Chapter 2

Zac instinctively brushed off the woman’s hand from his arm. She stiffened, momentarily caught off guard.

Charlotte met his gaze, a half-smile playing on her lips. “Quinn and I are friends too. Is it so strange that I’d be at her birthday party?”

Zac hesitated. “No, I just thought you didn’t like these kinds of parties, so I didn’t mention it to you.”

Charlotte scoffed inwardly. “Oh? Was it really because I don’t like parties? Or did you just not tell me because you planned to bring someone else instead?”

After offering his explanation, Zac scanned the room. His gaze was cold and piercing, as if saying “Who invited her?”

Quinn, avoiding eye contact, guiltily turned away and pretended she had nothing to do with it.

Just then, the woman Zac had arrived with stepped forward, smiling. “Hi, you must be Charlotte Riley. I’m Wendy Cooper. I’m sure Zac has mentioned me before?”

Oh.

So this was Wendy Cooper—Zac’s first love, the one he could never forget.

A dull ache settled in Charlotte’s chest, making it hard to breathe.

Three years of dating.

No matter how much she tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, feelings couldn’t just disappear overnight.

But she hid it well.

With a composed smile, she nodded politely. “Miss Cooper, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Wendy’s lips curled into a bright, seemingly innocent smile. “Miss Riley, has anyone ever told you that we look alike?”

The second those words left her mouth, Zac’s expression darkened.

Charlotte let out a small laugh and gave him a brief, amused glance before shifting her gaze to Wendy, whose eyes held a hint of provocation.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Her wide, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with feigned innocence as she tilted her head, her voice sweet and airy.

“I don’t see it.”

Then she smiled—soft, yet merciless.

“You’re not as pretty as me.”

The room went dead silent.

The onlookers, who had been quietly enjoying the drama, were stunned.

Wasn’t Charlotte always the gentle, well-mannered type?

Since when did she start throwing shade?

Sensing the tension in the air, Quinn quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. “Come on, everyone, don’t just stand around. Grab a seat!”

Wendy forced a smile, clearly irritated but unwilling to show it. She turned to Quinn and handed her a beautifully wrapped gift. “Happy birthday, Quinn. This is for you.”

Quinn took the bag, and the moment she saw it, her brows lifted in surprise.

“Wait… isn’t this the same gift bag Charlotte just gave me?” she muttered to herself.

Curious, she opened it and pulled out a jewelry box.

Her eyes lit up. “Wow! I’ve had my eye on this necklace for ages. Thank you, Wendy!”

Charlotte’s gaze flickered.

The same necklace?

Before she could react, Quinn grabbed the bag Charlotte had given her earlier and opened it too.

“Oh my God! Charlotte, you got me the exact same necklace!”

The excitement was short-lived.

A voice from behind Quinn snorted.

“Fake, obviously.”

Without even looking, she sneered, “That necklace costs over ten grand. Charlotte’s just a small-time lawyer. How much does she even make a month? Do you really think she could afford the real thing?”

The moment those words fell, the room went dead silent.

All at once, every gaze shifted to Charlotte—curious, skeptical, amused.

It was obvious.

They all believed it.

After all, she was just an insignificant, no-name lawyer. Why would she spend that kind of money on a real luxury necklace for Quinn?

Zac’s expression darkened, clearly displeased. “Charlotte, if you’re short on money, just tell me. I could’ve gotten the gift for you. There was no need to…”

No need to buy a fake one.

He didn’t say the words out loud.

But everyone in the room heard them anyway.

Charlotte’s expression remained calm, but her gaze turned cold. “Zac, you think I gave her a fake necklace too?”

Zac didn’t answer.

His silence said everything.

He didn’t believe her.

Quinn let out an awkward laugh, trying to smooth things over. “Come on, guys, that’s not possible. Charlotte and I are close. There’s no way she’d give me a fake necklace. Don’t say things like that, it’s really hurtful.”

Her words were meant to defend Charlotte, but the subtle look of disdain in her eyes didn’t escape her notice.

Charlotte’s heart sank.

She had spent over ten grand on this necklace as a token of gratitude for the small kindness Quinn had once shown her.

Three years ago, Charlotte had run away to Harbor City to escape her arranged marriage, cutting ties with her family.

Her father, Desmond Riley, had retaliated by freezing her bank accounts, cutting off her finances completely.

Determined to stand on her own, she refused to use her family's name or connections and managed to land a job at a law firm entirely on her own merit.

In her first year as a junior associate, she barely made $800 a month. Even after passing the bar a year later, her salary wasn’t much—at least, not in the eyes of the rich heirs and heiresses in Zac’s social circle.

