Chapter 05

POV Roberta

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as soon as I stopped at the bus stop. My breath came in short, uneven gasps, and the exhaustion from running almost an entire block forced me to lean forward, desperate to catch the air escaping my lungs.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting its glow across the night. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one familiar had followed me, then spotted the bus that would take me back to campus arriving on the other side of the street. I only realized what time it was when I finally collapsed into a seat. The bus was empty.

The first thing that crossed my mind was that man’s eyes. The hair on the back of my neck didn’t stand up, I didn’t imagine a future with him, and I didn’t feel the same rush of adrenaline I had when I first saw Leonard. Still, I couldn’t deny how incredibly handsome he was.

Even I would have doubted that a man as striking as he could ever date a simple woman like me. But he was only an escort, and I was paying a fortune for him to lie to everyone.

I just needed to make everyone believe we were in love.

My lips trembled as I got off the bus and ran back onto campus. My eyes darted from side to side, scanning for anyone who might see me. I didn’t want anyone to notice I had gone out at night and was returning so late.

I entered my room still trembling and threw myself onto the bed. Not only that, but I finally fell asleep after hours of tossing and turning, twisting my sheets into a mess.

When morning came, I remembered I didn’t have a single decent outfit to wear to an engagement party, and I had already spent all my money hiring that man. I spent the afternoon trying on old clothes I’d kept tucked away.

Nothing fit the image I had invented in my mind. How could I show up next to a rich man dressed like a beggar?

I was a fraud.

Everyone on campus was talking about Vivian and Leonard’s engagement and about the rich boyfriend who would be accompanying me to the party. I could see it on their faces, how eagerly they waited for me to fail.

I saw Vivian in the hallway, smiling with her friends as she showed off her engagement dress. My face burned with embarrassment when Leonard walked up and wrapped his arms around her.

“You’re so beautiful, Vivian,” he said, kissing her lips.

Leonard looked obsessed with her in a way he had never been with me. I looked away, tasting the bitterness of his words as they echoed in my ears.

“It’s just another day,” I whispered to myself. “Keep your head down and you’ll be fine.”

But it didn’t feel like just another day. The air was heavy, charged. I allowed a tiny flicker of hope to rise inside me, the hope that maybe tonight I could make things right.

I went back to my room and stood before the mountain of clothes piled on my bed. Not only that, but I checked the time; there were no notifications on my phone, no call from the agency confirming the escort’s arrival. Likewise, I doubted he would even show up. After all, the man had seemed reluctant about going out with me.

Suddenly, the door opened, snapping me out of my thoughts. I tried to tidy the mess in my room, but it was too late. The dean’s gaze swept over me. It was the first time I had seen him since the photo scandal. I thought he would punish me, but things had remained the same. He did nothing to hold those who had humiliated me accountable.

“Miss Roberta Arantes,” his eyes lingered on the mess, but he said nothing about it. “I have deleted the photos of you in that compromising situation from the university’s website. Your father is furious.”

He turned to meet my eyes. There was no sympathy on his face, no trace of kindness in delivering this news. I was shocked to hear him mention my father at all. Heitor Arantes, a man too busy traveling the world for business, always seemed to find everything else more important than me. He never attended a single college event; he always sent one of his employees to represent him. The idea of him showing up here to defend his daughter from humiliation was laughable.

“But you won’t go unpunished,” the dean continued. “Spreading those photos was a serious offense.”

“I wasn’t the one who spread them.”

“I would rather not hear your excuses.” He raised his hand in front of him, silencing me. “Vivian was generous enough to beg me to allow your presence at her engagement party tonight. I’m here to tell you that you may go.”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. How generous of Vivian to do me such a favor.

Everyone around me still expected me to be punished more harshly than I had already been. That explained everything. No one on campus cared about my pain or my ruined reputation. I knew my tormentors would never face consequences.

A second later, he left my room.

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears streamed down my face. I wondered when this nightmare would end. Not only that, but I could run from everyone, but I couldn’t run from the consequences. So I ran a hand through my messy hair, wiped my tears, and prepared myself for the night ahead.

It was almost time for the party. Excited voices filled the hallways. Everyone was leaving, and I waited for them to go so I could slip out unnoticed.

Twenty minutes later, I unlocked my door and timidly stepped outside. I checked the time. My escort was late.

“What’s wrong, Roberta? Your rich boyfriend didn’t show up?” Vivian’s voice startled me the moment I stepped past the campus gates. She was still waiting; they all were.

I swallowed hard, fighting back another wave of tears.

My cheeks burned. Everyone was staring at me again. I looked around; no sign of that man. I felt like an idiot for spending all my savings just to be abandoned again.

Vivian laughed, her voice sharp and cruel. It made my stomach twist.

“I told you Roberta had lost her mind. There is no rich boyfriend,” she said, turning as her sparkling dress caught the light of dawn. “Let’s go, the show’s over.”

I opened my mouth to protest, to say something—anything—when a loud engine roared nearby, cutting me off. A convertible sped toward us, tires screeching as it halted in front of the group. Vivian froze, staring as the scene unfolded.

He stepped out of the car, dressed in a navy-blue suit. His hair was slicked back, and his gray eyes landed on me.

As he walked closer, a strange warmth spread through my body. From a distance, I saw the shock and fury in Vivian’s eyes as the man reached for my hand and pulled me close.

“Hi, sweetheart,” the words rolled smoothly from his lips. “Tell me where I should take you.”