Semua Bab Fake To Fall : Bab 41 - Bab 50

IvyI was scrolling through my feed, just trying to unwind after a long day of retreat prep and editing my notes, when it hit me.It was one of those “suggested” posts I usually ignored without a second glance. Influencers. Strangers. Random family photos. Nothing that ever mattered to me. But something about this one made my thumb freeze mid-scroll.A photo.Just a single photo.Yet it stopped me cold.There he was.Lake.Smiling that impossible, charming smile that always made my chest tighten and my knees go weak. His arm was draped around a little boy—no, not just around him, protectively around him, like that’s exactly where his arm belonged. The boy was maybe six or seven, with dark hair falling into his eyes and a grin that was so familiar it felt like a punch to the gut.My stomach lurched. My fingers went numb.I blinked, my vision blurring slightly, then focused again on the caption.“My little man, making me proud every day. #DadLife #FamilyFirst.”I didn’t remember the las

IvyI used to think the past was like an old photo album—something you could close, tuck away on a shelf, and only pull out when you felt nostalgic or brave enough to revisit. But I was wrong. The past doesn’t stay in albums. It lives in your bones. It shows up when you least expect it. In quiet moments. In loud ones. In love. In fear. In the cracks between who you were and who you’re trying so desperately to become.The night everything cracked open, I was standing alone on the balcony of Lake’s apartment, watching the city lights blur into soft gold smudges below. My phone was face-down on the table behind me, buzzing nonstop from messages I wasn’t ready to read. Social media. Blogs. Headlines. Rumors. Opinions from strangers who suddenly thought they knew everything about my life, my relationship, my heart.I didn’t move.The air was cold, biting through my sweater, but I welcomed it. Pain had a way of grounding me, reminding me I was still here. Still breathing. Still real. Everyt

IvyThe first message came from Tasha.I was still in bed, half-awake, half-exhausted, scrolling through my phone like a zombie when I saw her name pop up. Normally, seeing her name made me smile. Tasha was my person. My ride-or-die. The one who knew everything about me—my fears, my dreams, my worst mistakes, my best moments.But the message wasn’t what I expected.Tasha: Are you okay?I frowned.Me: Yeah. Why?Three dots appeared. Then disappeared. Then it appeared again.Tasha: I just… saw the news.My stomach dropped.I already knew what “the news” meant.Lake’s confession had gone viral overnight. His past, his mistakes, his growth, all laid bare for the world to dissect like vultures over a carcass. Some people praised his honesty. Others dragged him through the mud like he was some kind of criminal mastermind instead of a flawed human who’d grown.But I hadn’t expected this.Me: Yeah, I saw it too. We’re okay.There was a pause.Then:Tasha: I don’t know, Ivy. This is a lot

LakeThere’s a specific kind of silence that happens right before your life detonates.Not the peaceful kind.The deceptive kind.The kind where everything looks fine on the outside, but something underneath is ticking.That’s where I was the morning the ultimatum hit.I was in my kitchen, barefoot, staring at a cup of coffee I hadn’t touched. The city skyline stretched beyond the glass walls of my place, all clean lines and power and illusion. My phone buzzed on the counter.I already knew who it was before I looked.Sienna.Of course it was.I hadn’t answered her calls in weeks. Since the last “private conversation” she has tried to force it. Since the last time she implied she still had leverage over me.I stared at the phone.Buzz.Buzz.Buzz.Relentless.Finally, I picked it up.“Lake,” she said immediately, like she’d been holding her breath.“What do you want?” I asked.No greeting. No warmth. No pretending.A soft laugh came through the speaker. “You’ve always skipped the form

IvyThe city skyline glittered like a thousand scattered diamonds as I stepped out of the sleek black car. For a moment, I just stood there, staring up at the towering glass façade of the grand hotel, its windows glowing warm against the velvet night. The building didn’t just look expensive—it looked powerful. The kind of place where deals were made with smiles and destroyed with whispers.My heels clicked sharply against the marble steps as I ascended, each sound echoing louder in my chest than it did in the open air. I adjusted the strap of my dress—deep emerald silk that skimmed over my body like it had been poured there—and reminded myself to breathe.This wasn’t a runway.This wasn’t a competition.This was a gala.High-profile. Influential. Full of people who shaped narratives, controlled opportunities, and remembered everything.And of course, Lake was already inside.I caught sight of him the moment I passed through the revolving doors. He stood near the entrance to the ballro