Chapter 4

When he and Hailey came back to the car, there was a bright red mark on Carter's neck.

Noticing my stare, panic flashed through his eyes, and he quickly covered it with his hand.

"The bugs around here are crazy..."

Hailey blushed and nodded.

"Yeah, Chloe, the mosquitoes are so bad. You don't think it's something else, do you?"

I shook my head.

"Must be a really desperate female mosquito. Biting people like a shameless animal."

Their faces instantly turned pale.

"Excuse me, I need a cigarette," Carter muttered, stepping out of the car.

A few yards away from the car, Carter looked incredibly anxious. He whispered to Hailey, "Do you think... she knows?"

Hailey took the cigarette right out of his mouth and took a drag.

"No way. She loves you too much. Even if she suspects something, she'll forgive you."

"I know her. She's soft-hearted. Years ago, when I got dumped, she literally skipped her finals and flew a thousand miles just to comfort me."

"I didn't want to hurt her either, but... I fell for you."

Her sweet words were too much for Carter. He blushed all the way down to his collar.

I watched them through the tinted car window.

Their silhouettes, stretched by the afternoon sun, looked so intimate.

The two people I loved most in the world had hurt me the deepest.

I had spent years catering to them.

It was time to wake up.

I looked down and called the HR director of my family's conglomerate, Vance Group.

"Hi, Audrey. You asked me what I wanted as a wedding gift, right?"

"I want you to fire Hailey. Effective immediately."

Because she had failed multiple classes in college, Hailey couldn't find a decent job after graduation. I practically begged my father to pull strings and get her into Vance Group.

In just three years, she went from a receptionist to a junior project manager, her salary jumping from $40k to $150k.

I paved every single step of her career.

But to protect her fragile ego, I kept my family's identity a secret, letting her believe she achieved it all on her own merit.

Now, it was time to take back what was mine.

When Carter got back in the car, perhaps out of guilt, he handed me a cup of black coffee.

"I grabbed this while waiting for the matcha. I know you hate sweet drinks."

I didn't take it.

He shook the cup, getting annoyed.

"Take it. We don't have time for this."

I ignored him.

"Are you seriously still throwing a fit over some cupcakes and matcha?"

"She's your best friend! Are you even human, being this jealous of her?"

Carter was always so incredibly harsh with me.

He would never dream of speaking to Hailey like this.

"Chloe, I've been exhausted for weeks planning this wedding. Can you please grow up? Don't make me deal with your attitude on my wedding day."

I nodded, swallowing my tears.

"Thank you."

My voice was polite, cold, and distant.

But it seemed to reassure Carter. He relaxed, turned on the radio, and laughed with Hailey all the way to the venue.

He didn't notice the black Maybach parked near the side entrance of the hotel.

He should have recognized the license plate—it belonged to my family.

But his eyes were only on Hailey, who had just tripped on her dress.

"Hailey! Are you okay?"

Hailey pouted, looking pitiful.

"This bridesmaid dress is too long. I tripped."

Carter shot me a glaring look. "This is your fault. Why did you have to pick such a long style?"

He forgot that Hailey was the one who insisted on this specific design.

"She's hurt. I'll carry her to the bridal suite first. Find your own way up."

Before I could answer, he swept Hailey into his arms and walked straight toward the elevator.