Someone finally lost their patience and stepped in. "Asher, why don't you take Grace home?"

Another person chimed in, "Yeah, she's definitely drunk. Just get her home."

There was another who worried I might be upset and asked me bluntly, "Rhea, you won't be mad, right?"

My face fell. I started to answer, but Asher cut in, "Rhea, I'll take her home tonight, then I'll talk to Mr. and Mrs. Turner about calling off the engagement."

When he put it that way, I had no choice but to go along. I nodded obediently and pretended to be happy.

After Asher and Grace left, the others drifted out, too.

I stood to leave, but I'd barely taken two steps when Carl stepped in front of me.

I stared at him, confused. "What do you want?"

Carl let out a lewd snicker. His face was naked with desire. "It's just the two of us. Isn't it obvious?"

I looked around. That was when I realized we were completely alone. I lunged for the door, but he grabbed me from behind and pinned me to the couch.

I didn't panic. I drove my knee into Carl's most vulnerable spot hard enough to make him scream and let go.

I scrambled to my feet, grabbed a bottle from the table, and smashed it into his forehead. It wasn't enough, so I grabbed a stool and beat him across the back until he went down.

He didn't even have time to react.

Suddenly, someone kicked the door open.

Asher burst in, looking frantic. His eyes widened at what he saw. Carl lay on the floor, bleeding and close to death.

I smiled, feeling pleased with myself.

After Asher hauled Carl out, I received a video from the private investigator. In the footage, Asher sat on the couch while Carl knelt at his feet, bruised and bleeding.

Asher's voice stayed flat. "You touched her? Do you have a death wish?"

Carl trembled, saying nothing.

Disappointment and loathing spread across Asher's face. "I'll cripple you now!"

He stepped forward and pummeled Carl.

Unable to stand the pain, Carl roared defiantly, "Mr. Kline, you don't even love her! What's wrong with me laying a hand on her? I was trying to help you get back at her!"

Asher looked murderous, his voice sounding ice-cold. "She's mine. You don't get to touch her. Whatever I do is my business. What the hell does that have to do with you?"

Carl didn't understand the issue. He thought he had been doing Asher a favor. "But, Mr. Kline, you approved this plan. Ms. Turner said you asked for someone to sleep with Rhea. I figured I'd handle it myself instead of bringing in a stranger.

"It would've crushed her parents if they found out. That was supposed to be the payback. Who could've imagined she'd fight back and blow the whole thing up?"

When I heard that, I dug my nails into my palm until it hurt. Only then did my fury loosen its grip a little.

I never would've guessed that Carl trying to sleep with me was part of Asher's revenge plan. It was no wonder he'd made sure Grace left. No wonder Finn couldn't stop staring at me like that.

Asher's eyes went cold. "I never approved it. I didn't agree to it either!"

Carl froze, looking thrown off. "But you left with Ms. Turner. That was basically a green light."

Asher's face contorted with rage. He drove another brutal kick into Carl as he seethed, "Shut up! I never approved or agreed to it!"

Carl lay on the floor, coughing up blood.

Asher ordered, "Cut off the hand Carl put on Rhea, then throw him out! I never want to see him again."

A bodyguard nodded and dragged Carl away.

Carl freaked out and pleaded, "Mr. Kline, I messed up! Please, I've been loyal for years. Let it slide just this once!"

Asher stayed put on the couch, brooding with his expression overcast.

I closed the video, feeling nothing, and sat motionless on the bed.

Not long after, the door opened and Asher stepped inside. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder.

"Babe, I'm so sorry. It was my negligence that allowed Carl to hurt you."

He sounded furious as he continued, "The second I found out he'd tried to hurt you, I wanted him dead! Don't worry. I've already punished him."

Asher took my hand and squeezed it tight. "Still, I'm glad you could protect yourself and fight him off."

He raised a hand and gently brushed my cheek. "With me, you're a sweet little kitten. With everyone else, you're a little lioness with her claws out."

I scoffed inwardly. He probably thought I'd be scared and helpless in a moment like that, crying or just sitting there waiting to be saved.

But I knew better. It was wiser to count on myself. Men, in the end, weren't reliable.

When I felt Asher start to nibble at my neck, I quietly turned my head aside and yawned. "I'm really tired. I need to rest."

He caught on immediately and pulled back, just wrapping his arms around me instead. "Alright. Go to sleep. I'll stay with you tonight."

I didn't refuse. I lay down without a word. He lay beside me, but even with his warm arms around me, I only felt cold.

We shared the same bed, but our minds were far apart.

After what happened, Asher stopped going to work and stayed home with me. He started showering me with gifts, went shopping with me, and even cooked for me.

He was perfect in every way, but I felt nothing because I knew it was just a performance to lower my guard. He could tell I wasn't happy, so he tried even harder to please me.

Eventually, I got tired of pretending. I dropped the act and became much calmer and quieter. I barely smiled anymore, and my eyes became dull whenever I looked at him.

Asher seemed oblivious and kept doing what he thought were touching gestures.

As the birthday party approached, he grew more on edge. When he realized I hadn't invited Mom and Dad, he pressed, "Babe, your parents need to be at your birthday party."

I nodded and lied, "I've already invited them."

Only then did he relax and throw himself into planning my birthday, fussing over every detail for my sake.

…

The day before the birthday party, I drank with Asher on purpose until he was drunk. He pulled me in, kissing me ceaselessly, hungry to take it further.

I pushed hard to get him off me, but he was wild and overpowering. I couldn't fight him off. With no way out, I went along with it.

Luckily, the drug kicked in right before it could go any further, and he passed out.

