2: A Girlfriend In Distress

**Zinnia's POV**

“She’s my fiancée.”

I couldn’t hear anything else. The sound of my heart shattering rang in my ears, making me stagger.

“What do you mean?” My voice trembled. “What the hell do you mean, Chris?!”

She gave me a confused look, her gaze shifting between me and Chris. When the silence stretched too long, she leaned closer to him, her hand pressing against his chest.

Her ring glowed bright showing her expensive it was.

“He’s my fiancée.”

My eyes stung, my throat painfully dry. “Fiancée?... Your fiancée!” My voice rose the second time as anger racked through me. “You said you loved me, Chris—you promised we’d be together. Then why…?”

It all made sense now.

The reason he’d been distant for the past three months.

The reason he barely responded to my texts.

The reason he couldn’t even come to pick me up from the airport…

It was her.

A sharp pain tore through my chest as I watched my world—my heart—crumble to pieces.

Chris pulled away from her and took my hand in his. I yanked it free. “Get your filthy hands off me.”

“Please. Come with me.” I tried to look away. His grip burned around my wrist, but he didn’t let go.

His hold—firm, yet gentle.

He turned to the others with a smile. “We’ll be right back.” He tugged me forward.

This time, I let him.

He led me to a secluded corner in the villa, and I immediately yanked my hand away. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

He leaned closer. “Can you please give me a chance to explain?” His voice was soft in that way that always made me fold—and I hated that he still had that effect on me.

“Then explain.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”

“That you’re cheating on me? That you’re engaged to someone else?”

“It’s not what you think.” His voice lowered. “All this—” he gestured to our surroundings, “—it’s all fake.”

My brows creased. “Fake?”

“It’s my parents.” He released another sigh. “They made a deal that when we came of age, we would get married.”

At first, I didn’t react.

Then a laugh slipped past my lips—dry and mirthless. “And you expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t expect you to believe me.” He lowered his gaze, his shoulders sagging like he was carrying the weight of the world. “But I do expect you to trust me. Or don’t you trust me anymore?”

“How do you expect me to trust you when you couldn’t even trust me enough to tell me this?!” My voice cracked. “Imagine how I felt walking through those gates, expecting to run into my boyfriend’s arms but instead, I saw someone else with him. And now you’re telling me it’s fake?”

I was overwhelmed as my mind tried to piece everything together.

It did make sense.

He was the son of a billionaire—arrangements like this weren’t impossible.

But still… I couldn’t shake the feeling clawing at my chest.

That he was lying.

And I knew it was wrong.

Because Chris would never lie to me.

“Do you think it’s easy for me?” he breathed. “Keeping this from you? But I couldn’t—because I love you. And I don’t want to hurt you.”

Those three words hit me like a brick.

I love you.

He said them so easily.

So convincingly.

And every time he said them… I fell.

My resolve crumbled, piece by piece.

“Then why can’t you end it? End all of this. Let’s just leave together.”

He faced me in a way that made me feel selfish. My heart squeezed.

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?”

“If I do… I’ll lose everything.” He stepped closer, taking my hand in his. This time, I couldn’t pull away. “Can’t you do this for me? Just this once?” His grip loosened slightly. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

I immediately clasped his hand. “I love you…” so much it hurt.

His fingers brushed my cheek, wiping away a tear. “Then please, do this for me.”

“What about her?”

“Who?”

“Your fiancée. Does she know about me? About us?”

“No one can know about us,” he replied quickly, pulling his hand away. “Not now.”

So I was going to remain the secret.

“But don’t worry,” he added quickly. “I’ll fix everything soon. Just… please don’t leave me.”

My eyes shut, the heel of my palm pressing against them.

All the anger and resolve inside me had turned to ash, replaced by a storm of thoughts.

I should end this.

Right here.

Right now.

But I couldn’t.

Because a part of me—small but stubborn—wanted to believe him.

Wanted to believe he loved me.

And another part of me was terrified… that he might fall for her instead and cast me aside.

A shaky breath left my lips.

What should I do?

“Do you promise you’ll go on dates with me every week? And you won’t spend nights with her?”

“I can’t do that, Zee. There are too many eyes on us now—especially after the scene you caused earlier. We’ll have to keep things low for now. But after a few weeks, we’ll be able to spend as much time together as you want.”

He was right.

People were probably watching us now.

Hesitation lingered in my bones before I finally spoke.

“Fine.”

His eyes lit up. “Thank you! Thank you so much, Zee!”

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a warm, familiar embrace. I buried my face in his neck, hugging him back.

But the moment shattered at the sound of footsteps.

“Chris!”

The woman from earlier approached, and he pulled away quickly, straightening.

His expression shifted—from the soft, comforting Chris I knew… to the charming, polished version the world saw.

“Lara.”

“Is everything okay here?” She turned to me. “I hope you’re feeling better now.”

Comforting.

But something in her tone made me sound unstable.

Maybe I was.

“Yes… I’m fine now.”

Chris reached out, ruffling my hair slightly. “She’s just a bit dramatic and exhausted.”

“She looked like a girlfriend in distress. I wouldn’t call that dramatic.” A baritone voice slid in from behind us.

I turned, tracing the sound—only to find that dark, intimidating man from earlier.

I felt Chris stiffen beside me. His fists tightened.

“Brother.”

His lips curled into a smile as he extended a gift toward Chris.

“Happy engagement, brother.”