I was still in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts tangled in a mess of guilt and confusion. The night had been a disaster—no, I was the disaster. My phone buzzed, and I ignored it, dreading whatever chaos awaited me. Just as I was debating whether to crawl back under the covers or face the world, the doorbell rang.
Claire burst into the room moments later, her bodyguard trailing behind her. She looked annoyingly cheerful, which only made my mood worse.
"Well, well," she said with a sly grin, sitting at the edge of my bed. "Look who had a wild night."
"Claire, I'm not in the mood," I muttered, pulling the blanket over my head.
She ignored me, as usual. "Oh, come on. So what if you had a one-night stand with Liam and Hunter? That's not the worst thing in the world."
I sat up, my eyes narrowing at her. "Not the worst? Are you kidding me? I just... I feel like a complete mess!"
Claire shrugged, unbothered. "You're not a mess, Evelyn. You're just... exploring your options."
"Exploring my options?" I snapped. "Do you hear yourself? I just slept with two men in less than 24 hours, Claire! Two! That's not exploring—that's reckless!"
Claire raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're just a whore, then."
Her words hit me like a slap. My mouth fell open as I stared at her, stunned. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me," she said, folding her arms. "Maybe it's time you admit it to yourself."
Anger bubbled inside me, and I jumped to my feet. "How dare you, Claire? After everything I've done for you—everything I've trusted you with—you call me a whore?!"
Claire's face softened instantly. "Evelyn, I didn't mean it like that. I was just... I'm sorry, okay? That was out of line."
I turned away from her, grabbing my jacket. "You think an apology fixes this? I don't have time for this, Claire. I need space."
Without waiting for her response, I grabbed my bag and left the apartment. As I walked down the street, I pulled out my phone and dialed Margot.
"Evelyn?" Margot's calm voice greeted me.
"I need to talk," I said, my voice shaky. "Can I come over?"
"Of course," she replied without hesitation. "Are you okay?"
"No," I admitted, my voice breaking. "But I'll explain when I get there."
When I got to Margot's place, I felt a momentary sense of relief, like I could breathe again. But that relief didn't last long.
By the time I returned home later that evening, I was exhausted. My business phone sat on the coffee table, untouched. I realized with a sinking feeling that I hadn't brought it with me earlier.
As I approached, the screen lit up with a message notification. My heart sank as I saw Hunter's name.
Last night was unforgettable. Can't wait to see you again.
My blood turned cold. Before I could grab the phone, I noticed Liam standing in the corner of the room, his arms crossed and the phone in his hand. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in the air was suffocating.
"Care to explain this?" he asked, holding the phone up.
My mind raced. I could lie, but would he believe me? Or I could ignore the question altogether and find a way to steer the conversation in my favor. Either way, I needed to act fast.
"Liam, I—" I began, but he cut me off.
"Don't," he said sharply. "Don't lie to me, Evelyn."
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "It's not what you think," I said, stepping closer to him.
He didn't move, his eyes fixed on mine. "Then what is it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're playing both sides."
I hesitated, unsure of what to say next. I needed to find the right words, the perfect way to manipulate the situation. But for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was losing control.
I stood there, frozen, trying to think of a way to salvage this. My mind raced for the perfect lie, something convincing enough to make Liam let it go. Finally, I forced a calm smile and said, "Hunter sent that message because he's trying to recruit me for a business deal. He's just being... overly friendly about it."
Liam's expression didn't change. He didn't buy it.
"A business deal?" he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "Do you really think I'm that stupid, Evelyn? You've been sneaking around, acting shady, and now I see this. And I'm supposed to believe it's all innocent?"
My smile faltered. "Liam, I'm telling you the truth."
His eyes narrowed. "No, you're not. I've been playing the role of your dumb, clueless husband long enough, haven't I?"
The words stung, but I kept my face neutral. "Liam, I—"
"Don't," he interrupted, his voice rising. "Just stop. I've been patient. I've let you lie to me, manipulate me, and treat me like I'm nothing. But this?" He held up the phone. "This is too far."
I dropped the act, my shoulders stiffening. "Fine. You want the truth? Here it is: Hunter is part of a con I'm running. That's it. I'm doing what I have to do to survive."
His face twisted in disbelief. "A con? Evelyn, are you serious? You're risking everything—us—for that man?"
I folded my arms, standing my ground. "There is no 'us,' Liam. You know that. This was never real."
He took a step closer, his jaw tightening. "It feels real to me. Or at least it did. But now I see you don't care about anyone but yourself."
"Don't turn this around on me," I snapped. "You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to this marriage."
"Agreed to it?" he repeated, his voice dripping with bitterness. "I thought we were partners, Evelyn. But you've been using me, just like you use everyone else."
I rolled my eyes, trying to stay calm. "This isn't about you, Liam. It's about survival. And if you can't handle that, maybe you should just stay out of my way."
His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You need to quit whatever you're doing with Hunter. Now."
I laughed bitterly. "Quit? You don't get to tell me what to do, Liam."
"That man is dangerous," he said, his voice rising. "You're playing with fire, Evelyn, and you're going to get burned."
"I can handle it," I shot back.
"No, you can't," he said, stepping even closer. "You're in over your head, and you don't even see it."
"I'm not quitting," I said firmly.
Liam's face darkened. "Then you're on your own."
Before I could respond, he shoved past me, heading toward the door. But something inside me snapped, and I grabbed his arm. "Don't walk away from me," I hissed.
He spun around, his anger boiling over. "Why? So you can lie to my face some more? So you can keep pretending you're in control while everything falls apart?"
We were yelling now, both of us too angry to back down. The tension in the room was suffocating, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
"You don't understand," I shouted.
"No, Evelyn," he said, his voice shaking with fury. "You don't understand. You're playing games with people who won't think twice about destroying you. And for what? Money? Power?"
"It's none of your business," I snapped.
"It is my business!" he roared. "I'm your husband, damn it! Even if it's fake, I'm still here, dealing with all of this!"
His words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, suddenly, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Quit this, Evelyn. Or I swear, you'll regret it."
I refused to back down. "I'm not quitting," I said again, my voice cold and firm.
Something in his eyes shifted, and before I could react, he shoved me. It wasn't hard, but I stumbled back, losing my balance. My head hit the wall with a sickening thud, and everything went black.
LIAM'S POV
The cold, sterile smell of the hospital clung to me as I paced back and forth in the waiting room. My fists were clenched, my mind racing with guilt and frustration. Evelyn had been unconscious when I brought her in, and I hadn't left her side since.
I couldn't stop replaying the moment over and over in my head—her head hitting the wall, the way her body went limp. It was an accident, but that didn't make it any easier to stomach.
A nurse approached, her expression calm but professional. "Mr. Sterling?"
I nodded quickly. "Yes, is she okay? Can I see her?"
"Please follow me," she said, leading me down a long hallway.
I kept my eyes on the floor, my heart pounding. The thought of Evelyn hurt—because of me—made my chest tighten. No matter how angry I had been, I never wanted this.
We reached the doctor's office, and he was already standing by his desk, reviewing some papers. He looked up when I entered, his expression serious.
"Mr. Sterling," he began, gesturing for me to sit.
"I'd rather stand," I said quickly. "Just tell me how she is. Is she going to be okay?"
The doctor hesitated, and that pause made my stomach drop.
"She's stable for now," he said carefully. "But there's something we need to discuss. Something... I noticed during her examination."
I froze, my pulse roaring in my ears. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"
The doctor closed the file and looked me straight in the eye. "Mr. Sterling, I think you should prepare yourself. This isn't just about the injury."
I felt my breath catch, my heart hammering in my chest as he leaned forward to say—