Chapter 4

"Hands off her!" one of her goons bellowed, his boot slamming into my ribs with a force that knocked the air from my lungs.

Others swarmed, pummeling me with fists and feet until I collapsed, my body screaming in pain.

Morgan, coughing from my grip, wasn't done. "Nobody has ever dared lay a finger on me. You'll pay for that."

She grabbed a microphone stand from the stage and smashed it into my side. The pain was blinding, but I bit my tongue, refusing to cry out.

My eyes locked onto her, my voice low and deadly. "You'll regret this!"

"Still mouthing off?" she snarled, swinging the stand again and again.

As I teetered on the edge of consciousness, a shout cut through the chaos. "Mr. Griffin's here!"

The room froze, the blows halting mid-air. The crowd parted, their eyes turning to the entrance.

Morgan's smug mask melted into fake tears. Clutching her neck, she ran to Nick, sobbing like a damsel in a bad movie. "You're finally here, Nick! I was so scared!"

She threw herself into his arms and shivered. Nick held her tightly, his face stormy but his voice soft. "Don't worry, babe. I've got you."

Those words, once meant for me, now pierced my heart. Nick had been the perfect boyfriend. He was attentive, kind, and successful, partly thanks to my family's support.

Whenever I needed him, he'd drop everything and rush to my side. He'd hold me and whisper, "Don't worry, babe. I've got you."

Now the same words were for Morgan, the irony excruciating. Love, it seemed, could be faked.

After comforting her, he demanded, "What happened?"

"It's those haters I told you about," Morgan sniffled. "They accused me of selling fakes, refused to pay up, and caused a scene, ruining our business. The sick one faked an illness to scam us, then actually died. The other one went crazy and tried to kill me."

She wiped her fake tears and added, "Look at my neck. If it weren't for the team, you'd have lost me."

She shifted all the blame onto Benedetta and me.

Her team backed her up. "Yeah, that's what happened. These two came to cause trouble. Mr. Griffin, you've got to stand up for Morgan. Or anyone will think they can mess with her."

They called us unreasonable, claiming we deserved what happened.

Nick's face darkened. "Where are they? Show me."

Morgan dragged him through the crowd, pointing at Benedetta's lifeless body and me. "It's these two lowlifes."