Chapter 5

The woman standing outside looked every inch the aristocrat—composed, luminous, untouchable. Her eyes held a cool gleam, like starlight reflected off glass, and her lips, tinted a soft rose, curved with just enough indifference to draw you in. Every delicate feature was etched with elegance, distant yet mesmerizing. She wasn't merely beautiful—she was poised, polished, and perfectly out of reach. The rose-colored evening gown she wore clung to her with effortless grace, its fine silk catching the light in a way that whispered quiet luxury. She didn't need to try—she simply existed, and the world adjusted around her. Beside her stood a man cut from the same cloth—tall, sharply dressed, with a face too precise to be kind. His cold, patrician features and unreadable expression gave him the air of someone born to command, not to please. Together, they looked less like a couple and more like a portrait—flawless, distant, and entirely untouchable. The kind of beauty that silences a room. People were struggling to believe—this stunner was actually that plain Jane Liliana?! And the man by her side... who the heck was he? Marsha, standing at the doorway with the others, faltered. She hadn't seen her for just a couple of days, yet this idiot had totally transformed! Then her gaze landed on the man next to Liliana, and a wave of jealousy swept across her face. Wilson?! He actually came with her? Everyone thought Wilson was cold and impossible to deal with, like a walking iceberg. But she knew better—he was amazing, and yeah, ridiculously attractive. Now here he was, showing up at this party with her. That thought alone made Marsha's chest tighten. She quickly smoothed over her expression, put on a gentle smile, and walked over. "Liliana, I was so worried you wouldn't come tonight. These past couple of days, you've been avoiding home. Mom, Dad, Ethan and I were all so worried about you." "Oh, really?" Liliana glanced at her, a ghost of a smile playing at her lips. "Didn't Ethan mention I've been staying at the Clarks'? I thought you two told each other everything." Marsha flinched, her eyes flicking nervously toward Wilson. She bit her lip. "What are you trying to say, Liliana?Ethan's into you. Why would he tell me everything?" Liliana blinked innocently, then added with a slow, pointed tone, "Maybe you didn't know... some people really don't have a brain in their head, trying to mess with me and Mr. Clark. How ridiculous." Before her words even faded, a graceful, fashionable woman walked over with a warm voice. "Sweetheart, you're finally back. You're not upset with us anymore?" Mrs. Johnson took her hand, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "Mom's been so worried about you." Marsha stood by, her eyes flickering with sarcasm, knuckles tightening. Her mother had never been that tender toward her. Liliana looked at her mom, her nose suddenly stinging with emotion. In her past life, Mom had always loved her deeply. No matter how badly she messed up, her mother had stood by her side. But in the end, Ethan and Marsha's scheming had led to Mom's death. She hadn't even gotten to see her one last time. That horrible ending—she'd make sure it never happened again. "Mom, I'm sorry. I won't act like that anymore." Surprise and joy filled Mrs. Johnson's eyes. She squeezed her daughter's hand tightly. "That's my good girl." As the two embraced, Liliana felt a shift in the air—and not in a good way. She turned and saw Wilson beside her, his gaze dark as he stared at her clasped hands with Mom. Is Wilson seriously jealous... of her mom? Liliana sighed and gently reached for his hand. "Mom, I come with Wilson." Mrs. Johnson paused, surprised. Back when that engagement had been arranged, Wilson was still a withdrawn, scrawny boy. Now, he was all grown up—tall, handsome, surprisingly charming. Still, she couldn't help but wonder... how on earth did her daughter end up with someone like him?Wilson had arrived, but Mrs. Johnson couldn't ask much in front of all the guests, so she brought Liliana and Wilson upstairs with her. As soon as they left, the room basically exploded. "Wait, that was really Liliana? No way! She used to be such a mess—who knew she'd turn out like that? And the guy with her, that's really Wilson?" "Wilson is hot as hell! Who the heck started those rumors he was ugly? Liliana totally scored big time!" "I'm telling you, the one who took the biggest L is Ethan. Liliana's juggling two guys—Ethan in the front, Wilson at the back." "Not exactly cheating though, Wilson is her fiancé. If it were me, I'd pick Wilson in a heartbeat!" ... While everyone was whispering, Marsha's eyes darkened. She leaned toward a servant and murmured a few instructions. Not long after. Liliana was upstairs chatting casually with her mom. Since Wilson couldn't stay in the room too long, he headed back downstairs. Sitting alone in the lobby, his face gradually turned stormy—the longer Liliana stayed upstairs, the worse his mood got. Seeing it was about time, Marsha shyly walked over to him, looking a little guilty. "Mr. Clark," she said, haltingly, "Liliana seemed a bit upset earlier... She's cooling off in the garden now. If you're getting impatient waiting, maybe I could take you to her?" Wilson's eyes narrowed coldly, staring at her for a moment before letting out a low, "Alright." Meanwhile. Liliana had just stepped out from Mrs. Johnson's bedroom when a servant sneakily approached her, keeping his head ducked. "Miss Liliana," he whispered, "Mr. Clark asked me to let you know he's waiting by the lake in the garden for you." Liliana's eyes lingered on him briefly. She nodded slightly, then walked toward the lake, deep in thought. ... A few minutes later. Marsha led Wilson down a pebbled path toward the lake. She curled her lips up in a small smile, her heart racing with excitement. She'd made sure someone lured Liliana to meet Ethan by the lake. Once Liliana got there, Ethan just had to bait her a bit... If anyone caught them looking cozy, the rumors would spread like wildfire—and Liliana's rep would go up in flames. Pretty or not, no one would forget it. Just then, a servant came running from the lake, clearly panicked. Marsha's eyes lit up for a split second before she pretended to stop the girl with a worried tone, "What's got you running like that?" "Miss... Miss Marsha, it's bad—Miss Liliana and Mr. Ethan... at the lake..." Yes! It worked! Caught red-handed! Marsha's heart leapt, but she forced a troubled look onto her face. "What happened to them?" The servant scratched her head before blurting out, "They're—fighting!" Wilson casually lifted his eyes, dark as ever—like deep, still water. Then, silently, he started walking toward the lake. By now, a small crowd had gathered around the scene, all with tense faces. Liliana stood there, face set with fury, throwing punches at Ethan. Her voice was sharp and full of rage. "You scumbag! Trying to seduce me, huh? Dream on!" "You think you can mess with my fiancé and get away with it? You called the damn cops on us? I've been too damn nice to you!" She raised her fist again. "I'm warning you—come crawling back one more time, I'll beat the crap outta you every single time!"