Frost clung to the tall windows of the grand ballroom. I stood near the center ice sculpture, shivering in my thin silk gown. Two hours. Silas was two hours late to our own engagement party.

"Where is he, Liora?" my mother whispered, clutching her champagne flute tight enough to snap the stem.

"He's coming," I said.

"People are staring."

"I know. Just give him a minute."

The heavy oak double doors suddenly swung wide. Silas strode in, bringing a gust of freezing winter wind with him. He wore his tailored dark suit, but his tie was pulled loose. His jaw locked tight.

I hurried across the marble floor to meet him.

"Silas," I said, reaching for his arm. "You're finally here. Did you get stuck in the snow?"

He didn't answer. He didn't even look at my dress, the one I spent months choosing.

Instead, his hand swung through the air.

The sharp crack echoed across the silent room. My head snapped to the side. A stinging heat exploded across my left cheek. I stumbled back, my hand flying to my burning skin.

"Silas?" I gasped, tasting copper on my tongue.

"Don't say my name," he spat. His voice rang loud enough for every guest to hear.

The string quartet stopped playing. The entire room froze.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Silas reached into his suit jacket. He yanked out a stack of glossy photographs and hurled them at my chest. They fluttered and scattered across the floor like dead leaves.

"You thought I wouldn't find out?" he shouted. "You thought you could play me for a fool?"

I looked down. The image on top showed a woman in a bright red coat, pressed against a tall man in a dark alley. Their lips were locked together. The woman’s face angled directly toward the camera lens.

It was my face.

"No," I whispered. I dropped to my knees and snatched up the picture. "Silas, this isn't me."

"Do you think I'm blind?" he sneered. He took a heavy step forward, looming over me. "I spent months planning a future with a cheating whore."

"Stop it!" I cried out, scrambling to my feet. "I don't even own a red coat! This is fake. Someone is setting me up."

"Save your lies for someone who cares."

"Look at the shadows!" I shoved the photo toward him. "It's photoshopped. I have never kissed another man. I have been at the venue all day setting this up!"

Silas knocked the photo out of my hand.

"I hired a private investigator," Silas said, his tone turning to ice. "He took those tonight. While you claimed to be getting your hair done, you were in the arms of that trash."

"I was at the salon! Call my stylist! She can prove it."

"She already told me you left for two hours," Silas countered.

My stomach dropped. "I went to pick up your gift. The watch you wanted."

"A convenient excuse." Silas turned away from me, facing the crowd of three hundred guests. "The engagement is canceled."

Gasps rippled through the room.

"Silas, please!" I grabbed his sleeve.

He ripped his arm away violently. "Get your hands off me, Liora. We are completely done."

"You can't just leave me here like this. We need to talk."

"There is nothing left to say."

He marched straight out the doors, leaving them wide open to the winter storm.

I stood alone in the center of the ballroom. The guests didn't leave. They stayed, forming a tight circle of judgment around me.

"Disgusting," a woman muttered loudly.

"Poor Silas. To be humiliated like this," a man agreed.

"She has absolutely no shame. Kissing another man on her engagement day."

"Whore."

The whispers buzzed like angry hornets, stinging me from every direction. I spun around, looking at the faces of my friends and family.

"It's not real!" I yelled, tears finally spilling over my hot cheeks. "I didn't do it!"

No one stepped forward to help me. Even my mother turned her back and walked toward the coat check.

I stared down at the photographs littering the floor. My life, my reputation, my future—all destroyed in a matter of five minutes. Why would someone go to such lengths to ruin me? Who paid the investigator?

My phone buzzed inside my small clutch purse.

I pulled it out with trembling fingers. A single text message glowed on the screen from an unknown number.

*Did you enjoy the gift? Run while you still can.*

The cab ride back to the penthouse was a blur of frozen tears. I needed to show Silas the anonymous text message. *Did you enjoy the gift? Run while you still can.* Someone framed me. He had to listen to reason.

