​"I can call in a few favors and have him taken off the case," Susan said, her mind already racing through her list of high-ranking connections. "A detective can be reassigned. Especially one who doesn’t know his place."

​Before Mark could answer, the heavy double doors of the living room burst open.

​Elena rushed in, panting, her hair in disarray. She was still wearing her nightgown. Her eyes were wide with shock. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

​"Have you guys seen the news?" she gasped, looking between them. "Lyvana is getting engaged today!"

​Mark froze, his glass hovering just inches from his lips.

​"Who cares?" Susan asked.

"How did you find out?" Mark asked walking towards her.

​Elena held up her phone. "It’s everywhere! The media just broke the story. They are hosting a massive but private event. That’s not the biggest story."

"We don’t care about her love life, Elena," Maya interrupted, rolling her eyes and walking back toward the couch. "We have actual problems to deal with right now."

"No, you don’t understand!" Elena insisted, her voice rising as she stepped into the center of the room. She tapped her screen aggressively and turned it toward Mark.

"That man she’s marrying... his real name is Julian Harrison Grant the Third."

The room fell silent.

Mark’s expression changed instantly. Slowly, he took the phone from Elena’s hand and stared at the photo on the screen.

His jaw hardened.

"That’s not possible."

"What’s wrong?" Susan asked immediately.

Mark didn’t answer. Instead, he shoved the phone into Maya’s hands and turned toward the door.

"What’s not possible?" Susan pressed, hurrying after him.

Maya frowned and looked down at the screen. Her thumb dragged across the photo, zooming in on the sharp image.

"Julian Harrison Grant the Third," she read slowly. "He’s the secret heir to the Grant empire."

She looked up at Elena like she was overreacting.

"So he’s rich. Big deal."

Elena stared at her in disbelief.

"Maya, we’re talking about a multibillion-dollar family. These people practically own half the city."

Maya rolled her eyes slightly. "How rich can one family really be?"

Elena let out a short laugh.

"The Grants make ordinary billionaires look middle class."

That wiped the smugness off Maya’s face instantly.

"They own banks," Elena continued. "Hotels. Investment companies. Private estates. Half their wealth probably isn’t even public."

Maya looked back at the photo slowly.

"Then why would someone like him even look twice at Lyvana?"

Elena crossed her arms.

"Clearly, Lyvana was smarter than all of us thought," she said bitterly. "While we were sitting here mocking her, she somehow managed to catch the attention of a man most people might never even get to meet."

Maya’s fingers tightened around the phone.

She stared at Lyvana’s smiling face beside Julian’s, and something ugly twisted deep inside her chest.

Jealousy.

Pure, burning jealousy.

Then, two hours later, Clarisse and Alex arrived at the mansion with their father.

The moment they stepped inside, Susan moved toward them immediately.

"My friends are laughing at us because of Lyvana’s engagement," she said bitterly. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?"

Mr. Vaughn frowned. "Why would they laugh?"

"Why wouldn’t they?" Susan snapped. "Nobody can understand how a girl like her managed to end up with someone like Julian Grant, while our family name is drowning in scandals."

Mr. Vaughn loosened his tie with visible frustration, saying nothing.

"The whole city is talking about it," Alex said grimly.

Clarisse’s expression darkened. "I already got three calls before we even arrived." She let out a cold laugh. "So that’s why she’d been hanging around him this whole time."

She walked deeper into the living room and spotted Maya sitting silently on the couch, the phone still clutched tightly in her hand.

The engagement photos were still on the screen.

Lyvana stood beside Julian in a sleek white dress, smiling under flashing camera lights.

Dinner that night was tense.

The long dining table was filled with forced conversation, clinking glasses, and quiet frustration.

"You and Clarisse should get married as soon as possible," Mr. Vaughn said calmly, cutting through the silence.

Mark nearly choked on his drink.

"What?"

Mr. Vaughn looked at him evenly. "Or don’t you both want to get married?"

"I do," Clarisse answered immediately, unable to hide her excitement.

"Then what exactly is the problem?" Susan asked sharply. "It’s obvious nothing is going to happen with Lyvana anymore."

Mark slowly set his glass down.

"We’ve all been surprised before," he said quietly. "Anything can happen. I still haven’t given up on Lyvana."

​"That’s enough, Mark. Susan scolded "you should get over it. The plan is simple," she continued firmly. "You and Clarisse will get married next week."

Mark frowned. "Wait. Next week?"

Susan gave a satisfied smile. "Now you’re catching on."

Mr. Vaughn leaned back in his chair. "How did things go with the detective?"

But Mark barely heard him.

His thoughts were completely elsewhere. He didn’t want to marry Clarisse anymore. Somewhere along the line, he had fallen deeply in love with Lyvana.

And now she was about to marry another man. A man far more powerful than he realized.

Worse still...

He had betrayed her in the cruelest way possible. He had lied to her. Manipulated her. Taken everything from her. Even her money.

How could he ever hope to make her forgive him now?

He suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up.

"I have a meeting," he said simply. "I’ll be back by midnight."

Susan frowned immediately. "At this hour?"

"It’s important."

Before anyone could question him further, Mark turned and walked out of the dining room.

Clarisse watched him leave, her smile slowly fading as a strange unease settled in her chest.

As soon as she could, she excused herself from the table.

She moved quickly through the hallway and stopped outside Alex’s room.

​She knocked softly.

​Without waiting for an answer, she pushed the door open slightly.

​"Alex?" she murmured, stepping inside carefully.

The room was dark, the only light filtering in from the window. She took a step forward, her eyes straining to adjust to the darkness.

​Before she could even call his name again, a strong hand clamped firmly around her waist, pulling her backward.

She let out a soft gasp. His other hand slid up to cup her jaw, gently tilting her head to the side. A second later, his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck, leaving a trail of burning kisses that made her knees go weak.

​"What took you so long?" he murmured.

Meanwhile, downstairs, the front doors swung open. Mark was back.