Chapter 1188
Everything Vivien thought she knew splintered apart. The friendship she’d protected, defended, cherished—it had never existed at all. A sound escaped her throat, broken and raw. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed, sobbing into her hands.
Pain twisted through Raylan’s chest. He clenched his jaw until it ached, his voice dropping to something dangerous. “So everything from the start—you approaching me, the engagement—was all calculated. How dare you treat me this way? You’ll regret this, Paige! I’ll make sure of it.”
Paige examined her nails with theatrical indifference. “I’m signed with the Evans Group now. Cole personally backs my career. So go ahead—tell me what you plan to do to me.”
The fight bled out of Raylan instantly. His shoulders sagged. He wouldn’t cross Cole even if his life depended on it. No one would.
After a suffocating stretch of silence, he grasped at one final thread. “The kidnapping—you were involved. Aren’t you afraid I would call the police right now?”
“Evidence.” Paige smiled, sharp and dismissive. “And what proof do you have?”
Raylan opened his mouth. Nothing came out. She was right—he had nothing.
Elliana had seen enough. She stepped out of the shadows, her voice cutting through the wreckage with deliberate calm. “Are you done arguing?”
Only then did the three register Elliana’s presence.
Vivien’s sobs caught in her throat. She dragged herself up from the ground, her limbs heavy, and found she couldn’t meet Elliana’s eyes. She had stood shoulder to shoulder with Paige, bullying Elliana more times than she could count. Public humiliation had been their favorite sport. Now Paige’s own confession echoed in her skull—Elliana had saved her life. The words “thank you” formed in her mind but died somewhere between her brain and her mouth, strangled by pride that wouldn’t bend.
Raylan stared at Elliana, his thoughts spinning violently out of control. The last time he’d laid eyes on her was at the Evans family banquet. Back then, with that wild afro wig and the tattoos covering her face, she’d repulsed him so thoroughly that he’d made sure everyone within earshot knew it. He had mocked her viciously and treated her like something that had crawled out from under a rock.
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He hadn’t seen Elliana since, but the rumors had reached him anyway. At Ublento Medical University, Elliana had stripped away the disguise and shown her real face. She had never been disfigured or ugly. She was exactly as stunning as she’d been in childhood—the girl he’d once imagined spending his life with, before everything fell apart.
Seeing her now, standing there with her beauty undisguised, sent something electric and humiliating cascading through his chest. Excitement tangled with shame until he couldn’t distinguish one from the other. His mouth opened, then closed. Words existed somewhere, but he couldn’t find a single one that didn’t feel like ashes on his tongue.
Elliana embodied quiet sophistication in her white trench coat. Her complexion was bare, untouched by makeup, yet her presence radiated grace. Paige, on the other hand, appeared immaculate with layers of expertly applied cosmetics, but next to Elliana, her beauty seemed forced and hollow.
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