Not interested in Non ex

THREE MONTHS LATER

Elena’s pov

Three months had passed after that night like a fever dream I couldn’t wake up from.

Martha’s surgery happened two weeks after the masquerade event because Victoria had already made the first payment. The doctors said it was a success as she was recovering now. Her recovery was going slower than anyone wanted, but every day she became a little stronger and I made it my responsibility to visit her every afternoon after my morning shift at the diner.

“Ellie, you look like you haven’t slept,” Martha said that Tuesday, her voice still thin but laced with that familiar stubborn warmth. She adjusted the blanket over her lap, eyes sharp despite the hospital pallor. “Tell me what’s weighing on you.”

I forced a smile and squeezed her hand. “Nothing new. Just classes and shifts. Mom, just focus on getting stronger so we can get you out of here.”

She didn’t push because she never did when she sensed I was carrying something too heavy which was something I had always been grateful for.

She pointed at the window. “You see that blue truck? The same guy parks there every Tuesday and argues with the meter like it owes him money. It makes me laugh every time.”

I laughed with her, but my mind kept drifting back to that hotel corridor. The way Ryder’s voice was low and rough when he said, “you sound different today.”

I kept playing and replaying what happened that night over and over in my head till my phone buzzed.

I was walking back to campus with my earbuds in, trying to focus on a lecture recording.

When I looked at my phone, it was the normal campus news alert. I almost swiped away because it was probably another hockey win, or another fundraiser but the thumbnail stopped me cold.

It was a picture from the masquerade.

Ryder Knight was standing tall and commanding in his suit near the edge of the ballroom and beside him there was a woman in the exact black lace mask I had worn that night.

My stomach dropped when I zoomed in.

That wasn't me. That couldn't be me. The posture was wrong, her shoulders too rigid where Victoria had drilled me to relax them. Her hand on his arm sat too high, her fingers tense instead of the casual elegance I had practiced in the mirror. The woman in the photo carried herself like someone who belonged, but not like the version Victoria had scripted for me.

This could only mean that Victoria had been there the whole time.

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, my heart hammering. She didn't just send me as a simple replacement. She had orchestrated the events that landed me upstairs and pushed me toward Ryder on purpose. The knowledge that I wasn’t just covering for her absence hit me like ice water. I was a pawn in something bigger, and I still didn’t know the game.

***

That evening, I was folding laundry in my tiny apartment, when Victoria called.

My phone rang twice and then I answered on the third ring, keeping my voice steady. “What do you want Victoria?”

She laughed shortly. “No pleasantries? Charming.” Her tone remained cool and efficient, like we were discussing stock prices instead of lives. “I saw the photo alert that went out. Such a nice shot, wasn’t it?”

“You were there,” I said flatly. “You were there the whole night and you sent me up to him on purpose. Why?”

A soft laugh. “Explanations aren’t part of our arrangement, Elena. What matters is the future. My situation is still too complicated. The man I’ve been seeing is tied to something that’s about to explode publicly and I need more time to manage it. So you would continue as me six months. You will attend events, appearances and anything that requires Victoria Hart on Ryder Knight’s arm. After that, you’ll be free. You can be expecting the full payment for Martha’s remaining treatment. Do a good job and that is guaranteed.”

My grip tightened on the phone. “No. I helped you out for one night and that was the deal. I’m not living like this for six more months.”

“Martha’s recovery facility has a very nice view, doesn’t it?” Victoria continued calmly, as if I hadn’t spoken. “As I recall, it has a private room and dedicated nurses. The monthly cost is steep, but it is worth it. If the payments stop she would be transferred back to county care. There will be longer wait times and less attentive staff. The kind of place where complications happen. You know she is still fragile right?”

The threat landed clean and precise.

I remembered Martha’s laugh from earlier, as she named the parking lot regulars and pointed to what everyone was doing.

“You’re a monster Veronica.”

“No. I’m pragmatic,” she replied. “Play the part perfectly for six months and everyone would win. Refuse, and Martha would pay the price. It's your choice, my little sister.”

Silence stretched while I thought about the picture on the campus news. The way Victoria had set me up and the lie I couldn’t unlive. “Fine,” I whispered. “Just six months.”

“Good girl. The first event is tomorrow night. It's a hockey program charity reception. Dana will send the dress and details. Don’t disappoint me.”

She hung up before I could say more.

***

The reception was held in a sleek downtown venue attached to the university’s athletic center.

There were chandeliers again and waiters were walking around with trays of champagne. I walked in as Victoria Hart with my posture straight and a mysterious smile putting on the new dress which hugged my frame like an armor. The mask was gone this time, but the performance was more heavier.

I kept my head down between interactions, scanning exits and managing every risk till I saw him.

Ryder was standing across the room, surrounded by donors and teammates. Our eyes locked instantly and his gaze cut straight through the crowd, intense and unreadable. My breath caught.

He excused himself and walked up to me with a purpose. Up close, he looked even better than how I remembered. His jaw was sharp with broad shoulders that filled the tailored jacket and the same quiet intensity from the corridor.

“Victoria,” he said, leaning in close enough so thar only me would hear. My name sounded on his lips like a test.

I gave the practiced response which was a small smile and the slight tilt of my head. The exact tone Victoria had drilled into me. “Ryder. Good to see you.”

He nodded slowly, straightening his back before offering me his arm. I took it, and we moved into the reception together, like a perfect and polished couple. But as we walked, the weight of his stare pressed on me. He wasn’t looking at me like a man looked at his girlfriend.

He was watching me like a man who suspected that the woman on his arm wasn't really his girlfriend. No easy confidence or familiarity.

I could sense the questions building and the suspicion sharpening as I held my breath subconsciously making sure that I maintained the act for a little bit longer.

Just one wrong step, and the entire fragile lie could shatter. He might not know everything yet, but he was no longer fully fooled.

I smiled for the cameras while dying inside, hoping that this little stunt that Veronica kept forcing me to act won't come and bite me in the ass.