My heart froze when I saw Elise again, staring straight at me like she was ready to expose me, to strip me bare, to humiliate me. But to my relief, she was quickly whisked away for the final preparations. The ceremony was about to begin.

"Kensington Wineries? Where did she even get that from?" I asked.

He pointed to one of the waiters walking through the reception hall, serving drinks. Christian grabbed a bottle and held up the label for me that read "Kensington."

"From what's going to be our best friend tonight," he said, pouring two glasses to the brim. "I think you need this to start with."

"Smart, picking a name that's already a well-known brand. But do you actually know anything about wine?"

"I know that wine is like people," he replied with a mischievous smile, leaning in so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "The best ones have to be savored slowly… first you take in the aroma…" His eyes flicked down briefly to my lips. "Then you taste just a little, letting the flavor spread…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "…and only then do you savor every sip, feeling it warm you from the inside, until the very last… moment."

"You clearly don't know a thing about wine," I finally managed, trying to keep my composure. "But I'll admit you're very smooth."

I was already expecting the ceremony to be a nightmare, but honestly? Nothing could have prepared me for this. Sitting in the pew, clutching Christian's hand tightly, I tried to keep a neutral expression while Elise and Alex exchanged vows of eternal love. With every "you're the love of my life," all I wanted to do was stand up and scream "Traitors!"

Each phrase hit me like a slap. And if I closed my eyes for even a second, I could remember the day Alex had said those exact same words to me.

My hand clutched Christian's so tightly that my own fingers ached. "If you keep squeezing like that, sweetheart, I'm going to lose circulation," he whispered.

"Sorry. Just having a minor internal breakdown."

"I noticed. Want me to fake a fainting spell to stop the ceremony?"

"No. I mean… maybe. If all else fails, spill wine on the bride's dress."

He chuckled, but didn't deny he'd actually do it.

After the ceremony, the reception turned into a show of wealth. Soft lighting, a sophisticated buffet, waiters weaving through the crowd with champagne in crystal flutes.

That was how Elise found me: clutching my second glass like my life depended on it. "Zoey! I'm so happy you came," she said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "It means so much to me that we were able to move past everything."

Move past? Hah. As if I was the petty one for holding a grudge.

Alex walked up, giving me a slow once-over. "You look different, Zoey."

It was almost like he meant I shouldn't look like this. Pretty. Smiling. Whole. They expected to see me broken.

"Thank you."

Elise smiled when she noticed Christian. Her eyes slid over him, the way someone would size up a product. "What a surprise. A date, so soon?"

Before I could reply, Christian let out a low chuckle. "Fiancé," he corrected smoothly, sliding his hand around my waist in a casual but possessive way. His gaze locked on Elise's with a defiant glint. "Funny you'd say that, Elise. Seems like Zoey's not the one still living in the past."

Elise's smile didn't falter, but I caught her eyes narrowing, her hand tightening slightly around her champagne glass. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious the jab had landed. She was furious. I, on the other hand, had to fight to keep a grin off my face.

"So you really are engaged?" Elise folded her arms. "That's surprising… I've never seen anything about you two anywhere."

"We're private," Christian replied.

Amanda, another ex–college acquaintance, walked up with her little group.

"So this is the famous heir-fiancé?" she asked with a malicious little smirk.

"Christian Kensington," he introduced himself.

"Kensington?" Helena raised a brow. "Never heard of any single Kensington in Solara Bay."

"That doesn't surprise me," Christian said with a polite smile laced with disdain. "After all, I'm not single, am I?"

Alex tried to steer things back under control. "Kensington… from Kensington Wineries? The one that's won awards all over the world?"

A chill ran down my spine. This was a test. Christian, or whatever his real name was, was just a gigolo. What could he possibly know about fine wines?

"Yes, that's the one," Christian replied easily. "Although I'm more focused on the family's international investments. I rarely visit the vineyards."

Elise's eyes widened slightly. "I work with several premium wine brands and I've never seen you at any event."

"I spend most of my time in Westcliff," Christian said smoothly. "By the way, Alex, how's that project at the Crescent Harbor going? I heard you're having trouble with the environmental permits."

Alex's face went pale. "How do you know about that?"

Christian just shrugged.

"I have my contacts."

My jaw dropped, and Christian gave my hand a slight squeeze, as if reminding me to lift my chin. When had he even had time to dig up dirt on Alex?

Elise jumped in, clearly annoyed. "This engagement must be very recent." She looked at me with barely disguised pity. "After everything, I really didn't expect you to… manage to move on so quickly."

The way she said manage made it sound like I was some kind of charity case.

"Don't underestimate Zoey," Christian cut in. "She's far more incredible than any of you realize."

Elise smiled condescendingly. "Of course she is. I'm so happy for you, darling. I was worried that you might not… well, get over it. But the thing is…" She glanced at Christian. "You two seem so… different. Like you're from completely different worlds."

