Chapter 5

Drisana

Carter stormed in holding a massive bouquet of lilies, smiling as if he had just won the jackpot. Charlotte hurried after him, looking flustered.

“Miss Varma, I tried to stop him—”

He ignored her completely, eyes locked on me.

“Dri, baby,” he said, stepping closer. “I brought these for you. I know things have been rough lately, but we can fix this.”

I remained seated at the head of the table, staring at him. “Get out.”

He laughed like I’d told a joke. “Come on, babe. Sloane’s scandal is everywhere. Crazy how fast she got exposed, right? I always knew something was off about her. The way she kept throwing herself at me, seducing me every chance she got.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You mean the way you were fucking her behind my back yesterday?”

His smile faltered. “That was a mistake, Dri. You know it. She came on to me. You know how she is.”

I stood up slowly. “I know exactly how she is. And I know exactly how you are. Get the hell out of my building.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice like we were sharing a secret. “Let’s put everything behind us. Start over. I’ll treat you better this time. I promise.”

He pushed the flowers toward me. I stared at them, then back at his face.

Unbelievable.

We'd been engaged for eight months, and he didn't even know my favorite flowers. Yet some random stranger had sent me a massive basket of dahlias. A complete psychopath knew more about me than my own fiancé.

I let out a laugh.

"Fuck this," I said. "And fuck you."

I shoved the bouquet back toward him. "You can keep your promises." I took a step back. "I'm done."

I walked past him without another glance. Charlotte moved out of my way, eyes wide.

I headed straight for the front entrance. The reporters were already waiting like vultures. Cameras flashed the second I stepped outside. Microphones were pushed toward my face.

“Miss Varma! What do you have to say about Sloane’s scandal?”

I stopped on the steps, letting them settle. My hands stayed steady at my sides. I looked straight into the nearest camera.

“Sloane has always had a thing for married men,” I said, voice calm and clear. “As her friend, I tried to advise her. I covered for her more times than I should have. This time… it was out of my hands.”

A reporter shouted, “Are you saying you knew about her behavior?”

“I take responsibility for staying quiet too long,” I continued. “That’s why my company is suffering now. But we will rebuild. Stronger. As part of that, Veda Beauty will sponsor five fashion major students and offer them a full year of paid internship.”

The questions kept coming, but I kept my expression neutral.

Then suddenly chaos broke.

Sloane pushed through the crowd, eyes wild, hair messy. She charged straight at me.

“You bitch!” she screamed, swinging at me. “You ruined my life!”

Security and Carter grabbed her before she could reach me. She fought them, kicking and screaming.

“You took everything from me!” she yelled, tears streaming down her face. “All the companies I worked with dropped me! My family won’t even answer my calls! You did this!”

I stood still, watching her.

She kept screaming, voice cracking. “I didn’t want to sleep with Carter! I had to! He—”

Carter cut her off. “She’s lying! She drugged me!”

“For God’s sake,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"You fucking womanizer!"

She yanked off a shoe and threw it at him. Then she turned toward the cameras.

"Do you know he's been sleeping around with other women even though we're engaged?"

She pointed a finger in my direction and kept going.

"She knew about it. All of it. She covered for him and barely blinked an eye. But now, because it's me—" She hit a hand against her chest.

"—Now you suddenly care. Now you give a flying fuck and want to end your engagement because I'm the one fucking your fiancé."

I couldn't care less about most of the nonsense she was spouting. Except for one part.

I had to.

I took a step forward. Security immediately moved between us, one of them raising a hand to keep me back.

"What do you mean you had to?" I demanded.

My eyes narrowed. "Why are you talking like you were forced into it?"

Sloane’s face changed. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. She looked around wildly, like she was about to be hit by something.

The police sirens grew louder. Moments later, two officers pushed through the crowd and grabbed her by the arms.

“Miss Jacob, you are under arrest for money laundering.”

She froze. One of the officers pulled her hands behind her back and clicked a pair of handcuffs around her wrists.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.”

“No—wait—”

Ignoring her protests, they dragged her toward the car. Sloane suddenly twisted back and screamed at the top of her lungs:

“Drisana paid someone to take those photos! She set me up because I slept with Carter! Ask her why she’s been secretly meeting a man behind everyone’s back!”

The crowd exploded. Microphones shoved toward my face. My stomach dropped as dozens of cameras flashed. They weren’t just looking at Sloane anymore.

"She's right," I said, keeping my voice steady.

The crowd gasped. I looked directly into the camera and smiled.

"I've been secretly meeting with a man behind everyone’s back."

The camera flashes intensified, nearly blinding me.