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I had turned off the vibrations on silent mode so I wouldn’t jump at every notification, never considering that an emergency might actually happen.

What an idiot.

My hands hover over the steering wheel, tension creeping into my fingers, unease setting deep in my chest. Calling someone feels impossible, like I’m not ready to hear whatever answer might be waiting on the other end. Instead, I shift the car back into Drive and press the accelerator harder than I should.

I reach the gates in less than three minutes, scanning my hand, punching in the code, then driving without slowing, heading straight for Theo’s house.

And that’s when I see them—several familiar cars lined up outside.

FORTY-FOUR

Thalia

I grab my bag from the passenger seat, slam the car door shut, and walk straight toward the entrance.

Inside, I’m met with silence—not because the house is empty, but because they all knew I was arriving. The security alerts told them, and everyone in the room is turned toward the door, staring at me.

The moment I catch their faces, Sierra’s especially, I know something has happened. Something big. Something bad.

“Thalia, are you okay?” Sierra asks, panicked. She jumps up from the couch and rushes toward me, arms open.

I drop my bag to the floor and hug her back, blurting out, “Me? Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” She pulls away a few inches and studies my face, searching for signs that I’m lying, or hurt, or both. I don’t even know. I don’t understand.

“What happened?” I ask, faster now. “I just saw the missed calls from you, from all of you.”

“I think you should sit down,” she says gently, gesturing toward the couch. “You’ll see in a second.”

My heart is pounding so loudly it feels like it fills the entire house. I scan the room again—the guys standing still, tense, all of them watching me with that look people get before delivering terrible news.

I can’t wait. I can't sit. I’m on the verge of breaking down. I need to know.

“What happened?” I ask again, louder this time, my voice cracking under the pressure.

Without a word, Liam lifts the remote and turns on the TV. And when the screen lights up… chaos erupts.

A brightly lit studio appears on the screen, the host smiling with polished confidence as a red banner flashes BREAKING NEWS.

Ethan Hardy and Antonia Bordeaux—a couple only for show

“Ladies and gentlemen, international press now confirms it—the golden, picture-perfect Hardy-Bordeaux couple was never real. A partnership built only for image, influence, branding—nothing more. Sources close to the two claim the entire relationship was staged as an agreement.”

A click echoes through the room as Liam switches the channel with force.

A different reporter appears, standing in front of a bustling newsroom, voice accusatory.

The power couple Ethan and Antonia—nothing but a fraud

“That’s right. Everything the public believed was a carefully crafted deception. And we can’t help but wonder—are their businesses collapsing so badly that they had to resort to such desperate tactics? What are they hiding? What was the purpose of this elaborate lie?”

A scoff cuts through the silence from somewhere behind me, low and disbelieving, while Theo drags a hand down his face, jaw clenched.

Another click.

Now a female host appears, leaning forward over her glossy desk, her voice coated in syrupy judgement.

Who is Thalia Gomez?

“The woman who seems drawn exclusively to powerful men. First—Theo Smith… then—Ethan Hardy… now—surprise, surprise—John Suarez.”