Chapter 4

Bella lowered her gaze and gave a quiet smile, masking the scorn and bitterness in her eyes.

"Uncle, I really don't love you anymore. You don't have to humiliate me like this."

With that, she turned and walked out of the villa, leaving Seth frozen where he stood.

She took a cab to campus—there were still documents left to fill out for the Caledon Volunteer Program. After submitting the last form, she stepped out of the office and suddenly felt countless eyes turning in her direction. There were murmurs, snickers, and unmistakable ridicule in the air.

"Oh my god, is that real? Rich people are wild."

"The more proper they look, the freakier they are in private."

"I've already got the novel title in mind—The Tycoon's Kept Canary."

Still clueless, Bella was pulled aside by a panicked dormmate.

"Bella, check the trending list—now!"

She took out her phone. Right at the top, a headline jumped out at her: [Rogen Heir's Forbidden Love Exposed!]

Her fingers trembled as she tapped the link. It opened to a blurred-out, suggestive video. The faces had been pixelated, but anyone who knew them could still tell.

It was her. And Seth.

She was pinned beneath him, moaning shamelessly, begging him for more.

Her eyes went bloodshot. Her fists clenched tightly.

"This video is fake. I never did anything like this."

"I believe you, Bella! That trending post—it's obviously bought. You have to find out who did this. They can't get away with it."

Without another word, Bella jumped in a cab and rushed back to the villa. She needed to talk to Seth to clear this up.

But just as she reached the stairs, she saw him standing there, blocking her path.

Before she could speak, his eyes—cold and sharp—cut through her.

"This is what you meant by 'you don't love me anymore'? You're a girl. Just to ruin my wedding with Faye, you'd throw away your own reputation? Have you no shame?"

Bella bit down hard on her lip. She wanted to respond, but no words came out. She hadn't expected him to think of her this way. Her heart dropped. Whatever strength she'd held onto vanished completely.

Seth mistook her silence for guilt. His lips curled into a cold smirk.

"If you think public pressure will force me to marry you, you're dreaming. I will marry no one but Faye."

The words had barely left his mouth when Faye, who had overheard everything, stepped forward.

Her voice was laced with disdain. "Bella, a woman should know how to respect herself, not degrade herself like this."

Bella opened her mouth to explain, but Faye suddenly gave her a hard shove.

Behind Bella, a staircase loomed—fifty steps tall.

In that same moment, Faye feigned a twist of her ankle and fell forward toward the stairs.

Seth didn't hesitate. He lunged and caught Faye's hand.

It wasn't until he heard the loud, thudding crash of a body falling down the stairs that he turned and saw Bella.

She lay crumpled on the steps, curled into herself in pain, hugging her knees. Silent, heavy tears streamed down her cheeks—as if crying could dull the agony burning through her.

Seth's eyes darkened. His chest tightened.

He dashed down the stairs.

"Bella! Are you okay? Talk to me. Are you hurt?"