Chapter 12

While waiting to hear back from Norman, Clarence went to every place Laura had ever worked part-time. No one knew where she'd gone. He also realized, with painful clarity, that her departure hadn't been sudden—there'd been clues all along. Their conversations had grown increasingly sparse, and her touches had grown colder. And to his astonishment, he realized Laura had never asked him, "Why is Michelle so special to you?" She'd known everything, and yet she'd said nothing. Clarence had imagined the day his lies would be exposed, but he'd never expected it to come so quickly or so suddenly. The days dragged on as he waited for Norman's update, each moment feeling endless. Meanwhile, the group chat blew up, notifications flooding in one after another. Something strange had happened in Jencoria. The infamous young heir, Clarence Lovell, had spent a fortune on a picture-perfect wedding and even invited the most influential families in the city. Yet when the time came, neither t