Chapter 2

1.

"Aren't you afraid Natalie will find out? "

Liam was silent for a moment before speaking.

"She won't. "

"You're that confident? "

"She trusts me, " he said, his voice certain.

"As long as it comes from my mouth, she won't doubt it. "

After a brief pause, his friend's voice dropped lower. "Just make sure you don't regret it. "

He chuckled, his tone indifferent. "I won't. "

So that was the truth.

I stood outside the door, my fingernails digging into my palms until the pain went numb.

I had come here to bring him a jacket.

The weather had turned cold lately, and I was worried he wasn't wearing enough.

But now, I felt as if a blade had been driven through my chest, leaving a gaping hole for the freezing wind to howl through.

I stumbled back home, barely having the strength to flip the light switch. My legs gave out, and I curled up on the sofa, shivering uncontrollably.

My stomach churned, and my head spun. Tears rolled silently down my face, and I didn't even have the energy to wipe them away.

The sound of the lock turning signaled his return.

The sound of his leather shoes on the hardwood floor grew closer. He walked over to the sofa and leaned down, his voice soft and laced with worry.

"Why are the lights off? The housekeeper said you didn't eat. Is your stomach acting up again? "

He reached out, gently brushing a stray hair from my forehead. His eyes were filled with concern. "Natalie, what's wrong? "

He knelt beside me, his palm resting on the back of my hand. His voice was a low murmur. "You have to eat. It's not good for the baby. "

I stared at him, watching this display of tenderness.

I realized then that a person's love could be entirely fabricated.

Four years ago, my fiancé and my sister were caught cheating at my wedding.

My parents forced me to step aside, saying we had to support each other as a family and couldn't let the public laugh at us.

They announced right then and there―the bride would be Lauren.

At that moment, Liam Lucas stepped forward and made that high-profile proposal.

I thought he was the man who had pulled me out of the abyss.

After the wedding, I stayed in his shadow, quietly supporting him.

I used my sharp instincts in the stock market to help him invest and strategize.

In just a few years, his company grew from an unknown startup to a rising star in the capital market.

Everything seemed perfect when we finally succeeded with IVF this year.

He would hold me, telling me this child was a gift he had waited so long for. His eyes were so warm I almost drowned in them.

It was all just another layer of the scam.

If you're such a good actor, Liam, then I can play the part too.

I blinked slowly and forced a faint smile onto my lips.

"I'm fine. Just a little exhausted. "

My voice was soft and tired, sounding perfectly normal.

He let out a sigh of relief and comforted me. "Good girl. Get some rest. "

Fine. I'll play along for three more days.

In three days, this show will finally reach its finale.