a

ble doors behind us finally cut

ace, out of sight from the lights. The night air felt cool

I grabbed the heavy platinum band on my left hand, y

d?" I hissed in a panicked whisper.

his hands into his trouser pockets, shoulders relaxed

is voice smooth and low. "And by the look on

cold diamond ring into his fingers. "I hired a fake fiancé for three hours! I didn't hire a man to

ght away. He looked down at the ri

e diamond into his blazer pocket. "Lina proved she wasn't worth it. You, on the

yway? What if we had actually ruined his wedding? You bar

stepped closer, his presence soli

. "And if there's one thing I can't stand, Gabby, it's a man who disrespects a woman and thi

He hadn't just done this for a scene-he had done

ring from a man I met three hours ago," I said

t with shaking fingers, and took out the white envelope with

ng Joel look like an idiot. Thank you for standin

faint expression crossed his face before he took it. He d

our debts, don't

p back to put space between us. "I'm

ab

ye, Na

gainst my legs. My left hand felt strangely light without the heavy diamond. I didn't look back. I cou

it sidewalk of Fifth Avenue, I leaned against the co

gave him the ring back, Joel is crushed, you still ha

ted hard again

nd again. A rapid, frantic series

y phone, figuring Khloe was calling

asn't ju

tions. Banners kept flashing across

d Calls

xts fr

lls from Unk

gram Direc

r. I opened my text t

BBY WHAT THE ACTUAL

HE PHONE RIGHT NOW OR I AM

E THIS IS A PHOTOSHOPPED

HED LINK: ManhattanElite

. A cold, uneasy feeling settl

A huge, bold headline in fi

MARKET! MYSTERY CRIMSON BEAUTY CRASHES VA

-definition photo taken inside the b

alm intensity as he slid that oval diamond onto my finger. I stood above

. My vision blur

n...

ropped the phone. I opened a new ta

l Vanny (Age 31) - CEO & Principal

et Worth: $

st, and sole heir to the Vanny Family Dynasty

eemed to tilt

a thousand bucks in cash to pretend to be my date. The man who had calmly dropped

erful billionaire bachelo

. A text from Joel fl

Do you have any idea what you've done to my

my numb fingers and cla

ward the dark gates of the estate down the block

o?" I whispered to