I pushed my key into the front door. It clicked open.

Soft jazz echoed from the living room.

"Silas?" I called out, stepping into the foyer.

He stood by the marble island, pouring wine into two crystal glasses. He didn't even look up.

"I told the guards to revoke your access," he said, his voice flat.

"Silas, you have to look at my phone," I pleaded, walking toward him. "Someone sent me a threat right after you left the ballroom."

A woman giggled from the hallway.

I froze in my tracks.

Blair stepped into the kitchen light, wearing my white silk robe. Silas’s ex-girlfriend.

"What is she doing here?" I demanded, pointing a shaking finger at her.

Silas handed Blair a glass of wine. "She lives here now. You don't."

"We broke up two hours ago!" I yelled.

"And I wasted zero time fixing my mistake," Silas fired back. "Pack your trash and get out of my home."

Blair leaned against Silas’s chest. She looked up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"Silas, she's scaring me," Blair whimpered, clutching his shirt.

"You set me up," I said, closing the distance between us. "You faked those photos to ruin my wedding!"

"Stop it, Liora!" Silas stepped in front of Blair, shielding her. "Don't you dare project your filth onto her."

Blair reached into the pocket of my robe. She pulled out a folded stack of papers and tossed them onto the counter.

"Show her, Silas," Blair sniffled. "Make her face what she did to me."

I glanced at the documents. Medical letterheads. Psychiatric evaluations.

"What is this nonsense?" I asked.

"Proof," Silas snarled. "Proof that you threatened Blair three years ago. You forced her to leave the country so you could take my bed."

"I didn't even know you three years ago!"

"Liar!" Blair sobbed loudly. "She told me she would ruin my family if I didn't disappear. The panic attacks, the medication—it's all because of her."

"She’s insane!" I shouted, staring at Silas. "Are you actually believing this garbage?"

Silas slammed his glass down. The stem snapped, sending red wine spilling across the white marble.

"On your knees, Liora."

I blinked, sure I had misheard him. "Excuse me?"

"Kneel," he commanded. "Apologize to Blair right now. And you will compensate her for every medical bill she ever paid."

"I will do no such thing," I retorted, lifting my chin. "I never threatened her. I never cheated on you."

"Your lies sicken me."

"Look at the dates on those papers, Silas!" I argued. "I was in college in Boston three years ago. I didn't even live in this state."

"You have money," Silas shot back. "You hired thugs to terrorize her."

"I was on a scholarship!" I stepped forward, reaching for his arm. "Please, Silas. Just look at the text message on my phone. Look at the facts."

He yanked his arm free.

His hand swung through the air.

His palm crashed into my jaw. The impact was brutal, far harder than back at the ballroom.

I slammed into the edge of the counter, my knees buckling instantly. I hit the floor hard. A warm, metallic liquid pooled in my mouth. I spat bright red blood onto the pristine tiles.

"Silas!" I choked out, clutching my throbbing face.

He stared down at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth. "I told you not to touch me."

Blair stepped over my legs. She crouched down, a vicious smirk playing on her lips before she masked it with a fake pout.

"You brought this on yourself, Liora," Blair whispered so only I could hear.

She stood back up and wrapped her arms around Silas's waist.

"Don't upset yourself over her, baby," Blair cooed.

Silas walked over to the entryway table. He picked up a velvet box, a set of keys, and gestured to a row of designer shopping bags.

"Blair, come here," he called out, his tone softening instantly.

She sprang up and trotted over to him.

He popped the velvet box open. A diamond necklace glittered under the chandelier. The engagement gift he promised me last week.

"For you," Silas said, fastening the jewels around Blair's neck.

"Oh, Silas!" Blair squealed, kissing his cheek. "It's gorgeous."

He pointed to the orange Hermès bags by the door. "Those are yours, too. And the keys to the new Porsche in the garage. Take them."

"Wait," I managed to say, pulling myself up using the counter. "Those were for us. For our future."

