Hide‑and‑Seek: I Walked In On My Fiancé and Best‑Friend’s Secret

Chapter 3

A week before the wedding, my friends booked a club for us, calling it a pre‑wedding party.

The place was dimly lit, reeking of alcohol.

I sat in the corner, coldly watching Asher and Aria.

They sat a couple of people apart, but their eyes kept finding each other across the room, never breaking contact.

Before long, Aria excused herself to the restroom. 2 minutes later, Asher also got up and followed her out.

When they returned one after another, Aria's lipstick was slightly smudged, while Asher nonchalantly buttoned the top button of his shirt.

Asher's buddy, Knox Finley, cast them a sidelong glance, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he nudged Asher with his shoulder.

I turned and looked at Knox coldly.

Knox's expression stiffened slightly.

Luna Ashford, a mutual friend sitting beside me, immediately slung her arm around my shoulders, raising her voice as she clinked her glass against mine,

"Nova! What are you spacing out for? You're the star of the show tonight. Come, cheers! Here's to you and Asher, wishing you a happy marriage and many years of happiness!"

As she spoke, Luna unobtrusively blocked my line of sight.

At that moment, my grip on the wine glass tightened.

I understood.

So, among these friends I'd known for years, my impending marriage to Asher was nothing but a joke.

Everyone knew his affair with Aria, but no one told me about it.

The bottle came to a stop on the table, pointing straight at Asher. Someone called out, "Truth or dare!"

Knox deliberately drawled, playing to the crowd,

"Asher, us guys just want to ask, aside from our Nova, have you ever had feelings for another woman? Tell the truth!"

The people around us whooped and whistled.

Aria held her wine glass, watching him through the crowd with a cryptic half‑smile.

Asher turned his head and gazed deeply into my eyes, gripping my hand tightly,

"No. My heart has only ever had room for Nova alone."

"Ooh! Asher is so devoted!" Knox and Luna led the applause and cheers.

Looking at their exaggerated smiles, I felt nothing but disgust.

Those familiar faces were lit up with the thrill of watching a spectacle.

Just then, something stirred beneath the dim tablecloth.

I glanced down. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Aria had already kicked off her heels.

Her foot, red toenails gleaming, slid provocatively and brazenly up his calf through the thin fabric of his trousers.

And this fiancé of mine beside me, who had just sworn his heart only ever had room for me, remained perfectly composed above the table. His expression didn't change as he accepted his friends' blessings.

But beneath it, his legs relaxed in silent complicity, letting her foot settle against his inner thigh.

"I'm going to the restroom."

I withdrew my hand, stood up calmly, and walked out.

The instant the door shut, the raucous noise and filth behind me were shut out.

I leaned against the cold wall of the corridor, breathing hard.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was an email from Emerson Group.

President Finn Emerson had personally approved my job application.

Without a moment's hesitation, I opened the email and replied: I accept the offer.

Immediately after, I booked a one‑way ticket to Mistvale departing on my wedding day.