"Or maybe," Christian said with a slow smile, pulling me closer, "you just never knew her true worth."

My throat burned, tears threatening to spill as I remembered Elise's exact words that no one would ever want me. She definitely hadn't expected me to be "wanted" by someone like Christian. A rich, handsome man. Sure, it was all fake, but she would never know that.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked, his eyes locked on mine, as if he could tell I needed rescuing. "Of course."

Christian led me to the center of the ballroom, his hands sliding around my waist. From a distance, I saw Elise glaring at us, whispering something to Alex.

"Don't let them get to you," Christian murmured. "You're incredible, Zoey."

A bitter laugh slipped out.

"I'm just a luxury bridal dress saleswoman. And she's one of the most famous PR reps in the country, living the life I always wanted. Traveling, celebrities… Alex…"

Christian looked me straight in the eye, without a hint of pity. "If the life you dreamed of was being a snake married to a cheating idiot, then you seriously need to rethink your goals."

I blinked, stunned by his bluntness. Then, against my will, I felt a smile tugging at my lips.

"You're unbearable."

"But hot," he shot back with a wink.

I laughed, shaking my head.

"Your eyes are shining," he said softly. "It's not happiness but bottled-up anger."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"This tough, unbreakable-woman act must be killing you inside," he murmured. "You didn't deserve to go through that."

A wave of emotion hit me, and I had to fight to keep the tears from falling right there. How could he be so spot-on?

"I don't want to stay here anymore," I whispered.

"I've got a suite reserved here at the hotel. If you want to keep making your investment worthwhile… we can leave this boring party and actually have some fun."

"I'd like that," I said, without hesitation.

If I thought the wedding party was luxurious, then what could I even say about the place Christian took me afterward?

A ridiculous penthouse on top of Rosemont Hotel, with a panoramic view of the city, a private pool, and a kind of décor that screamed, "I'm rich, and I don't even bother looking at the prices on the menu."

And me… well, I was completely dazzled. But also stunned, like the whole night had been a movie where I didn't belong in the main cast.

"Heavens…" I breathed, spinning around in the middle of the room, taking in every detail. A massive minibar, a sofa bigger than my entire bedroom, and a chandelier that probably cost more than my car. Well, I didn't even have a car. But if I did, it would still be worth less than that chandelier.

And of course, there was an illuminated infinity pool that looked straight out of a movie.

"This is insane! How can you afford something like this? If you spend this much on every client, you must be running at a loss, you know?"

Christian laughed, that deep, amused laugh that, for a moment, made me forget the hollow weight crushing my chest ever since I saw Alex and Elise together.

"I know someone who lent me the room," he said simply.

I frowned immediately, suspicious. A gigolo with access to a penthouse in the most expensive hotel in the city? Was he really keeping up the act even now?

"Oh, sure. You 'know someone.'" I made air quotes with my fingers, rolling my eyes. "Still playing the well-connected role even when we're alone? You're really committed to your job, huh?"

He just gave me a mysterious smile, saying nothing, which only made me more doubtful. I was starting to wonder what kind of gigolo felt this comfortable in such luxury.

It intrigued me for half a second. But honestly? There was a private pool right there, and I desperately needed something—anything—to push away the thoughts haunting me. The images of Alex kissing Elise, the memories of all those broken promises.

I didn't think twice.

I kicked off my heels, slid down the zipper of my dress, and let it fall to the floor, the night breeze brushing against my bare skin. The black lace lingerie now in full view stood out beautifully against the blue glow of the pool.

Christian let out a low whistle, his eyes trailing slowly over every inch of my body.

"Wow."

I shot him a look that tried to seem playful, though it probably failed to hide the storm raging inside me.

"What?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with a mix of appreciation and something else… understanding?

"I'm starting to think I'm the one who made the real investment here."

I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. A smile that never reached my eyes.

And then, without hesitation, I dove into the water. As if I could drown for a few seconds, as if the water could wash the pain away.

The impact was gentle, the temperature perfect. The hot water slid over my body like a luxurious embrace, loosening every muscle. I spun around, letting myself float for a few moments before resurfacing.

From where I was, the starlight reflected on the sea, painting a vision straight out of a dream.

"This is amazing!" I exclaimed, forcing a laugh as I ran my hands through the water.

But the truth? I didn't feel amazing.

The warmth wrapped around my body like a hug, but it couldn't melt the frozen knot lodged in my chest.

Because even there, in that perfect setting, surrounded by luxury and with a man who looked like he'd been sculpted for sin… I was still thinking about him.

Alex, standing at the altar. Elise by his side, glowing in the dress I had sold her myself.

The way he looked at me at that wedding. The surprise. The doubt.

