I couldn't tell, nor did I have the strength to.

Seeing my silence, Mathias pulled me into his arms, his fingers threading gently through my hair.

"Irene, I'm sorry. I was wrong last night. I'll make it up to you."

A fever had drained every ounce of my strength. My head rested weakly against his shoulder until my gaze landed on the collar of his shirt.

A bright red lipstick stain. My breath hitched. That shade, I recognized it instantly. The same bold crimson Nathalia had been wearing last night.

A violent shiver ran through me. Every breath felt like a dagger, piercing deep into my chest, twisting mercilessly.

Yet Mathias, still holding me close, remained oblivious. His gaze was locked on some distant point, shadows swirling in his eyes, a madness barely restrained.

He took a slow breath, exhaled, and said, "So, Irene… let's get engaged."

That very day, the news of our engagement dominated the headlines.

A young, self-made CEO and an orphaned girl, the contrast alone was enough to set the world abuzz.

But Mathias wasn’t satisfied.

He poured money into trending topics, secured exclusive interviews with top magazines, and ensured that news of our engagement echoed in every corner of society.

By afternoon, waves of reporters swarmed outside the house.

Over the next two days, before the cast on my foot had even been removed, I was forced into an extravagant gown, slipping my swollen feet into ice-cold heels that gleamed under the flashing lights.

Around my neck rested the emerald necklace Mathias had won at the auction, a jewel as heavy as the expectations he placed upon me.

Mathias, however, was in his element, his smile unwavering as he faced the cameras with effortless charm.

"I love Irene, and of course, I’ll give her nothing but the best."

"When it comes to the person I love, I spare no expense."

"I always have, and I always will."

The words spilled from his lips like a well-rehearsed script, polished and perfect.

When it was my turn to speak, all I could do was smile and nod, my lips curving into a practiced expression.

Not a single word escaped me.

I had brought up the idea of engagement with Mathias before.

After losing my parents, a constant sense of insecurity clung to me like a shadow. But I also knew that rushing into marriage could affect Mathias’s career, so I had trod carefully, testing the waters with caution.

"If getting married is too complicated right now, could we at least get engaged first?"

Mathias had only sighed, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.

"Irene, I’m really tired right now. I don’t have time to deal with these trivial matters. Can you be understanding?"

"When I have time, I’ll make it up to you."

Back then, I never would have imagined that, despite his company being on the brink of going public, with assets under evaluation, Mathias could suddenly find so much time to ensure our engagement made headlines.

During a break in the photoshoot, I happened to glance at his phone.

The screen was flooded with missed calls and unread messages, all from an unmarked number.

A flicker of curiosity took hold. Without thinking, I quickly searched the number on social media.

An account appeared instantly.

The name left no room for doubt.

Nathalia.

I had meant to exit the screen. But in my panic, my finger slipped.

I clicked "Add."

She accepted the request instantly. And then, a message popped up.

[Do you believe me when I say I’ll make sure your engagement party never happens?]

The words echoed in my mind, lingering like a whisper of impending doom.

The missed calls on Mathias’s phone became more frequent, his screen lighting up relentlessly.

And every so often, when he thought no one was watching, I caught glimpses of something unsettling, a fleeting smirk, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Then came the night before the engagement banquet.

Without warning, Nathalia stopped calling. The endless messages ceased.

Silence fell. And somehow, that silence felt far more ominous than her threats ever had.

As I walked past the study, the unmistakable sound of vases shattering in a fit of rage reached my ears.

When Mathias saw me, his expression shifted, quickly masking the fury that had been boiling just moments before. He casually kicked the broken pieces aside, attempting to cover up his outburst.

"Irene," he said, his tone forced, "tomorrow is our engagement banquet. I’m just… nervous."

He took a breath, trying to regain composure. "Go rest, I'll be in shortly."

That night, Nathalia's message haunted my thoughts.

[Do you believe me when I say I can ruin your engagement banquet?]

Sleep eluded me. I tossed and turned while Mathias never returned to the bedroom.

The next day, at the engagement banquet, Mathias appeared distracted.

His attention drifted, and when his friends congratulated him, he barely reacted, a stark contrast to the eager, confident man he had been in front of the cameras just days ago.

His friends exchanged knowing glances, their eyes betraying a silent understanding. The whole world seemed to know who this engagement was really for.

Suddenly, a shout pierced the air.

"A fire has broken out in the Maplewood Heights apartments!"

I froze. I recognized the name immediately. Nathalia lived in Maplewood Heights.

Mathias snapped, his hand lashing out to grab the speaker by the collar.

"Where did you say the fire was?!"

The guest recoiled, visibly shaken, fumbling for their phone to show the footage.

"Maplewood Heights."

The video was blurry, but there, standing at the balcony’s edge, was a delicate, fragile figure swaying like a ghost in the wind.

"All the other residents have been evacuated, except for one woman… still trapped inside…"

Before the guest could even finish the sentence, Mathias was already charging for the exit.

The engagement banquet descended into chaos, a whirlwind of uncertainty.

