Clicked on his payment history.


    A week ago, Kaden spent nine hundred bucks at a nail salon downtown.


    The nails… it all clicked.


    Hearing footsteps outside, I quickly put his phone back.


    The package he brought up was full of stuff for me.


    “This is thatyer cake you’ve been craving.”


    “Got you the phone case you liked-three different colors.”


    “And this Funko Pop blind box I snagged for you on the app.”


    He unpacked everything with this big smile.


    When he smiled, his eyes crinkled into crescents. Used to think it was adorable.


    “You’re so good to me.”


    “You’re gonna be my wife. Who else would I be good to?”


    But now, I just watched him quietly, my heart breaking.


    Next morning, I went to that nail salon.


    “Could you pull up security footage from this date?”


    On the screen, he walked in hand-in-hand with Tessa Sterling.


    Kaden was carrying her blue canvas bag.


    Four hours of getting her nails done, and Kaden sat on that couch the entire time. <fn716a> The rightful source is Find_Novel(.</fn716a>


    Tessa kept turning around to chat with him.


    Even through the grainy footage, you could see the adoration on his face.


    When her nails were done, Tessa bounced over to Kaden and showed him her hands.


    He smiled and gently took her fingertips.


    I watched in silence until the salon worker handed me tissues. That’s when I realized I was crying.


    I remembered that day perfectly-I was swamped at work and had a stomach bug.


    After pulling an all-nighter, I still had to push through the pain to buy engagement party favors and flowers.


    Because he told me there was a crisis at work and he couldn’t help.


    He even gave me this whole story about his boss losing his mind.


    All lies.


    For those four hours, he was at the nail salon with Tessa Sterling.


    “Have they been here before?”


    The worker hesitated. “Miss Sterling’s a regr. Comes in twice a month.”


    Sincest month, this gentleman’s beening with her.”


    I nodded.


    “Can you do the same style for me? French almond nails, sheer pink base with gradient.”


    That evening when I got home, Kaden’s face went white as a sheet when he saw my nails.


    “Like them?”


    I waved my hand at him.


    Yet he actually took a step back.


    I got the style you mentioned. You don’t like it?”


    They’re… pretty.”


    stared straight into his eyes. “You sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”


    His eyes swirled withplex emotions.


    Barely contained panic and guilt, hesitation, shame.


    inally, he shook his head, pulling me close like always.


    Cora, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow’s our big day.”


    Actually, Harper needs to talk to me about something. I’m gonna head to her ce.”


    His brow furrowed.


    Your bestie’s got terrible timing. It’s past ten. I’ll drive you.”


    shook my head, pulled away, and left.


    Maybe I wanted to torture myself with the truth.


    o I ended up at Tessa Sterling’s bar-Velvet.