To them, she was nothing but a nobody, an outsider.

Every time they went out, they sidelined her, excluded her, sometimes outright mocking her.

Zac never interfered. He simply turned a blind eye.

But Quinn had stepped in. She had defended her a few times, chatted with her when no one else would.

Charlotte had naively believed Quinn was different.

But now? She could see it clearly.

She had never truly belonged in their world.

And she never would.

How ridiculous.

That very night, after Charlotte had agreed to the engagement, Desmond reactivated her bank accounts.

Now, ten grand meant nothing to her—no more than spare change.

Zac finally spoke, his voice cool and authoritative. “Give me the necklace. I’ll make sure Charlotte replaces it with a proper gift.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she looked at him coldly. “If he wants it, just give it to him.”

Quinn hesitated, caught in the middle.

If she refused, she would be going against Zac—which would be a bad look.

But if she handed over the necklace, it would mean she believed it was fake—publicly humiliating Charlotte.

And Charlotte was still Zac’s girlfriend. If anyone looked bad here, it was ultimately Zac himself.

Under his piercing gaze, Quinn had no choice but to hand over the necklace.

Just then, Wendy spoke up, her voice soft and gentle. “Zac, don’t blame Miss Riley. I’m sure she meant well.”

Zac remained silent, his face clouded with irritation.

Someone in the group quickly suggested a drinking game to break the tension. Wendy eagerly joined in, flashing her usual charming smile.

Charlotte, uninterested in the lively scene, quietly walked over to a sofa in the corner and sat down, scrolling through her phone.

A few moments later, Zac followed and sat beside her, his expression still cold.

Charlotte ignored him, keeping her eyes on her screen.

After a long pause, he finally spoke in a low, firm voice. “If you didn’t have the money, you could’ve just bought something cheaper. That would’ve been better than gifting a fake.”

Charlotte didn’t even look up. Her tone was calm, indifferent. “If you think it’s fake, give it back.”

Zac’s jaw tightened. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me?”

Charlotte shut her eyes, took a deep breath, then suddenly opened them.

She turned to look at him directly.

Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with quiet fury.

“Embarrassing for you? Exactly how did I embarrass you? The receipt’s in the bag. You couldn’t be bothered to check? Or do you need me to take you to the store so you can verify it with a sales associate?”

Zac stiffened.

For a moment, he just sat there, speechless.

Then, wordlessly, he reached for the gift bag and started searching for the receipt.

Zac’s expression finally eased as he looked at the receipt.

The necklace was real.

His tone softened. “Why didn’t you just say you had the receipt?”

Charlotte let out a cold laugh. “Didn’t feel like it.”

With that, she returned to her game, fingers tapping the screen as if he weren’t even there.

Zac sat in silence for a while before finally lowering his voice.

“Sorry. I misunderstood you today.”

Charlotte pretended not to hear him, fully focused on her game.

Zac didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t leave either.

His gaze, however, wasn’t on her.

It was on Wendy.

Charlotte finished her game and glanced up, only to catch him staring at Wendy.

Across the room, Wendy had just lost a round of the drinking game. Her friends cheered as they pushed another drink into her hands.

At first, Zac restrained himself.

But the moment she tipped back her third glass and reached for a fourth, his expression darkened.

Suddenly, he shot up from his seat, striding across the room.

Before Wendy could take another sip, Zac snatched the glass from her hand.

“Your stomach’s still weak, and you’re drinking this much? Wendy, do you have a death wish?”

The once lively room fell into a stunned silence.

Everyone turned to look at them.

Wendy, clearly irritated, met his angry gaze and sneered. “Why do you care?”

“You’re not drinking anymore.”

Zac swept a sharp, warning glance across the room. His voice was ice-cold. “I dare anyone to make her drink again.”

Nobody dared to meet his gaze.

Charlotte sat on the sofa, watching the ridiculous spectacle unfold before her, her lips curling into a mocking smirk.

Wendy suddenly got up, reaching for the glass Zac had taken from her.

Zac lifted it higher, keeping it out of her reach.

Determined, Wendy stood on her toes, stretching toward the drink.

She lost her balance.

With a startled gasp, she fell straight into Zac’s arms.

Zac instinctively caught her, his free hand tightening around her waist.

“Careful,” he murmured. “It’s been years, and you’re still just as clumsy.”

Wendy, her cheeks flushed from alcohol, leaned into his chest, tilting her head up at him with a playful pout.

“Zac, you’re so annoying.”

The crowd burst into cheers and teasing laughter.

Just as Zac was about to say something, he glanced up and unexpectedly met Charlotte’s ice-cold gaze.