I didn’t think; my body moved on its own, following Mathias into the car, driven by something beyond reason.

The silence in the car was suffocating. He dialed the number again and again, his fingers trembling with urgency.

Once. Twice. Three times.

It wasn’t until the seventy-eighth call that the line finally connected.

Mathias’s hand shook so violently that his phone almost slipped from his grip. His voice cracked, raw with desperation.

"Nathalia, where are you? Why won’t you answer? Do you want me to die?!"

I had never seen him so broken, so utterly lost. It squeezed at my chest, a tight, painful knot I couldn’t ignore.

The chaos on the other end was overwhelming, debris crashing, screams echoing through the phone, while Nathalia’s voice remained eerily calm.

"Mathias, I can’t forget you. But you’re about to marry someone else."

"I can’t watch you belong to another."

"So… don’t come looking for me. If I die in this fire, it won’t hurt as much."

The moment she spoke, a deafening crash shook the line, the sound of a beam collapsing.

"No! No!"

Mathias was nearly losing himself, his voice breaking under the weight of his panic.

"Nathalia, please don’t do this! I’m begging you, don’t do this!"

"You know I’ve never forgotten you, not once."

"This engagement… it’s all just a game to get back at you for leaving me without a word."

"You know this. You know that the second you show up, I’d leave it all behind and run away with you."

At that moment, my blood rushed through my veins like a river breaking its banks, and the pain in my chest was so intense it felt like I couldn’t draw another breath.

I had known deep down, for a long time, what the truth was.

But hearing Mathias say it so plainly, without a single pause, without a trace of hesitation. It tore me to shreds.

And yet, he didn’t even seem to notice me.

He kept pleading into the phone, his voice cracking with raw regret.

"Nathalia, please, hold on. Wait for me. I’m coming to save you!"

"I have everything now, please, don’t leave me. I can’t bear it…"

By the time his words faltered, the tears began to fall, each one heavy and relentless, like stones crashing into the depths of my heart.

I was numb, yet my legs moved on their own. I followed him out of the car, my heart pounding with each step as we neared the fiery chaos, the scene surrounded by a sea of onlookers and rescue teams.

While others scrambled to escape, Mathias was the only one pushing forward, desperate to dive into the flames.

Fear seized me, and instinct took over. I grabbed his hand and held him back with everything I had.

"Mathias, you don’t know how intense the fire is or what’s inside! Charging in like this is madness!"

"The rescue team’s already here. They’ll bring her out!"

I had lost my parents to flames; I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Mathias, too.

But without warning, he jerked my hand away, his force pushing me to the ground with an intensity I hadn’t seen since that day at the auction.

I crashed to the earth, my ankle protesting, the bandages soaked in a sickly mix of red and yellow. Yet, the pain in my body was nothing compared to the torment searing my heart.

Mathias didn’t even spare me a glance.

"I can’t lose Nathalia again."

"No one can stop me!"

And with those words, he turned and rushed straight into the fire.

In that instant, the world around me blurred, and I was back in that inferno, watching helplessly as flames devoured everything I loved.

I couldn’t let Mathias face the same tragedy.

Without a second thought, I ran after him.

But I barely took a few steps before a beam crashed down, striking my leg.

The pain hit me like a tidal wave, and I crumpled to the ground, helpless. All I could do was shout, desperate to be heard, hoping someone would come.

The smoke choked me, the air thick and suffocating as it stung my throat.

Then, out of the haze, a pair of hands reached for me, warm and firm, pulling me into safety.

They seemed to be asking how I was, but I couldn’t answer. My voice had abandoned me, hoarse and weak. Through my blurred vision, I could barely make out the person’s face.

Before I lost consciousness, all I could hear was the frantic shout of someone above me,

"She's seriously injured! Get her to the hospital immediately!"

When I woke in the hospital, the world outside buzzed with news. Mathias had pulled Nathalia from the flames, and their love story was now a legend.

"Ten years of devotion, unwavering until death."

"True love reveals itself in times of crisis."

"Only death can tear them apart."

The comment sections were flooded with praise, while others couldn’t hide their venom, calling me a homewrecker who had schemed my way into his life.

Hiding behind the banner of “true love conquers all,” they called me a shameless woman, determined to tear Mathias and Nathalia apart.

Even the nurses who tended to me couldn't help but throw disdainful glances my way.

Some even whispered just outside my hospital room.

"Did you hear? Mathias ran out of his engagement party straight into the fire for her."

"Everyone's saying his fiancée's position is about to change hands."

"I’d say it’s a done deal."

"Well, it’s what Irene deserves. She shouldn’t have meddled."

"She was just deluding herself. The two women are in the same hospital, only one floor apart. But how many times has Mathias been here? Nathalia barely got a scratch on her, and he’s called in the best doctors, staying by her side day and night, treating her like she’s the world’s most precious gem."

"Sigh, if only I could meet a man as devoted as Mathias…"

Their voices faded, drifting down the corridor like the remnants of a storm.

I simply closed my eyes, letting silence wrap around me like a suffocating shroud.