CHAPTER 11
“Asher, are you okay?” I asked as I fastened my bracelet, watching him in the mirror.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed in a black suit, tie perfectly knotted, but his expression seemed… off and distant.
“I’m fine,” he said simply, adjusting his cufflinks.
“You don’t look fine.” I turned, frowning. “You’ve barely said two words to me all day. You’ve beer acting a bit weird since I got home yesterday. You even left without saying goodbye. Did something happen?”
“I’m just tired,” he replied, his voice was even but clipped. “I had to fly out for work yesterday remember? I’ve got long meetings ahead. There’s nothing to worry about.”
I hesitated, studying him. “You’re lying to me.”
He finally looked at me, and for a split second, something flashed in his eyes. Something sharp and guarded, almost like anger or resentment even. Then it was gone.
At that moment, I hated him for having a perfect poker face.
“I said I’m fine, Jada. Let it go.”
His tone stung more than I wanted to admit. Normally, he was the one prying me open, demanding I speak my truth. But now, he was the one shutting me out.
I swallowed hard. “Fine. If you say so.”
One of Asher’s friends was throwing a party, and it was in full swing by the time we arrived. It was on a penthouse rooftop, and they had champagne towers glittering under string lights, and music thrumming in the background. It was a display of wealth and power, all the things Matt used to drag me to, except this time I was on Asher’s arm.
Or I thought I was.
Because even as he helped me out of the car, even as cameras flashed and heads turned, he kept that same distance. Smiling when required, polite when spoken to, but cold.
I plastered on my perfect mask, pretending I didn’t notice.
But I noticed.
And so did everyone else.
“Is that her?” someone whispered as we passed.
“With Galanis? Didn’t she dump her fiancé at the altar?”
“I heard she ran back to him. That’s why Matt’s here tonight.”
I froze.
Matt?
I turned on instinct, and sure enough, there he was, across the room. Dressed in navy, glass of champagne in hand, talking animatedly with a cluster of women who looked far too entertained. My stomach dropped. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Asher’s jaw flexed. “Ignore him.”
CHARTER 11
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12:13 pm D
“Ignore him?!” I hissed. “He’s standing there, acting like he owns the place.”
“He doesn’t matter.” Asher’s tone was like steel, but not reassuring.
Except people were staring now, not at Matt, not at Asher, but at me. At us. Their whispers weren’t subtle anymore. It was all I could hear over the music.
“She was seen with him yesterday.”
“How could she cheat on a man like Galanis?”
“And they just got married not so long ago. Poor man.”
“Poor Galanis.”
My blood ran cold. I whipped toward Asher. “What did they just say?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes fixed straight ahead, his lips pressed in a hard line.
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Asher. What’s going on? Tell me. Right now.”
Still nothing. His silence was louder than any confirmation.
I saw a few people looking down at their phones and pointing at mine. Heads turned toward me, then back down, then to their friends with whispers. A group of women near the bar laughed softly, shaking their heads. A man pointed openly at me, saying something I couldn’t hear over the music.
My pulse spiked.
“What is it?” I demanded, my voice trembling now. “Why are they looking at me like that?”
My hand shook as I reached for my phone in my clutch. I had barely checked it throughout yesterday and even today. I’d been too engrossed in the new novel I was reading to pay attention to my phone. My screen lit up instantly with notifications. Hundreds of them.
And there it was.
A photo of me and Matt, sitting across from each other in that coffee shop yesterday. It was taken from an angle that made it look like we were on a date or something.
The caption: Heiress Jada Sinclair spotted reconciling with ex-fiancé Matt Bennett in Miami café.
Comments flooded under it.
She’s cheating on Galanis already.
Some women will never change.
Poor Asher. How embarrassing.
Thousands and thousands of people had tagged Asher. Thousands.
My throat went dry. “Oh my God.”
The room spun as I looked up. Everyone’s eyes were on me.
And Asher… Asher was watching too,
And instead of the love I’d gotten used to seeing in his eyes, all I saw this time was accusation. It felt like the world had turned upside down. All I could see was red. My angry eyes locked on Matt across the room. I didn’t even know what I was thinking anymore. I tried to make my way to him, but Asher held me back.
CHARTED 11
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12:13 pm &
That didn’t stop me from screaming across the room though.
“You! You did this! Tell them it’s not true!”
Matt didn’t say a word. He only tipped his glass and drank his wine. “Tell them it was all you!” I yelled.
“Jada!” Asher’s voice cut me off. “We’re leaving.” His expression was stern.
“Asher, you can’t-”
“We’re leaving, Jada. Get in the car now.”
