Chapter 0222 âQuick,â I hissed to Viona, snapping my fingers. âGet your phone ready!â
Sputtering on her coffee, Viona fumbled with her phone and nearly dropped it in her haste. We both watched, wideâeyed, as Jake greeted Drake with a warm hug.
âHoly shit,â Viona whispered, snapping pictures furiously. âHeâs actually hugging him!â
I could barely believe what I was seeing. Jake sat down across from Drake, leaning in close as they began to talk. At one point, Jake reached out and touched Drakeâs hand, his fingers lingering there for a moment too long to be purely friendly.
âThis is insane,â I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Suddenly, Jakeâs head started to turn in our direction. I grabbed Vionaâs arm, yanking her down behind the plant.
âShit!â Viona hissed. âDo you think he saw us?â
We held our breath, hardly daring to move. After a few tense seconds, I risked a peek around the plant. Jake was back to focusing on Drake, seemingly oblivious to our presence.
âI think weâre okay,â I whispered, letting out a sigh of relief.
We stayed hidden for the rest of Jake and Drakeâs âdateâ, occasionally sneaking glances and more pictures. After about an hour, Jake finally stood up to leave. We watched as he gave Drake another hug, this one lasting even longer than the first.
As soon as Jake was out the door, Drake made his way over to our table, a triumphant grin on his face.
âWell,â he said, sliding into the seat next to me and ripping off his wig, âI guess I still got it.â
Viona and I were too stunned to respond at first. We were already huddled around her phone, scrolling through the pictures she had taken.
âI canât believe it,â Viona said, shaking her head. âItâs all here. The hugging, the hand touching... He even grabbed your ass during that last hug, Drake. Thereâs no way he can explain this away.â
I felt a mixture of emotions swirling in my chestâvindication, sadness for Amber, anger at Jake, gratefulness for Drake.
âWhat do we do now?â I asked, looking between Viona and Drake.
Vionaâs face hardened. âWe have to tell Amber. As soon as possible.â
âAre you sure?â I asked, hesitating. âMaybe we should wait, figure out the best way to break it to her...â
But Viona was already pulling out her phone. âNo. She needs to know before she makes the biggest mistake of her life.â
Before I could protest further, she was dialing Amberâs number. It rang twice before Amber picked up.
âHey, Vi!â Amberâs cheerful voice came through the speaker. âWhatâs up?â
Viona took a deep breath. âHey, Amber,â she said, keeping her tone cool despite the circumstances. âDo 1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 0223 was to trick him? To set him up?â
âWe knew you wouldnât believe us otherwise,â Viona explained. âWe had to get proof.â
âSo you played detective behind my back?â Amber snapped.
âWe did it because we love you,â I insisted. âWe couldnât stand by and watch you marry someone who isnât faithful to you.â
âWeâre sorry it has to be like this,â Viona added. âBut it was the only thing we could think of doing. And with the wedding coming up so soon, we were desperate.â
I nodded in agreement. âLook, we know that having Drake pose as this âTylerâ guy wasnât the best way to go about it. But we only did it because we care about you; and Jake took the bait almost immediately.â
âAnd this canât be the first time heâs hooked up with another guy,â Viona finished softly.
Amber was quiet for a long moment, staring down at the phone in her trembling hands. Viona and I exchanged nervous glances.
When she finally looked up, there were tears in her eyes. âI canât believe this is happening,â she whispered.
I moved to sit next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. âIâm so sorry, Amber. We never wanted to hurt you. We just wanted you to know the truth.â
Amber leaned into me, her body shaking with silent sobs. Viona came to sit on her other side, rubbing her back gently.
After a few minutes, though, Amber straightened up and wiped her eyes. âYouâre right,â she said, her voice a little stronger now.
âActually, Iâm glad you two did this. I... I need to talk to Jake.â
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