The Truth

ANNA

A moment later, Chelsea fucking Marks appeared at the podium.

She was radiant, of course. Appearing like a Greek goddess in a fitted white gown cut nearly to her navel while her blonde hair circled her delicate face like the halo of an angel.

I fought the urge to march up the stage and claw her eyes out.

“Thank you all so much for coming,” she beamed. “We started this organization a few years ago in the hopes of helping the underprivileged youth in our community…”

Suddenly, Gavin appeared beside her. He wore a wide grin and waved as the crowd erupted in more applause. Chelsea swiveled her head to look up at him and clapped along with the rest.

I sat still as a statue, unable to move, and feeling like I was having an out-of-body experience.

“Here is the man of the hour!” she exclaimed. “I was so worried you wouldn’t make it!”

He threw his head back with an exaggerated laugh. “We both know you wouldn’t allow that.”

Chelsea snaked an arm around his waist and leaned into his side. “Not when everyone here is so looking forward to seeing your handsome face.”

The crowd chuckled. I blanched.

~Push her away~, I mentally urged him. ~Do anything.~

Instead, Gavin continued his speech as if nothing was amiss. He spoke about the importance of giving back and serving the most vulnerable. The entire time, Chelsea kept herself glued to his side while she stared at him as if completely mesmerized.

“…And that is why I hope you will all consider donating tonight. Thank you.”

“Wise words from our fearless leader!” Chelsea cheered. “Thank you, Gavin!”

She turned to whisper something in his ear. His entire persona shifted, his posture suddenly tense. A smile split her stupid face as he started to whisper something back to her.

With one last wave to the audience, he turned and strode down the stairs. Chelsea glanced awkwardly between where Gavin had disappeared and the crowd, seemingly weighing her options before she followed after him.

I gazed vacantly at the stage, feeling as though my world had just crumbled around me.

It was real. Every fear I’d had about the evening was coming to fruition, and with them, every meager hope I’d clung to died.

“Your fiancé gave an incredible speech,” the unfamiliar man said.

“Of course he did,” I murmured. “He’s Gavin Powell.”

The man chuckled, oblivious to my pain.

I couldn’t take it anymore. It wasn’t worth the torture just to face down Gavin.

He’d seen me. He knew. That was enough.

I gathered my things and beelined for the exit.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I froze in place at Chelsea Marks’s annoyed hiss. Apparently, my quiet escape would have to wait.

I forced a smirk. “Maybe I should ask you the same question, Chelsea.”

She stepped closer, the shimmer of her gown catching the light beautifully. Her perky breasts rose and fell as her breathing rate increased.

“~I~ am here because ~my~ company sponsors Gavin’s charity,” she sneered. “As I told you before, we have a very, ~very~ long history.”

“You don’t need to remind me how long you were with Gavin,” I said calmly. “I was there for most of it—right by his side. Ready to help whenever he needed.”

Her cheeks reddened. Now that I knew she had been bothered when I was his assistant, it felt good to use it to get under her skin.

“By the way, you can stop with the death threats,” I added. “You don’t scare me.”

Her brow furrowed, and she looked genuinely confused. “Death threats?”

I barely had time to process her denial before I felt an overwhelming presence approaching. I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The connection we shared ensured I could sense his energy from across a room.

Now it was different, though. Now, my body was torn between leaning into the heat of his flame or running for my life.

I turned my neck to look at him just as he slipped a hand around my waist. The familiar way his hand splayed over my hip sent a shockwave through my system.

“Annalise,” his deep voice was cautious. “A word, please.”

I narrowed my eyes, ignoring the fluttering in my chest. “Chelsea and I were just having a conversation.”

Chelsea huffed. “Yes, your little whore was just admitting that she came between us on purpose.”

Gavin never moved his stare from mine. “Chelsea, you and I both know Annalise is not the reason we broke up. And if you ever speak about my wife like that again, I will make sure nobody gives you a place to say much of anything anymore.”

She took in a sharp breath and twitched her hands nervously. Apparently, she wasn’t used to being rebuffed.

“I’m not your wife, Gavin.” His eyes darkened, a storm brewing beneath his gaze.

I turned to Chelsea. “Quite frankly, I’m not going to fight for a man who has feelings for someone else. If he wants you, I won’t stand in his way.”

With that, I spun on my heel. My palms were sweaty, and my pulse was racing.

As satisfying as it had been, I hated confrontation. All I wanted now was an escape.

“Annalise!” Gavin’s hand wrapped around my bicep, and he pulled me to an abrupt halt. “Stop.”

“Let me go,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Let me explain.”

I tried to pull away, but he kept his grip firm. “You’re going to cause a scene.”

His jaw tightened. “You think I care about causing a fucking scene?”

I glared at him before stepping closer, invading his space. “I think if you cared more about my feelings than your own fucking pride, we wouldn’t be here right now. Let. Me. Go.”

To an outsider, Gavin might look calm. But his body practically vibrated with the intense energy I felt pouring off of him. His fury matched my own, and I knew he was seconds from snapping.

When we finally exploded, I didn’t want to be in the middle of this ballroom.

“You always planned this.” Both of us turned at Chelsea’s wavering voice. She was talking loudly, drawing the attention of a small crowd.

“You were willing to do whatever it took to have him. You didn’t care that he loved me or that we had a life together. Now you won’t even let us be business partners, let alone friends.”

People were staring at us and murmuring behind their glasses. The entire room seemed captivated by our exchange. My cheeks heated, knowing that she was painting me out to be a jealous mistress.

~She does not get to be the victim.~

I nodded. “You’re right, Chelsea. I wouldn’t let my husband spend time with you. Not after I read your messages where you planned to trap him with a baby.”

Her eyes widened, and a new round of whispers broke out around us.

“Lucky for you,” I continued, “he’s not my husband.”

I leaned in close to Gavin, lowering my voice so that only he could hear. “And he never will be.”

He stilled, and I raised my chin, daring him to argue. When he didn’t, I reached up on my toes and gave him a chaste kiss.

“You’re a fucking bitch!” Chelsea shrieked before I felt a cold liquid spatter across the side of my face.

I gasped before turning to find her standing there holding the empty champagne glass.

~No way.~

All at once, chaos broke out. Gavin was shouting at her. A couple of men moved to hold him back. A woman put her arm around Chelsea’s shoulders while she cried.

I took the opportunity to make my escape. Without a backward glance, I hurried out of the ballroom and hailed the first cab I could find.

As we pulled away, Gavin burst from the doors. Our eyes locked just as the reporters closed in around him.