"There is no future," Silas mocked. "These belong to a woman who actually deserves them."

Blair traced the diamonds resting on her collarbone. She picked up one of the expensive handbags and slung it over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Liora," Blair said, flashing a wicked grin. "I'll take excellent care of your leftovers."

I wiped the blood from my chin. My chest hollowed out. The man I loved was gone, replaced by a cruel stranger.

"You're going to regret this, Silas," I said, my voice barely a rasp.

"Get out before I call the police," he replied, turning his back on me completely.

I didn't argue. I turned around and walked out the door, leaving my keys on the console table.

I stumbled out of the penthouse and into the freezing elevator.

As the metal doors slid shut, my phone vibrated in my clutch.

I pulled it out, smearing my own blood across the cracked screen. Another message from the unknown number.

*You lost the fiancé. Want to know who really took those photos? Meet me at the docks in twenty minutes.*

The elevator doors chimed, signaling my arrival at the lobby. The anonymous text message burned in my mind. *Meet me at the docks.* I had to find out who framed me.

"Miss Liora. Stop right there."

Two massive security guards blocked the revolving glass doors.

"Move," I ordered, clutching my phone. "I have an urgent meeting."

"Mr. Silas requested your immediate return to the penthouse," the taller guard stated. He grabbed my elbow, his grip like a vise.

"Let go of me! I already left his keys upstairs!"

"We aren't asking."

They dragged me back into the elevator. My heart hammered against my ribs. A tiny spark of hope flared in my chest. Did Silas read my messages? Did he finally realize the photos were fake?

The doors opened to the penthouse.

"Silas?" I called out, stumbling into the foyer as the guards shoved me forward. "Did you look at the evidence?"

"Empty your pockets," Silas commanded. He stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed, his eyes dark with fury.

Blair huddled on the sofa behind him, dabbing her dry eyes with a tissue.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"My necklace," Blair whimpered. "And the engagement ring. They’re gone."

"And you think I took them?" I stared at Silas, completely baffled. "I was halfway out of the building."

"You were the only other person in this home," Silas snapped. "Dump your purse. Now."

"This is insane. I didn't steal anything!"

"Do it, or my men will do it for you."

I marched up to the marble kitchen island and slammed my clutch upside down. Lipstick, a compact mirror, my phone, and a small leather wallet tumbled out.

And a massive diamond ring.

The platinum band clattered against the stone counter, spinning in a circle before resting flat. The diamonds caught the overhead light, mocking me.

I stared at the jewelry. A harsh, broken laugh ripped from my throat. It was too absurd.

"You find this funny?" Silas marched forward, grabbing my winter coat from my arm. He shoved his hand into the right pocket and yanked out the glittering diamond necklace.

"I didn't put those there!" I yelled, my laughter dying instantly. "She planted them! She hugged you by the entryway table where my things were!"

"Always playing the victim," Blair sneered, dropping the tissue. She stood up and walked over, her fake tears vanishing. "You were jealous. You couldn't handle the fact that Silas gave my neck the diamonds you begged for."

"You are a pathological liar, Blair."

"Enough!" Silas roared. "I caught you cheating, and now I catch you stealing. You have completely lost your mind, Liora."

"Silas, please use your brain. Why would I steal jewelry and then walk out the front door where your guards are stationed?"

"Because you are desperate and pathetic," he replied, turning his back on me. "Call the police, Blair. Have her arrested."

"Wait, baby," Blair murmured, resting her hand on his shoulder. "The police will just cause a media scandal. We don't want the press writing about your crazy ex-fiancée on our first night together."

Silas glanced at her. "What do you suggest?"

Blair picked up the necklace and the ring. A wicked smile stretched across her face. She walked past the living room and unlocked the massive glass doors leading to the rooftop terrace.

A violent gust of winter wind howled into the room, bringing a flurry of snow with it. The blizzard outside was blinding.