I'd drugged him.

I pulled out Asher's phone and started scrolling through his messages. The group chat with his friends was blowing up with notifications.

"Asher, what time are you dropping those videos of you two in bed tomorrow?"

"Send it here first. We want to see if her body is as hot as you claimed."

"Yeah, give us a preview."

My gaze grew cold, and my fingers trembled as I replied, "There will be a show tomorrow. Stay tuned!"

Then, I went looking for those videos.

Fortunately, Asher had told me where he'd saved them, so I found them within seconds. I deleted every video and wiped the system clean. Only then did I breathe easy.

When I was done, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out without looking back. The moment I stepped through the door, Asher and I were done for good.

I boarded the plane and left the town.

I watched the blue and white of the sky outside the window and took a deep breath, feeling lighter than I ever had before.

The next morning, Asher woke up and immediately started looking for me. He couldn't find me anywhere, just the note I'd left.

"I'm getting dressed up. I'll head over later."

He believed it. With the clock ticking, he showered quickly and hurried to the birthday party.

The moment he arrived, his buddies closed in around him. Everyone was itching for drama, prodding him to play the videos.

With the crowd pressing in, Asher pulled out his phone. But when he opened his camera roll, his eyes hardened with conflict, and his face tightened with hesitation.

Everyone held their breath, bracing for a bombshell.

After a long minute, Asher let out a deep sigh and locked the screen. "Forget it. I'm not releasing the videos."

Gasps and groans broke out. Disbelief swept across the room.

"Wait, why?"

"Exactly. Weren't you planning to embarrass Rhea today? Don't tell me you were kidding."

"Asher, are you saving it for the big screen later?"

Asher shot them a dark look. "This is my call. I'm the one who decides whether I release them. Stay out of it."

That caught everyone off guard.

Someone picked up on it and asked, "Asher, you're not changing your mind, are you?"

Puzzled, another chimed in, "Don't tell me you're backing out just because you feel bad for her."

As everyone speculated, Asher snapped, "No. You're reading too much into it. I just don't think now's the right time."

Right then, Grace walked toward him. Everyone instinctively stepped aside.

She stared at him, her eyes bright with hope. "Asher, are you announcing our engagement today?"

He didn't answer. His expression hardened.

She pursed her lips and slipped her arm through his, still looking hopeful. "I'll wait. I trust you to do the right thing."

Asher lowered his gaze, his fingers tightening around the ring box.

Grace noticed it and gasped. "Is that the engagement ring you bought for me?"

He pulled his hand back. After a moment of hesitation, he brought it out again. "It's for Rhea."

She stared at him, stunned.

Realizing how that sounded, he explained hurriedly, "I'm proposing to her first. When she's thrilled, that's when I'll release the videos. The payback will hit harder."

Everyone understood immediately. Someone even gave him a thumbs-up. "Asher, you're brutal. Letting her get excited, then making her cry? That's psychological torture!"

Asher nodded, fully agreeing.

Right then, the party lights went out. The big screen lit up, and a video started playing.

Asher froze as he watched himself and Grace on the screen, planning how they'd get revenge on me. Then, clips of him and Grace acting all lovey-dovey flashed one after another.

It wasn't just his friends in the room. He'd packed the place with partners from Searle Group and Kline Group to get back at Mom and Dad. Now, they all saw who Asher really was.

"Turn it off!" Asher roared, unplugging the screen.

But the final clip, proof of his dirty business tactics, was already seared into everyone's minds. Gasps rippled through the crowd. His reputation in the industry was toast.

Grace panicked, lowering her head under the weight of their stares.

Voices rose all at once.

"This is… beyond unethical!"

"He plays dirty at work and in life! Who'd risk working with him? He'll sabotage you the second you look away!"

At that, Asher looked around at the guests, guilty and desperate to salvage his reputation. "Don't believe what you just saw! This is a misunderstanding."

But the skepticism on their faces made it clear that they didn't buy it.

He forced a smile and gestured at the extravagant setup, as if to prove how devoted he was to me. "This is the birthday party I'm throwing for Rhea. I invited everyone here to watch me propose to her.

"Those videos are just a misunderstanding. She's only joking around."

Offended, Grace snapped, "Asher, I'm the one you should be proposing to. This multimillion-dollar proposal is supposed to be for me!"

The guests looked on with mixed expressions, eager to see how this trainwreck would end.

Asher frowned. His face turned cold as he barked, "Stop making a scene!"

Grace shook her head, then raised her voice. "I'm not. Since everyone already knows, let's stop pretending. I'm the one you're supposed to marry. Our families have agreed."

Asher's expression tightened as he shut her down. "No. I'm proposing to Rhea today. I'm calling her now."

He tried to call me, but it didn't go through. After that, he texted me, but I didn't respond. As he grew anxious, panic crossed his face.

Just then, Asher's phone lit up with a text from me saying, "Asher, we're over!"

He froze, staring at the screen.

"When I realized that you were dating me just to get back at my parents, and your love was an act, I started to hate you and stopped feeling anything for you. I'm leaving.

"You won't get another chance to hurt me. Now, you can marry Grace without having to scheme so hard to kick me out of the picture anymore. Goodbye. You're never seeing me again!"

Asher's eyes went wide, his body trembling as if he'd taken a devastating hit. He kept calling me, refusing to lose hope, but the call never connected.

Finn came over, sounding exasperated as he said, "Don't bother looking for Rhea. I had someone look into it. She's already flown out, and she wiped her trail in this town. There's no way to reach her."

Asher stared, disbelief written plainly in his eyes. Then, he became hollow and stayed frozen, unsure of what to do.