Ashley noticed Claire's sudden stillness and followed her friend's frozen gaze across the street. "What's wrong? Claire, what are you staring at?"Claire's perfectly manicured finger pointed across the street, her expression twisting into something between shock and vindictive satisfaction. "That's him. That's Caden—Vivian's pathetic husband."Ashley squinted in the fading light, finally spotting the two figures walking along the sidewalk. Her face immediately contorted with disgust, her lip curling as if she'd encountered something foul."Ugh, seriously? That's the famous nobody everyone's been talking about?" Ashley's voice dripped with disdain. "He looks even more ordinary than I imagined. Like someone who'd get lost in a crowd and no one would even notice he was missing."She'd never actually met Caden, never interacted with him at all, but that didn't matter. Claire was her friend, and if Claire said he was worthless trash, then that's exactly what he was. Besides, just looking a

William Mills's expression darkened considerably as he stared at the two women who had so rudely interrupted his business discussion. His eyes, sharp and assessing from decades of dealing with all manner of people in the cutthroat world of real estate, fixed on Claire and Ashley with barely concealed irritation.Jennifer Hayes stood frozen beside him, her mouth slightly open in shock at the spectacle unfolding before her. She'd managed high-end properties for years and had seen her share of drama, but this was something else entirely—a public accusation of infidelity and fraud right at the entrance of her establishment.Mills's frown deepened, the lines around his mouth becoming more pronounced. "What exactly do you want?" His voice was cold and clipped, carrying the authority of a man who didn't tolerate his time being wasted. "And who are you to interrupt a private business meeting?"Ashley felt her heart leap at having William Mills's direct attention. She could barely contain her

Claire and Ashley stood frozen, their minds struggling to process William Mills's unexpected laughter. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He was supposed to be grateful, appreciative of their intervention. Instead, he was laughing at them?"I... I don't understand," Claire stammered, her earlier confidence crumbling. "Why are you laughing, Mr. Mills?"Ashley's brain worked frantically, trying to make sense of the situation. Maybe Mills had finally seen through Caden's facade? Maybe the laughter was directed at how ridiculous Caden's lies had been? That had to be it.A smile slowly spread across Ashley's face as she convinced herself she'd figured it out. She took a deliberate step closer to William Mills, her posture shifting into something more flirtatious. Her eyelashes fluttered as she tilted her head, her voice dropping to what she clearly thought was an appealing tone."Mr. Mills," she purred, "I'm so glad we could help you see the truth about this fraud. Will there be..

Claire twisted against the security guard's grip, her desperation mounting with each passing second. "Mr. Mills, please! You have to listen to us! We're telling you the truth!"Ashley struggled as well, her earlier flirtation completely forgotten in the face of imminent humiliation. "This is all a misunderstanding! If you would just let us explain—""There's nothing to explain," Mills said, his voice cold and dismissive. "You've made your spectacle. Now face the consequences."Claire's mind raced frantically. There had to be a way to prove their point, to make Mills see reason. Then it hit her—Vivian! If she called her cousin, Vivian could confirm everything they'd said about Caden being a penniless nobody."Wait!" Claire yanked one arm free from the guard's loosened grip and fumbled for her phone. "I can prove it! I'll call Vivian right now—she'll tell you exactly what kind of man Caden is!"Her fingers flew across the screen, finding Vivian's number in her favorites. She pressed cal

Claire's mocking laughter grew louder as the security guards continued to pull them away. "Look at her face! She's so embarrassed because we exposed her pathetic crush!"Ashley joined in, her voice dripping with cruel amusement. "Honestly, Ms. Hayes, you should have higher standards. Going after a penniless fraud just because he has a decent jawline? That's the kind of desperation that makes all women look bad!""You're blind!" Claire shouted back toward Jennifer, her voice carrying across the street. "Completely blind and utterly delusional! And your taste in men is absolutely abysmal!""Maybe she's just that lonely," Ashley added with mock sympathy. "Poor thing probably hasn't had a date in months—years maybe—so when any man shows up, she loses all sense of reality and judgment!"Jennifer Hayes's face flushed a deep crimson, her body beginning to tremble—not with embarrassment now, but with pure, incandescent fury. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her perfectly manicured