Chapter 312

Ethan Roscente's words were brutally blunt, without even the pretense of subtlety. What shocked me more was that he'd say such things in front of his fiancée. It seemed scumbags like him had perfected the art of shamelessness.

The strangest part was Isabella Valentine's reaction. Instead of anger, she maintained an elegant, composed smile.

I couldn't help but wonder—was Ethan insane? Or was Isabella? Or perhaps this entire engaged couple had collectively lost their minds.

"How would I know?" I replied coldly. "Why don't you ask Mr. Valrose why he lied to me with such an excuse?"

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Isabella's eyes before she offered an apologetic smile. "I asked Dominic to contact you, Sophia. I thought you might be bored alone at the hotel and wanted to invite you out before we left. I didn’t expect him to use Ethan being drunk as an excuse."

So she was the one who gave out my number.

I scoffed. "Seems you and Mr. Valrose are quite close. Next time, ask for my permission before sharing private information. It avoids unnecessary complications."

A flash of resentment crossed Isabella's face, but she quickly lowered her lashes, feigning remorse. "I apologize. It was thoughtless of me—"

Ethan frowned impatiently. "Enough. It won’t happen again."

Ah, the overprotective fiancé strikes again.

I had no patience for their charade and turned to leave.

These high-society gatherings were nothing but mutual flattery. As someone with social anxiety, I couldn’t stand it. After two glasses of juice, I was desperate to escape.

As Ethan's fiancée, Isabella naturally attracted a crowd of sycophants. I hid behind a potted plant, catching snippets of conversation.

"Isabella, I heard your wedding date was set ages ago. Why the delay?"

"Ethan’s been swamped with work," she replied sweetly. "The ceremony was supposed to happen days ago, but he insisted on securing this project first."

"You’re so lucky to have such a driven fiancé. My boyfriend lazes around all day. If not for his family’s money, he’d have squandered everything by now."

"Your boyfriend is attentive too. He’s been fetching drinks for you all evening."

"Once you return to New York, the wedding will happen, right?"

My heart clenched.

So their wedding was imminent.

Of course. This was inevitable. It had always been a foregone conclusion.

Isabella tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her earlier confidence melting into demure shyness. "My father has already discussed it with Mr. Roscente Sr. We’ll finalize the details with Ethan when we return, then start preparations."

I followed her gaze to the garden. Under the moonlight, red roses bloomed vibrantly. Beside them stood a familiar tall figure—Ethan, deep in conversation, yet his eyes kept drifting in this direction.

The only people here were Isabella and me, concealed behind foliage.

My hiding spot wasn’t exactly discreet. If even Isabella hadn’t noticed me, there was no way Ethan had. So his attention was solely on her.

How touching. He couldn’t bear to be apart from her for even a moment.

At the mention of their wedding, the juice in my mouth turned bitter.