"Blair, what are you doing?" I asked, my stomach twisting.

She stepped out onto the snow-covered patio. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she hurled the diamonds over the railing and into the massive snowdrifts lining the edge of the terrace.

"Oops," Blair said, stepping back inside and brushing her hands together.

"Are you crazy?" I screamed. "Those are worth millions!"

"If you want them so badly, go fetch," Blair mocked.

Silas grabbed his tailored overcoat from the sofa. "We are going out to celebrate our reunion. If those pieces aren't sitting on this counter by the time we get back, I will sue you for their full value. My lawyers will bankrupt your family."

"Silas, it's negative ten degrees out there!" I pointed to the terrace. "I'm wearing a silk dress!"

"Then you better dig fast," he said coldly.

He wrapped his arm around Blair's waist. They walked straight to the private elevator. The doors slid shut, leaving me entirely alone.

The wind screamed through the open terrace doors.

I looked at the thick white blanket of snow outside. If I didn't find the jewelry, Silas would destroy my parents' small business. He had the money and the power to do it.

I stepped out onto the freezing tiles.

The cold hit me like a physical punch. The wind sliced through my thin gown, freezing the damp tear tracks on my cheeks. I dropped to my hands and knees in the corner where Blair threw the pieces.

"Where are you?" I whispered, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.

I shoved my bare hands into the icy powder. It burned. My fingers quickly turned bright red, then a terrifying shade of blue. I swept my arms back and forth, tossing snow over my shoulders.

Nothing.

Ten minutes passed. My entire body shook violently.

"Come on," I sobbed, digging deeper until my nails scraped the frozen concrete underneath.

Twenty minutes. The wind roared louder, drowning out my cries. My legs lost all feeling. The silk dress clung to my skin like a sheet of ice.

My hand brushed against something hard.

I grabbed it. The engagement ring.

"Got one," I gasped, my voice barely a croak.

I shoved it into my pocket and crawled forward, sweeping my numb arms through the next drift. Where was the necklace?

The cold stopped burning. A strange, heavy warmth started to spread through my chest. My eyelids drooped.

No. Get up. Keep digging.

I tried to push myself off the ground, but my arms collapsed. My cheek hit the freezing snow. The world blurred into shades of gray and black.

The last thing I heard was the crunch of heavy footsteps on the ice.

"Miss Liora!" a voice shouted from far away.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

* * *

A steady, rhythmic beeping pulled me from the void.

Warmth wrapped around me. I forced my eyes open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights. White walls. A scratchy blanket. IV tubes snaking into the back of my hand.

A hospital room.

"You're awake," a gentle, raspy voice said.

I turned my head. Thomas, Silas's elderly head butler, sat in the plastic chair beside my bed. He held a steaming cup of tea in his wrinkled hands.

"Thomas?" My throat felt like sandpaper. "How did I get here?"

"I came up to the penthouse to lock up for the night," Thomas explained, his brow furrowed with worry. "I found you unconscious on the terrace. The doctors said another ten minutes out there, and your heart would have stopped."

"The jewelry," I panicked, trying to sit up. "I only found the ring. I need to go back."

Thomas gently pushed my shoulder down. "Rest, child. I found the necklace. I left both pieces on the counter for Mr. Silas."

Tears of relief welled in my eyes. "Thank you, Thomas. You saved my life."

"I did what anyone should have done." He sighed, reaching into his suit pocket. "However, I found something else while I was searching the snow. It was buried near the railing."

He pulled out a small, water-damaged black box and placed it on my lap.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A hidden camera," Thomas whispered. "It was aimed directly at the entryway table where your coat and purse were resting earlier tonight."

My heart stopped. The proof.

"Does it work?" I asked, my fingers trembling as I touched the cold plastic.

"I checked the memory card on my laptop before I brought you here," Thomas said, his expression turning grim. "It works perfectly. But you need to see who actually planted the jewelry, Miss Liora. Because it wasn't Blair."