My heart stopped the moment I saw Chris, his tall frame moving towards us in the dim moonlight. Nicolas' grip on me tightened as if he were trying to shield us from being seen, but it was too late. Chris was already too close.
Panic surged through me. How could this be happening? My pulse raced, the weight of the situation crashing down on me like a tidal wave. I wasn’t just caught between two men; I was caught in the web of lies I had spun, and now everything was unraveling before my eyes.
Chris hadn’t seen us yet, but he was walking directly toward the secluded corner of the garden. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of fear and guilt surging through me. I quickly pushed Nicolas away, my breath shaky and uneven as I tried to compose myself.
"Mel?" Chris's voice cut through the quiet
