Chapter 4

Exhaustion and alcohol had already left me in a haze, my thoughts sluggish and disjointed.

A hand clamped over mine—the one clutching the wine glass. The touch was ice-cold, shocking me into instant sobriety.

James Gilbert.

"That's enough for today." His voice was low, brooking no argument.

Scarlett Walker glared at me, resentment burning in her eyes. "But the round isn't finished yet."

"Then we skip the drinking." James countered smoothly. "Let Layla answer one more truth instead."

I yanked my hand from his grip. The lingering coldness made my skin crawl. Ten minutes to midnight.

"Fine."

A calculated glint flickered in Scarlett's eyes. She whipped out her phone, pulled up a photo, and shoved the screen in my face.

"Layla, regarding the warehouse arson case back then… exactly how much of a kickback did you accept from the competition?"

The image hit me like a punch to the sternum.

My body began to tremble as the nightmare I had buried clawed its way back to the surface.

It had been a critical period for James. He was preparing to open his first branch store, and we had secured a massive order from a tycoon in Yanjing—the storage and transportation of a batch of rare, priceless flowers.

During the handover, someone sprang a trap. Forged arson tools. Falsified transfer records. All planted in the warehouse. By the time I sensed something was wrong, the jaws had already snapped shut.

The "evidence" spread like wildfire. I was accused of deliberately torching the warehouse for the insurance payout. Overnight, I became a pariah in the industry—despised by everyone.

I remembered James holding me back then, his grip desperate. *"Layla, I believe you. I'll find the truth! Don't be afraid!"*

I had screamed my innocence until my throat was raw, but the chain of forged evidence was seamless. No one listened. The rumors in our circle grew more vicious by the day.

Some claimed I had slept with a competitor. Others whispered I was a corporate spy planted by James's rivals.

The pressure on James was suffocating. The investors gave him an ultimatum: cut ties with me, or go down with the ship.

I spent those nights staring at the ceiling, my spirit fracturing piece by piece. I couldn't drag him down with me.

So I made the choice for him.

I left the local base, fleeing all the way to Yunnan to start over as a floral design instructor.

And James? In the end, he chose his future.

We lost contact. Just like that.

Five years had passed. I thought the wound had scarred over.

Scarlett had just ripped it open in front of everyone.

James's expression darkened instantly. He reached out to snatch the phone from Scarlett's hand.

*Smack!*

My palm connected hard with Scarlett's cheek before he could intervene.

The room went silent.

"I don't know where you dug up that forged evidence," I said, my voice shaking with suppressed rage. "But spreading false information and defaming someone carries legal consequences."

That scandal had nearly driven me to suicide. Depression had swallowed me whole. But the woman standing here today wasn't the fragile girl from five years ago. I had learned to face the pain, and I was done proving my innocence for a crime I never committed.

Scarlett touched her cheek, stunned. Then the tears came. She grabbed James's arm, playing the victim perfectly.

"James! I was just playing the game… Layla, she…"

"I have things to do. You all continue."

I didn't let her finish. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door, desperate for fresh air.

James moved faster than I expected, blocking my path.

"Scarlett was just messing around. Don't take it so seriously." His tone was dismissive. "You slapped her. Call it even."

I looked up at him, a cold smile touching my lips. The man in front of me felt like a stranger.

"I've always taken things seriously, James. You know that."

I tried to brush past him, but he caught my wrist.

"Where are you staying? I'll drive you."

"Let go." I tried to wrench my arm free, disgust rising in my throat.

Before I could speak again, I was pulled backward into a familiar, warm embrace. The scent of rain and earth enveloped me.

A low, dangerous voice rumbled from behind me.

"My fiancée lives with me. Naturally."