Chapter 3

His eyes bored into hers, the muscle in his jaw twitching with barely contained frustration.

“Since when does the almighty Jayden Charlemet give a shit about a random fuck?” Kimberly’s voice sounded foreign to her own ears—sharp and bitter, a broken-glass edge she’d never let him hear before.

The sudden defiance in her normally docile demeanor caught him visibly off guard. Something dark and possessive flashed across his face as he yanked her against him, his arm like a steel band around her waist.

“A random fuck?” His voice dropped dangerously low. “Two years together and we sleep together once. That’s your definition of a hookup?”

His fingers caught her chin as he leaned in, and for one horrifying second, Kimberly thought he might kiss her right there.

“Dude, there you are!” Tyler’s voice cut through the moment. “Agatha’s been searching everywhere for you.”

Jayden’s grip loosened, his expression cooling instantly. “I’ll be right there.”

Kimberly plastered on a look of wide-eyed innocence. “You know Agatha? My sister?”

“Know her?” Tyler smirked, eyeing Kimberly like she was something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “Honey, they’re a hell of a lot closer than you could ever imagine. Just stick around—you’re about to get the surprise of your pathetic little life.”

As they walked away, the smile slid from Kimberly’s face like melting wax. These assholes thought they were about to blindside her, to watch her crumble in front of everyone. The satisfaction they’d never get from her felt like the only power she had left.

The party was pulsing with laughter and clinking glasses when the lights suddenly dimmed. A spotlight carved through the darkness, illuminating Jayden and Agatha on stage. He stood tall in a perfectly tailored suit, while she gleamed in a white Givenchy gown that probably cost more than a semester’s tuition.

Ronald Jordan stepped forward, beaming with the pride he’d never once directed at Kimberly.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” he announced, raising his champagne flute. “We’re here not only to welcome my daughter Agatha home from her studies abroad, but also to share some exciting news.”

“The Charlemets and Jordans have been close for generations. In fact, Jayden and Agatha have been promised to each other since childhood.”

“Now that they’ve found genuine love together, they’ll be celebrating their engagement at the end of the month. We hope you’ll all join us for the occasion!”

The moment Ronald finished, Jayden’s friends swiveled toward Kimberly like vultures, hungry for her emotional collapse. Instead, they found her standing perfectly still, her face a blank canvas, as if she were watching strangers in a movie she had no interest in.

From the stage, Jayden frowned. He’d scripted this moment meticulously in his mind: Kimberly’s devastation would be beautiful, public, and complete. Her stoic reaction was throwing off his entire plan.

A flash of irritation surged through him. Agatha caught it immediately, her fingers digging into his arm. “Jay? Something wrong?”

He refocused, smoothing his expression. “Just a passing thought.”

He knew Kimberly. The girl had worshipped him for two years. This composure was just a facade—it had to be.

…

In the bathroom, Kimberly bent over the sink, the cold water shocking her heated skin as she fought back the nausea threatening to overtake her. The girl in the mirror looked like a stranger—hollow-eyed and pale, with smudged lipstick and wet lashes. How could she have been so fucking stupid?

Two years of hanging on his every word. Two years of defending him to her friends who said he was just using her. Two years of thinking she wasn’t “good enough” when he wouldn’t sleep with her.

It turned out he simply couldn’t stomach the thought of touching her. And her precious first time? Just ammunition for his sick revenge fantasy.

When she returned to the ballroom, Ronald immediately jerked his chin at her. “Kimberly! Get over here and congratulate your sister and her fiancé.”

Her legs felt wooden as she approached, forcing her lips into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Congratulations, brother-in-law.”

The words hit Jayden like a physical blow. Something dangerous flickered behind his eyes.

Agatha, radiating artificial warmth, laughed brightly. “Kim! Can you believe Jayden’s been a trustee at your school this whole time? Such a small world! If you ever need anything, Jay’s right there. We’re family now, after all.”

Kimberly’s jaw ached from clenching. “I wouldn’t dream of imposing.”

She could feel Jayden’s gaze cutting into her, arctic and intense, but refused to meet it.

After enduring a few minutes of excruciating small talk, Kimberly tried to make her escape. Agatha’s hand shot out, gripping her forearm with perfectly manicured nails. “Kim! We have so much catching up to do, don’t we?”

Without waiting for a response, she dragged Kimberly toward a private lounge, her smile never faltering for their audience.

The moment the heavy door closed behind them, Agatha’s expression transformed, warmth evaporating into pure contempt.

“So you spread your legs for my fiancé and got yourself filmed. How fucking desperate can you get?” Her voice dripped with disgust.

Agatha circled her like a shark, designer heels clicking against the marble floor. “Let me make this crystal clear for your pathetic little brain: Jayden doesn’t want you. He never wanted you. The thought of touching you literally makes him sick.”

Her lip curled into a sneer.

“Those rumors about your whore mother? I told him to spread them.

“Him playing your knight in shining armor? My idea from start to finish.

“I wanted to watch you fall head over heels for the same man who’d eventually crush you like the insect you are.”