The ballroom doors swung open, and the noise of the gala hit them like a physical wave.
Hart Matthew offered his arm to Eunice. His face was a mask of perfect, untouchable indifference.
"Chin up, future Mrs. Matthew," he murmured, his voice low and devoid of the warmth he used to show her. "The world is watching. Do not let them see you bleed."
Eunice swallowed the lump in her throat. She hated him right now. She hated his manipulation, his secrets, and his cold "business" logic. But she took his arm. She didn't have a choice. She pasted a dazzling, hollow smile on her face and walked into the lion's den.
The crowd parted for them like the Red Sea. Whispers followed them. "That's her." "The secret fiancé." "She's pregnant? With twins?"
They had almost reached the center of the room when a shriek pierced the air.
"YOU LIAR!"
Vanessa had recovered. She was standing near the champagne fountain, her white dress stained with dirt from her faint, her hair wild. Her "perfect lady" mask was completely gone, replaced by the ugly face of a woman who had lost everything.
She stormed toward them, her eyes manic. Security guards stepped forward, but Vanessa shoved past them, pointing a trembling finger at Eunice.
"He is lying!" Vanessa screamed, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. The music stopped abruptly. "She isn't a fiancé! She's a whore! A nobody! She seduced him for money! Look at her! She's nothing but a cheap, pregnant gold digger who trapped him!"
The room gasped. It was a vulgar, desperate accusation.
Eunice flinched, instinctively stepping back. But Hart didn't move. He didn't even blink. He simply stopped walking and turned his cold, dead gaze toward Vanessa.
"Are you finished?" Hart asked. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a terrifying weight that silenced the room instantly.
"No, I am not finished!" Vanessa sobbed, hysterical. " everyone knows we were supposed to be married! My grandmother promised! You promised! And you throw me away for this? For a charity case?"
Hart released Eunice's arm and took a single step toward Vanessa. The air temperature seemed to drop to sub-zero.
"Let us be clear about one thing, Vanessa," Hart said, his voice projecting clearly to every reporter and billionaire in the room. "I never promised you anything. You and my grandmother invented a fairytale to save your family's reputation."
He pulled a folded piece of paper from his tuxedo pocket—Hart always came prepared—and held it up.
"You speak of 'gold diggers'," Hart continued, his tone cutting like a razor. "Yet, isn't it true that your father's company, V-Corp, filed for bankruptcy secretly this morning? And that your 'marriage' to me was the only collateral the bank would accept to stop the seizure of your assets?"
Vanessa froze. Her face went deathly pale.
"Hart... don't..." she whispered.
"You weren't here for love, Vanessa," Hart announced ruthlessly. "You were here for a bailout. And you thought insulting the mother of my children would secure your position?"
He tore the paper in half and let the pieces flutter to the floor.
"Security," Hart barked. "Remove Miss Vanessa. She is trespassing."
Two burly guards grabbed Vanessa by the arms. She didn't scream this time. She looked broken, exposed, and utterly destroyed. As they dragged her out, kicking and sobbing, the elite of the city watched in silence. Her social life was over. No one would associate with a bankrupt liar who had attacked the Matthew heir.
Hart turned back to Eunice. He offered his arm again, as if nothing had happened.
"Shall we dance, my love?" he asked loudly enough for the cameras to hear.
Eunice looked at him. She saw the ruthlessness. She saw how easily he destroyed people who crossed him. And she realized with a shiver that she was now bound to the most dangerous man in the city.
"Yes, darling," she whispered, taking his arm.
As he swept her onto the dance floor, pulling her body flush against his, he leaned down and whispered in her ear—a secret meant only for her.
"I told you," Hart murmured, his hand resting possessively over her womb. "No one touches you. No one."