He expected me to have crumbled. To have hidden away. To still be crying over him.

And the truth was, I was. Not in public, not where anyone could see. But alone, in my old teenage bedroom at my parents' house, where I had to move back after catching Alex and Elise together. Crying myself to sleep every night, feeling like the failure they believed me to be.

I loved that man. I trusted him. I made plans for an entire life with him.

And in the end, I was discarded as if I meant nothing. "You were always so boring." Elise's words echoed in my head like a cruel mantra. I was boring. I was ordinary. I was replaceable.

The worst part? If he apologized today, if he said it was all a mistake and that he wanted me back…

I'd probably run straight into his arms. And I hated myself for it.

My throat tightened, a different kind of heat burning behind my eyes. This time, I couldn't hold it back. A tear slipped out, blending into the pool water. Then another. And another.

I dove deep, letting the water hide my weakness. When I came back up, I took a deep breath, trying to pull myself together.

When I looked at Christian, hoping he hadn't noticed my moment of vulnerability, I found him still lounging on the chair, watching me with a serious, almost concerned expression.

"What?" I asked, swimming to the edge, trying to sound casual. "Never seen a woman enjoy life before?"

He gave me a crooked smile, though his eyes stayed serious.

"It's just funny to see someone so excited about a penthouse."

I frowned.

"What do you mean, so excited?"

He shrugged, his shirt already unbuttoned, offering a glimpse of his firm, perfectly sculpted chest.

"You act like you've never seen anything like this before."

I scoffed, splashing water in his direction, hiding my pain behind irritation.

"Because I never have. I don't know what kind of rich, bored women you're used to dealing with, but where I come from, the only thing that shines in my house is the overdue electric bill." I paused, studying him. "But you do play your role well. I almost believed you really were an heir. How does a gigolo learn to talk about investments and wineries so naturally?"

And how do you make me forget, even briefly, that I cry myself to sleep every night? I almost added, but bit it back.

He looked at me for a long moment, like he could see right through the façade I was trying so hard to hold up.

"You know, Zoey, I like the way you are."

"And who doesn't?" I shot back, but my voice cracked at the end, betraying me. Alex didn't like it. Elise didn't like it. No one ever really did.

Christian gave a crooked smile, tilting his head as if analyzing my answer.

"Modesty seems to be one of your talents too." He paused, then added, "But I wonder what you're trying to prove. Or forget."

His words hit me like a slap. For a second, I considered climbing out of the pool, grabbing my things, and leaving. But to where? Back to that bedroom in my parents' house? To hear my mother's pitying sighs every time I came out of the shower with red eyes?

"I'm not trying to prove anything," I lied, my voice quieter than I intended.

Christian studied me for another long moment, as if deciding whether or not to believe me. Then, without a word, he started unbuttoning his shirt.

And, dear God.

If I thought he looked good in a suit, shirtless was worse. Golden skin glowing under the soft deck lights, every muscle perfectly defined, tattoos scattered across his arms and torso, a sharp contrast to the polished, sophisticated image he usually carried.

My body reacted before I even realized it. Lord forgive me, but that man was walking sin. And just maybe… he could make me forget, for one night, how empty and insignificant I felt.

He rolled up the cuffs, tossed the shirt onto a chair, and began unbuckling his belt.

"Wait…" I raised an eyebrow, trying to claw back a little control. "You're coming in?"

"Didn't you want company?" There was something in his eyes, a softness that didn't match his job, or the act we were supposed to be playing.

"I figured you'd be the type to pretend you can't get your hair wet."

"And I figured you'd be the type to have invited me in a long time ago."

Because I'm desperate for some kind of connection, anything to make me feel wanted again, I thought, but only said, "Then get in." I invited him, fully aware of exactly what was about to happen. One night with a stranger, to dull the loneliness that had been eating me alive since I lost everything.

My heart pounded harder.

He unbuckled his belt, opened his pants, and let them drop, revealing tight black briefs clinging to his body. And I swear, I almost forgot to breathe. Every muscle, every line of his body looked sculpted for sin. And he knew it.

He swam toward me slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. But his eyes said something else. He was hungry. For me.

For a moment, I hesitated. A stranger pretending to be rich by day, now looking at me like I was something special. What was I even doing? But then I remembered Alex, the way he looked at me at the wedding, the way Elise smiled with pity, like I was too pathetic to ever find someone like Christian on my own. I needed this. I needed to feel wanted again, even if it was by a man I was paying.

When he was close enough, his hands slid around my waist under the water, his fingers tracing a slow path across my tingling skin.

"You're trembling," he murmured, his mouth dangerously close to mine.

"I'm not."

He smiled. That damned, seductive smile.

"We'll see."

His hands drifted lower, gliding along my back, over the curve of my hip, until they stopped between my thighs.

And then, he touched me.

