“I have nothing to say to you,” I muttered, stepping around him and striding off.


    ‘What does Edward even want to talk about? Does he just want to hear me say, to his face, <b>that </b><b>I </b>must’ve been blind to choose Ryan?‘ I thought.


    I don’t owe it to him to feed his sad little ego.


    I hurried to the restaurant, and Isabelle had already taken care of the ordering. But she wasn’t sitting alone.


    Next to her sat a girl with a refined, elegant beauty.


    There was a quiet pride about her, along with an effortless grace that spoke of a privileged upbringing.


    Only someone raised in an elite family could have that gentle, polished, and slightly aloof vibe.


    “Victoria, you finally made it! Was traffic bad? It’s always a nightmare around here,” Isabelle greeted me with a bright smile.


    I nodded. “Yeah, traffic was pretty rough.”


    Isabelle looked a bit embarrassed for a second, then got all formal. “This is my friend, Fiona Chambein. She’s a future judge.”


    Hearing that, I thought, ‘Wow, she’s kind of a big deal too.‘


    Fiona gave me a polite nod. “Hello, Ms. Murphy. Nice to meet you.”


    I actually had my wits about me tonight. Just from the look in Miss Chambein’s eyes, I could already guess who she really was.


    She had to be Ryan’s fiancée–the one he was set to marry.


    From the way she acted, she seemed even more eager than Ryan to meet me, probably wanting to see what kind ofpetition she was up against.


    Honestly, there was no point inparing us. I knew I couldn’tpete with her–if I could, Ryan wouldn’t be marrying her in the first ce.


    I knew exactly what was going on, but I just pretended not to notice.


    Isabelle was basically just being used by Fiona as a tool. She was extra nice to me the whole time,


    almost like she was trying to get on my good side.


    Fiona remainedposed at first. The three of us chatted about all the usual things women talk about–gossip, clothes, handbags, and style. When the topic turned to fashion, I joined in confidently, keeping the conversation lively.


    Halfway through the meal, Fiona, still impulsive with youth, couldn’t hold back anymore. She fixed her gaze on me and said, “Ms. Murphy, aren’t you curious why I wanted to meet you?”


    Isabelle’s hand shook as she held her fork, and she gave me a sheepish, apologetic look.


    I set my fork down, took a calm sip of tea, and asked with cool curiosity, “Oh? You came here just for me?”


    Fiona nodded, biting her lip. “The Chambein and Jennings families are arranging a marriage between me and Ryan. And soon, I might be his wife.”


    The air froze.


    Isabelle nced between Fiona and me, looking like she wanted to say something, but thought better


    of it.


    “Ms. Murphy, from now on, please cut off all contact with Ryan. It’s better for everyone,” Fiona said, her voice making it sound like an order.


    I knew it was my cue to bow out.


    But what I didn’t expect was for his future wife to barge in and say it herself, instead of hearing it


    straight from Ryan.


    “Victoria, I’m sorry, I…” Isabelle looked at me, her eyes full of guilt.


    Fiona turned <i>to </i>Isabelle and said, “Isabelle, I’m sorry, but thanks for letting me talk to her this.”


    Isabelle was caught in the middle, looking super ufortable.


    “Ms. Murphy, if you have any requests, just let me know. As long as it’s within my power…” Fiona began.


    “No need!” I cut her off, my voice calm but firm. “I was in a rtionship, not a business deal. There are no conditions to negotiate.”


    Fiona froze, and Isabelle looked at me with surprise in her eyes.


    They were just girls in their early twenties, so it was no wonder they were both caught off guard by my


    response.


    I stood up, grabbed my bag, and said, “Thanks for the dinner, Isabelle. As for breaking <b>up </b>with <b>Ryan</b>, I’d rather hear it from him personally.”


    With that, I turned to leave. Fiona, clearly stung, shot to her feet and called after me, her voice trembling with humiliation, “You never should’ve gotten involved with him. If you two had never dated, none of this would be happening. This is all your fault.”


    I paused mid–step, turned around, and looked her straight in the eye. “Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about. When I was with Ryan, I’d never even heard your name. So tell me–what exactly did I do wrong?”


    Fiona’s eyes filled with angry tears, but she couldn’t get a single word out.


    Isabelle quickly jumped in to smooth things over. “Come on, Fiona. I can vouch for Victoria–she never tried to seduce Ryan. He was the one who made all the moves. Don’t me her.”


    “Not knowing where you stand–that’s your biggest mistake,” Fiona shot back, her anger boiling over as she spat out something even harsher.


    I let out a coldugh. “Yeah, not everyone’s born a princess in some fancy family. But I pay my taxes and I’ve got every right to live my life just like anyone else.”


    Fiona was stunned, realizing I was calling her out for acting all high and mighty.


    Isabelle hadn’t expected me to be so blunt–she was momentarily stunned, then said, “Victoria, you should head home. Stay safe on your way.”


    I stormed out of the restaurant, but it wasn’t until I was outside that the suffocating frustration really


    hit me.


    It felt like I was the homewrecker here, the one sneaking around in the shadows.


    ‘Screw this, I’m not taking any of their crap,‘ I told myself.


    I yanked my mask on, still fuming, and stomped off toward the parking lot.


    When I got there, seeing Edward’s car still parked out front caught me off guard.


    He saw meing, stepped out, and just leaned against his car, eyes fixed on me.


    In the chill of the night, the dim glow fell over him, his tall figure standing there like some untouchable deity.


    There was no dodging him, no escaping.