The sounds of the gala fade as I stumble out into the cool night, my breaths coming fast and shallow, my heart pounding like it’s about to break through my chest.
The night air hits my skin, chilling me, but it’s nothing compared to the icy betrayal that’s settled deep inside me.
Benedict is…the CEO of Bennington Corp. He lied to me. He lied about everything.
The realization comes crashing down on me, each thought sharper than the last, piercing through the trust I thought we’d built together.
He’s just like his brother, just like his father. A man who hides behind a mask, a phony who pretends to be above it all. I can’t believe I fell for it — fell for him.
The image of him and Eliza in the green room keeps flashing across my mind. Her half-naked body pressed against him, her lips grazing his…
I know what I saw, even if he pushed her away, and it makes my stomach churn. How could I have been so stupid? So blind?
My fingers dig into my palms, and I take a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. I trusted him. I let myself believe he was different. That what we had was…real.