I let out a sharp breath, clutching at his shoulders.

His touch wasn't impatient. It was torturous.

His fingertips moved like he was mapping me, studying my skin, savoring every little reaction. Like he wanted to prolong every second.

And I was trembling.

He knew it.

But he didn't give me time to think.

He lifted me effortlessly into his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist without a thought. And that was when I felt his arousal pressed firmly against me, hard, hot, pulsing. And it was big. Very big.

A part of me, the rational part, screamed that he was only doing his job. That every calculated touch, every intense look, every teasing whisper was just part of his act. But right then, I didn't care. I needed to feel desired. I needed to drown out those cruel words that still echoed in my head, 'You were always so boring.'

"You like it when I tease you, don't you?" he murmured, his mouth trailing along my neck.

My nails dug into his shoulders when I felt his warm tongue trace a slow path across my skin.

"Christian…"

He let out a low laugh, the sound vibrating against me, making me gasp.

"You'd better hold on."

And then, he really kissed me. It wasn't gentle. It was deep, demanding, hot.

His hands slid over my wet body, exploring, gripping, claiming. Every touch felt deliberate, like he knew exactly where to place his fingers, how to press against my skin at just the right angle, how to make me lose control.

And I did.

I lost control, lost track of time, lost the memory of the pain that had been haunting me. For those moments, there was only him and me, and the electric sensations shooting through my body every time he touched me.

My fingers tangled in his wet hair, pulling, guiding, demanding more.

He pressed me tighter against him and moved, swimming with me to the edge of the pool, where he trapped me against the wall, his strong, hot body pressing into mine.

"Now there's nowhere to run," he whispered against my lips.

I let out a short, breathless laugh.

"And who said I want to run?"

He smiled, satisfied.

The wet bra vanished before I even realized it, his fingers far too skilled. And then his mouth was there. Heat. Tongue. Teeth grazing. I yanked his hair when his tongue circled my nipple and he sucked hard.

"Christian…"

"You have the sweetest way of saying my name."

'If that's even your real name,' I thought for a fleeting moment. How many times had he played this role? How many women had moaned a name that wasn't even his?

His fingers slid along the edge of my soaked panties, tugged—and then they were gone.

The water rippled around us with every movement, and when he positioned me exactly where he wanted, there was no going back.

He held me firmly, keeping me in place with one hand while the other guided himself to me.

And then, he thrusted into me.

I gasped.

My body arched into his.

"Fuck, Zoey…" he ground out between his teeth, his voice rough and dripping with desire.

Something in his tone felt too real to be an act. Like, just for a moment, he forgot I was just another client.

He moved slowly at first, his eyes locked on mine, studying every reaction.

I felt everything. The warm water around us seemed icy compared to the heat between us.

My fingers dug into his shoulders, my legs tightening around his waist.

I wanted more. I needed more. Needed to forget everything beyond this pool, beyond this moment.

And he knew it. His grip on my waist tightened. And then, he took me completely. Every thrust was firm, deep, deliberate.

The pleasure built in crashing waves, overwhelming, and my body met his rhythm, clinging, desperate for more.

The world disappeared.

There was only him.

The way he held me, the way he seemed to know exactly what to do to push me to the edge.

His rough groans mixing with mine.

The sound of water splashing around us.

The impact of our bodies meeting, harder, faster, more urgent with every thrust.

My breath caught in my throat as the tension inside me coiled tighter, past the point of no return.

I was close.

So close.

"Christian…"

"Come for me, Zoey," he whispered in my ear, his voice thick with pleasure.

That request was my undoing.

The shock of release ripped through me like lightning, tearing me apart from the inside, shattering every shred of control.

I unraveled completely in his arms, every muscle in my body trembling, convulsing with the force of it.

And the very next moment, he followed me.

With one last, powerful thrust, his body tightened and he groaned my name through clenched teeth, burying his face in my neck as he gave in fully.

The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing.

I felt his arms still holding me, steady, almost like he refused to let me go.

He kissed my shoulder slowly, his lips warm and soft against my skin.

And when he lifted his face, that damned smile was there again.

"Best deal I've ever made," I muttered before I could stop myself.

But the moment the words left my lips, the emptiness crept back in. Deal. That was what this was. A financial arrangement. A transaction.

For a moment, I had forgotten none of this was real. That he was only following the script I'd paid him for. That tomorrow I'd be back in that cramped room at my parents' house, back to selling wedding dresses to women like Elise, back to crying alone at night over all the promises Alex had broken.

But that night, for a few hours, I wasn't the betrayed and abandoned woman. I wasn't the professionally frustrated one. I wasn't the pathetic girl who had to move back in with her parents at twenty-six.

I was a woman in control.

And Christian?

Christian was worth every penny.

The problem?

I was about to find out what that bill would really cost me.