, Mr. Kane.”

His lips twitched—almost like he had expected me to push back, and my response had caught him off guard.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

I stayed in place for a moment, exhaling slowly before running a hand through my hair.

When I stormed back into the ballroom, my blood was still running hot from the conversation with Richard Kane.

I had walked into that room expecting a battle of words, a chance to defend myself and put him in his place. But instead, I had been forced to stand there while he made it clear—without raising his voice, without threatening me outright—that I was insignificant to him.

That was the worst part.

He didn’t see me as a real opponent.

And now, the entire ballroom knew it.

Katherine was already waiting for me near the bar, her back rigid with tension. The soft glow of the chandelier reflected off the champagne in her glass, but she wasn’t drinking. Instead, she was gripping the delicate stem so tightly I thought it might snap.

The moment she saw me, her eyes flashed with impatience. “What did he say?” she demanded, her voice tight.

I didn’t answer immediately. I walked past her, signaled the bartender, and grabbed a drink. I downed it in one go, the burn of alcohol doing nothing to dull the anger simmering beneath my skin.

“He’s a smug bastard, that’s what he is,” I muttered, placing the empty glass back on the bar.

Katherine scoffed. “Well, I hope you told him off.”

I didn’t respond.

Because the truth was—I hadn’t.

Richard Kane had spoken, and I had listened. He had made it clear that any attempt to challenge him would be futile. That my name carried no weight compared to his.

And worst of all?

People had noticed.

The whispers that had started earlier in the night had only grown louder since I left the room. Before, they had been murmurs about Emilia’s sudden marriage, speculation about her pregnancy. But now, the conversation had shifted.

To me.

“Did you hear?” someone said behind me.

“Richard confronted Jayden about the rumors.”

“They say he practically admitted to it.”

My jaw tightened. I turned slightly, my gaze scanning the room. Clusters of people stood together, their heads close as they spoke in hushed voices, their eyes flickering in my direction.

And then, the most dangerous whisper of all:

“If he’s so comfortable spreading lies about Richard’s wife, what else has he lied about?”

The air in my lungs turned thick, suffocating.

It started small.

A single whisper.

Then another.

Then, like wildfire, the conversation spread.

At a nearby table, a man leaned in, speaking low but with enough curiosity that others turned to listen. “You know, I never really thought about it before, but Jayden and Katherine’s relationship… it started under strange circumstances, didn’t it?”

A woman frowned, setting down her glass. “Didn’t he used to be engaged to someone else?”

“Yeah. Emilia.”

My blood ran cold.

Katherine stiffened beside me. Her fingers tightened around my wrist. “What the hell are they talking about?” she whispered harshly.

I didn’t answer. Because I knew exactly what they were talking about.

For years, I had carefully controlled the story. I had shaped the narrative of my breakup with Emilia in a way that kept my reputation intact. People had sympathized with me, believed the version of events I had chosen to share.

But Richard Kane had just reminded them of the truth.

The affair.

The betrayal.

The ugly, hidden details that I had worked so hard to bury.

And now, they were coming back to the surface.

Someone else at the table whispered, “You know, it always seemed strange that Emilia disappeared so quietly. She was engaged to Jayden for years, and then suddenly, she was just... gone.”

Another woman nodded. “I heard she left because she couldn’t handle the breakup.”

A man chuckled darkly. “Or maybe she left because she was pushed out.”

Katherine’s grip on me tightened. “Jayden,” she hissed, “say something.”

I forced a calm expression, but inside, my pulse was pounding. I could already feel the shift.

Tonight had started as an opportunity to cement my and Katherine’s standing in society. Our engagement announcement had been meant to be the highlight of the evening. But now, no one cared.

Instead, the people I had once called friends, allies, and business associates were beginning to question everything.

Doubt had been planted.

And doubt was dangerous.

I needed to get out of here.

I grabbed Katherine’s hand. “We’re leaving.”

She resisted at first. “Jayden, we can’t just—”

“We’re leaving,” I snapped, my voice sharp but low enough that only she could hear.

Without waiting for her reply, I pulled her toward the exit, moving swiftly through the sea of people.

But as we walked, the whispers followed us.

I could feel their gazes, the scrutiny.

I clenched my jaw, trying to drown it out, but the words clung to the air, lingering like a poisonous fog.

“Maybe Richard Kane did us all a favor.”

“Imagine being stupid enough to cheat on a woman like Emilia.”

“Guess karma really does come back around.”

The words stung. More than I wanted to admit.

I had spent years climbing to where I was now. Years ensuring that my past mistakes didn’t define me. But in a matter of minutes, Richard had shattered that careful balance.

He had taken control of the narrative.

And I had nowhere to hide.