CHAPTER 2: THE LIE THAT STOLE SEVEN MONTHS
Victoria's face turned pale.
"Adrian, she's manipulating you."
Elena laughed through her tears.
A broken sound.
"I spent seven months believing you hated me."
The room fell silent.
Adrian stared at her.
"What are you talking about?"
Elena took a shaky breath.
"The night you left for Milan... Victoria came to see me."
Victoria stopped breathing.
"She said you knew about the baby."
Another tear fell.
"She said you were ashamed of us."
Adrian felt sick.
"That's not true."
"I know that now."
The guests exchanged nervous glances.
One lie after another was unraveling.
Elena revealed how she had tried to contact Adrian.
How security guards had turned her away.
How every path back to him had somehow been blocked.
Then Adrian noticed something far worse.
Every time Victoria moved...
Elena flinched.
Not with anger.
May you like
With fear.
And suddenly he realized there was a part of the story nobody had told him.
