Chapter 3

Everyone in earshot pressed in.

Only Adriano stayed where he was, swaying slightly.

The crowd broke into laughter the moment they saw the screen.

Vanessa's face went to ice. She flung my phone at me.

"Cecilia, have you no shame!"

"Adriano and I are getting engaged tomorrow, and you're keeping his photo as your lock screen? And—wrapped around him like that?"

Only then did I look.

My old lock screen—me and Adriano, together—had come up somehow. Vanessa must have swiped past it in her frenzy.

Adriano's expression eased. The corner of his mouth even lifted.

Vanessa was staring at me, waiting for an explanation.

Every birthday, growing up, I'd begged Adriano—who hated photographs—to pose with me.

He'd always sigh and shake his head, acting put-upon but indulgent.

But he'd always let me have my picture.

I'd make each one my lock screen and privately treasure what his patience seemed to mean.

Now I only glanced at a message on my screen and gave a careless shrug.

"Adriano was only the man I'd been raised to call Uncle. We weren't related by blood."

"If it bothers you, I'll delete them."

I chased Adriano for ten years.

Every time he grew tired of my clinging, he'd smile and shake his head. "I'm your uncle, Cecilia."

Back then, I hated those words more than anything.

Now they came out of my own mouth—and it was Adriano whose face changed first.

He drained his glass in one swallow and stepped toward me.

"If you're going to delete them, delete them now."

"Wouldn't want anyone spreading rumors. Vanessa would be upset."

I met his eyes.

They were trembling.

My fingertips went cold.

But two seconds later I nodded. "All right."

There weren't many photos.

I selected the old photos one by one and deleted them.

I could hear his breath grow heavier beside me.

Only when the last one was gone did I lift my eyes to his.

"From now on, we're nothing to each other."

He looked like he'd been struck.

Under the dim gold light, his face went white as chalk.

He slammed his fist into the wall.

Blood ran down the plaster.

Vanessa's eyes filled instantly. "Adriano, what are you doing?"

Then she turned on me, venomous.

"Cecilia—Adriano's been generous enough not to make you answer for the disgusting stunt you pulled on him. After everything he's done for you, this is how you repay him?"

I ignored Vanessa. I only looked at Adriano.

"I didn't drug you."

He pulled the corner of his mouth into something that wasn't a smile.

Before he could speak, Vanessa dug a USB drive from her clutch and hurled it at me.

"This is the security footage from Adriano's birthday. It shows you going into his room that night. Are you still going to pretend nothing happened?"

The drive struck my forehead. It hurt.

Adriano shifted a half-step forward.

I only stared at him. "Do you believe me?"

The room went silent.

My phone rang.

When I saw the name, the question that had been lodged in my throat for five years suddenly didn't matter.

I answered.

Whatever he said, I nodded, and I smiled. "All right. I'm coming out now."

I hung up and looked back at Adriano.

"You've already decided I'm guilty. Fine. Believe what you want. Are you done with me now, Mr. Rinaldi?"

"I—"

He was shaken by the shift in me. His voice caught.

I cut him off, still smiling.

"If you're going to let it lie, I'll be going. My fiancé is waiting."