Chapter 2

Elliot brought Tiana back to his private residence. "News broke today that Irene and Joseph got married. Mom and Dad are furious," he said as he peeled fruit for her. "Stay here with me for a while." Tiana looked at the neatly sliced fruit with toothpicks stuck in them and let out a cold laugh. "So, they regret not choosing Irene when they were picking one of us to adopt? Didn't they spend the last few years tripping over themselves to be Irene's godparents? They might as well change their surnames from Jensen to Walker." Seeing that Tiana was about to blow up again, Elliot said nothing and retreated to his study. He knew her well—talking to her now would just make him her punching bag. Tiana checked the time. It was 1:00 am. She called Joseph, and it took three tries before someone picked up. His voice was icy, devoid of the warmth it had held when he'd been at the hotel with her a few hours earlier. "Didn't I tell you not to call me when I'm home? My family doesn't want to see me connected to a woman like you." "A woman like me?" Tiana's voice shot up. "I've been your secret for seven years, Joseph! You believe those tabloid rumors? You think I'm some loose woman?" He answered coldly, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Then, seemingly realizing that he'd gone too far, he quickly added, "Don't make a scene, Ana. You've been good for the past seven years." She stared at her bare ring finger, the image of Irene's ring flashing in her mind. She asked softly, "Did you mean it when you said you'd marry me in a month?" His tone softened a little. "When have I ever failed to deliver on a promise to you?" "Alright." Tiana put down her phone and glanced at the calendar. She just needed to wait 30 days. When time was up, either Joseph kept his word, or she would disappear from his world forever. A moment later, a faint rustling came from the phone. Only then did Tiana realize she hadn't hung up. Neither had Joseph. She heard him chatting with his friend. "Joseph, you and Irene have finally ended up together after your seven-year pursuit of her. Mr. Quill Senior must be thrilled to see your marriage certificate, huh?" Joseph's tone was restrained, yet it carried a hint of pride. "He's already transferred his shares to me—we're handling the paperwork now. Oh, and Irene's pregnant. What do you think I should get her? Think she'll like the manor in the west of the city?" His friend dropped his voice. "What about Tiana, whom you've been stringing along? When are you cutting her loose?" Joseph went quiet for a beat. Amid the surge of her own heartbeat, Tiana heard him say indifferently, "Tiana, huh? Next month." His friend asked, "You've kept her on the hook for seven years, haven't you? Can you bear to let go of her?" Annoyance crept into Joseph's voice as he said, "She's the Jensen family's neglected adoptive daughter. Why would I have any problems letting go? She and Irene came from the same orphanage and were both adopted, so why is Irene doing so much better than she is?" His friend lowered his voice further. "Everyone in our circle knows she's carried your mark for seven years, and you had people smear her reputation so she hasn't had any other men around her. Now that you're bored of her, how about you let us have a taste? Let's see how wild she can get. She's only ever had you, so she's clean." Joseph laughed. "Fine. We've been friends for so long—I won't shortchange you. I'll find a chance to let you and the other guys have a taste of my wildcat…" The voices faded. Only then did Tiana realize she was already in tears. She wiped them away, her face devoid of emotion. Then, she wiped the blood she'd drawn after biting her lip too hard. Staring at her pale reflection in the mirror, she cursed herself for being pathetic. Her heart was completely broken now. The question that had haunted her for seven years finally had an answer. How had someone like her, who'd always kept her nose clean, woken up one day seven years ago to a flood of salacious rumors, detailed and convincing enough to turn her into Jafton's public enemy no.1? She'd already been on thin ice with the Jensen family, and these rumors had made her fall even further out of favor. It turned out Joseph was the one who'd orchestrated everything. Just then, a new message popped up on her phone—an invitation to a tea party hosted by Irene. It was scheduled for the following afternoon.