Chapter 9

Maya spent an entire day at the landfill. When she finally caught the thin silver chain, the tears she had been holding back all day finally streamed down. But a second later, she realized the pendant was empty. The small lock of Belinda's hair and the tiny pinch of ash were gone. A sharp ringing filled her ears as she clutched the necklace and dashed toward the hospital. She arrived at the entrance right as Valerie stepped out holding her discharge papers. Valerie pressed two fingers under her nose and took a theatrical step back. "Which trash heap did you crawl out of?" Maya stared straight at her. "Where are the things inside my pendant?" Valerie glanced at the necklace in Maya's hand and laughed. "Oh, the filthy bits? I dumped them in a toilet and flushed it." "Valerie!" Rage roared in Maya's ears, and her vision edged red. She lunged, fisted Valerie's collar, and slapped her so hard she stumbled backward into Cole's arms. Maya looked up and met Cole's gaze, which was cold and murderous. "You really never learn, do you?" Maya's voice trembled, her eyes bloodshot. "She flushed my grandma's ashes down a toilet—" "Enough!" His expression darkened with disgust. "To hurt Valerie, you would even curse your only grandmother. Maya, you make me sick!" He caught her wrist in a hard grip and shoved her back. The taxi came screaming up the drive. Brakes screeched, the horn wailed, and the bumper caught Maya, sending her crashing into the flower bed. Pain shot through her ribs, and warm blood filled her mouth. She raised her head on instinct and looked for Cole. He was there, but only to shield Valerie, hustling her into Carter's car. Cole never once looked back. The next second, everything went black. Maya lay in a hospital bed for two days. Scrolling through Valerie's posts, Maya saw Cole take her to one gala after another, smiling under the flashes. The wedding was days away. He couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. Meanwhile, Maya kept working on her plan for the ceremony. The afternoon before the wedding, Cole came to sign her discharge. He brought her favorite flowers—a bouquet of lisianthus. "I was too harsh the other day," he said. "This is my apology. But stop going after Valerie. Tomorrow's our wedding, and I have a surprise for you." Maya studied him for a few seconds and then smiled. She took the bouquet from his hands. "Perfect. I have a surprise for you, too." Something flickered across his face, then it vanished. On the drive back to the villa, the sky opened and the rain came down in sheets. Thunder rolled across the city. Cole's grip tightened on the wheel as he dialed Valerie's number again and again, but the line stayed unanswered. He suddenly braked hard at the curb, grabbed the umbrella, and pushed it toward Maya. "I have to deal with something. Grab a ride and go home." He unbuckled her and leaned across to pop the door. Maya didn't take the umbrella. She looked at him once more, then stepped into the rain and closed the door without a word. Cole hesitated, staring at the umbrella in his hand. Something complicated crossed his face. He was about to open the door and pass her the umbrella when Valerie's name flashed on the screen. Her voice came in shaky. "Cole, I'm scared. Please come now..." Hearing this, Cole drew his hand back from the handle and slammed down on the gas. Maya stood there for a moment, the rain soaking her hair and blouse, and only then noticed that she had carried the bouquet out of the car. She dropped it into a trash can. Then, she raised her hand for a cab and rode away. When Maya got back to the villa, she received Cole's message. "We're not supposed to see each other the night before the wedding, so I won't be home." Maya didn't reply. The rain left her running a low fever. She drifted in and out, dreaming of Valerie and her friends shoving her down, their heels digging into her ribs. Then, the dream shifted to Cole—cooking for her, watching movies together, and sharing their most intimate moments. Tears slid down her cheeks as she slept, but when she opened her eyes, only coldness remained. … On the morning of the wedding, Maya carried her suitcase to the cemetery to visit her grandmother. After that, she went straight to the hospital to meet her team before departure. In the cab, she checked her group chat and confirmed every last detail of the plan for that wedding. Then, she opened a bookmarked livestream channel. Onscreen, an influencer flashed a polished smile at her audience. "Hey, everyone, welcome. Today, we have a special stream at the invitation of a bride. We're taking you to a wedding and going live from the venue..." Maya watched the screen, a cold glint flickering in her eyes.