Chapter 4: Picking Up the Pieces
850 Words
I didn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Damien standing on that stage.
"I am calling off my engagement to Emilia Hart."
His words played over and over in my head until the sun came up.
I was still wearing the same dress when Sophia walked into the living room.
She carried two mugs of coffee.
"You should change."
I looked down at the dark blue gown.
The fabric was wrinkled.
Mascara stained one shoulder where I had wiped my tears.
"I can't."
"You have to eat too."
"I'm not hungry."
She sat beside me and placed a mug in front of me.
"You don't have to be strong today."
That was the problem.
If I stopped pretending to be strong, I was afraid I would fall apart.
My phone buzzed again.
News alerts.
One after another.
Kingston Heir Ends Engagement Amid Scandal.
Business World Shocked by Corporate Espionage Claims.
Who Is Emilia Hart?
I turned the phone over before I could read more.
Sophia reached for the remote and switched on the television.
I opened my mouth to tell her not to.
She had already changed the channel to a business news network.
"...sources close to the Kingston family believe the engagement has been permanently canceled."
A picture of Damien filled the screen.
He looked calm.
Confident.
Untouched.
Then my picture appeared beside his.
The headline underneath made my stomach twist.
The Woman Who Betrayed a Billionaire?
Sophia quickly switched the television off.
"I'm sorry."
I let out a slow breath.
"I didn't betray anyone."
"I know."
"But the whole country thinks I did."
"They don't know you."
"They don't have to."
I stood up and walked to the window.
New York looked exactly the same.
People hurried to work.
Cars filled the streets.
The city kept moving.
Only my world had stopped.
A knock sounded at the door.
Sophia frowned.
"I wasn't expecting anyone."
She walked over and looked through the peephole.
"It's Margaret."
I blinked in surprise.
Sophia opened the door.
Margaret Kingston stepped inside with her driver carrying several bags behind her.
The older woman looked exhausted.
She walked straight to me and pulled me into a hug.
"I'm so sorry, my dear."
The kindness in her voice almost broke me again.
"I didn't do it."
"I know."
"You believe me?"
She looked offended by the question.
"Of course I do."
Tears filled my eyes.
"Then why doesn't Damien?"
A shadow crossed her face.
"My grandson made a terrible mistake."
"He didn't even ask me to explain."
Margaret sighed.
"He was raised to believe evidence before emotion."
I laughed bitterly.
"Then whoever planned this knew exactly how to destroy us."
She looked away for a moment.
"I think you're right."
Those words caught my attention.
"You think someone planned it?"
She hesitated.
"I don't have proof."
"But?"
"There were things I noticed last night."
"Like what?"
She lowered her voice.
"Arthur wasn't surprised by the accusations."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"I don't know."
"He kept watching Celeste."
"So did I."
Margaret nodded slowly.
"Be careful around her."
"I always have been."
"No."
Margaret took my hand.
"I mean from now on."
"Why?"
Before she could answer, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed.
"It's Damien."
Neither of us spoke.
She answered the call.
"Yes?"
Silence.
Then she said firmly, "No."
Another pause.
"You should have listened to her yesterday."
More silence.
Finally, she ended the call.
"What did he want?"
"He asked if you were here."
My heart skipped.
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth."
"And?"
"I told him you didn't want to see him."
I looked down.
"I don't know if that's true."
Margaret smiled sadly.
"You shouldn't see him today."
"Why not?"
"Because today he would come looking for answers."
She squeezed my hand.
"He should have asked those questions before he broke your heart."
After she left, I stood in the quiet apartment for a long time.
Sophia began cleaning the coffee cups.
Neither of us spoke.
Then my phone rang.
This time it wasn't an unknown number.
It was Damien.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
I stared at his name on the screen.
Once, seeing his name had made me smile.
Now it made my hands shake.
"He doesn't deserve your answer," Sophia said softly.
Maybe she was right.
But part of me still wanted to hear his voice.
Maybe he had discovered the truth.
Maybe he was calling to apologize.
The phone stopped ringing.
A second later, a message appeared.
We need to talk. Please answer.
Another message arrived almost immediately.
I found something that doesn't make sense.
I stared at the screen.
Before I could decide whether to reply, another notification appeared.
It wasn't from Damien.
It was from an unknown number.
If you meet him, you will both regret it.
A photo downloaded beneath the message.
My blood turned cold.
It was a picture of me standing outside Sophia's apartment.
Someone had taken it only minutes ago.
They weren't just ruining my life.
They were watching me.
- Writer
