Lorraine's brows furrowed as she stood beside Alina in front of the flower shop. The lights were still on, and the place looked quiet.

 "What are we doing here?" Lorraine asked, gently.

 "I told you I needed to visit Kelvin." Alina replied calmly.

 "Okay... and what's that got to do with coming here?"

 "I left him a gift, and I came to get it." Alina smiled faintly and walked toward the door. "Just wait here. I won't be long," she said before stepping inside.

 A moment later, she spotted her boss arranging a vase on the counter.

 "Alina? What are you doing here?"

 "I could ask you the same," she said awkwardly, offering a small smile.

 He chuckled. "Came to grab a few things I forgot. You?"

 "I came for the bouquet I made earlier," she said.

 "The funeral wreaths?" he asked, confused.

 Alina nodded. "Yeah. That one."

 He hesitated, studying her for a moment. "Is everything okay with you?"

 "It is," she responded curtly, walking over to collect the bouquet. "Thanks, Fred."

 She waved at him and left the shop, stepping out to meet Lorraine who was waiting with raised brows.

 Lorraine's eyes nearly popped out when she saw the bouquet. "Oh my God. Who died?"

 Alina simply shrugged. "Well..." she started, then forced a smile. "Let's go."

 The two of them hailed a cab, and within minutes, they arrived at Kelvin's mansion.

 Alina turned to Lorraine, clutching the flowers tightly. "I'll be back."

 Lorraine's jaw dropped. "You're not seriously giving that to Kelvin, are you?" She pointed at the wreath in disbelief.

 Alina nodded, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yup."

 Lorraine stared at her, stunned. Something about Alina felt off. Her smile was too calm, her eyes too steady.

 "You're freaking me out."

 "I'll be back," Alina reassured her, then turned toward the mansion before Lorraine could protest further.

 She stepped inside the house quietly, only to hear familiar voices from the living room.

 "I told you she was a fool," Donavon laughed. "Doing all that extra just to keep a man who was already sleeping with her sister."

 "Right?" Noeul added. "Imagine making breakfast at 5 a.m. just to bring it to him in bed."

 Kelvin chuckled lowly. "She really thought she was wife material."

 Alina smiled to herself, then turned the corner, walking in like a breeze. Their laughter abruptly stopped.

 "Hi," she greeted casually.

 They all turned, surprised, and Kelvin stiffened at the sight of her.

 Donavon smirked. "Came to apologize?"

 Noeul raised an eyebrow. "Or is this your weird way of saying you want him back?"

 Alina smiled, holding the bouquet behind her. "Actually, I just came to say thank you."

 They exchanged confused glances.

 "Thanks, Kelvin," she said, walking closer. "For helping me realize where I truly belong."

 Donavon narrowed his eyes. "What?"

 She brought out the bouquet and handed it to Kelvin, who looked stunned.

 "Congratulations on your relationship with Jennifer," she said sweetly. "These are appreciation flowers."

 Kelvin's jaw tightened. "Are you crazy?"

 Alina stepped back two paces, her smile widening. "No, honey. I'm not." Then she raised her middle finger. "Fuck you."

 The room went silent.

 Donavon stood up, ready to speak, but Alina held up a finger, shushing him. "Shhh."

 She chuckled softly, unbothered, then turned and walked out the door without a single glance back.

 Outside, she inhaled deeply, placing a trembling hand on her chest. Her heart raced, her nerves shaking.

 "How... did I just do that?" she whispered, half-laughing.

 "Are you okay?" Lorraine asked, rushing over.

 "We can go to the party now," Alina said with a bright smile, walking ahead.

 Lorraine stared after her, eyes wide. "Damn... I'm not used to this Alina. What's gotten into her?"

 She shook her head, then jogged to catch up with her friend.

 ******

 They got home, and Lorraine turned to look at Alina. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Alina cut her off.

 "I'll go take my bath now. And thanks for letting me stay with you," Alina said, turning to head for her room.

 Inside, the happy face she'd been keeping up disappeared. She stripped off her clothes, heading straight for the bathroom.

 Turning on the shower, a gasp escaped her lips when the cold water hit her body. She ran her hands through her wet hair as the water cascaded down her.

 Now alone, the memories of yesterday began to flood in, and her heart ached.

 All the memories she had with Kelvin, the stolen kisses, the cuddles, the fun nights... Was it all just a facade to get close to her sister? Her own sister?

 Her hand flew to her mouth as a loud sob escaped her lips. Her tears mixed with the water as her uncontrollable sobs echoed through the bathroom.

 She slipped down to the floor, hugging her knees as her shoulders shook with sobs. It was painful.

 ******

 Alina and Lorraine entered the lively party an hour later. Music pounded, lights flashed, and the air smelled of alcohol and perfume. People danced, drank, and talked, each caught up in the moment.

 Alina's eyes roamed the room casually-until they landed on them.

 She froze.

 Her ex-boyfriend, looking smug in his perfectly tailored suit, and her younger stepsister, her fingers curled possessively around his arm, as if she had won the biggest prize of her life.

 They hadn't expected to see her, probably because of the break-up. That much was clear from the way her sister's smile faltered and her ex's eyes widened, then darkened.

 Alina walked in fully, grabbed a glass of wine, and lifted it slowly, forcing a smile she didn't feel. Before she could process anything, Jennifer walked up to her.

 "I thought you'd be crying a storm after Kelvin dumped you," Jennifer sneered.

 Alina raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Because?"

 Her gaze shifted to Kelvin, who had balled his fist in anger.

 "That's a funny joke," Alina said, her smile never faltering. She turned to Jennifer, narrowing her eyes. "You can have him. You're both exactly where you belong-trash." She smiled wider.

 "You..." Jennifer began, but Alina didn't let her finish. She took a sip from her wine and turned to face Kelvin.

 "Oh! I forgot to tell you," she said, her tone sweet. "I wasn't that faithful either."

 Jennifer scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You think I'll buy that? You can't move on from Kelvin. You've always being obsessed with him."

 The words stung, sharper than she'd expected. Alina bit her lip, her fists clenching. Jennifer was right. She had always loved Kelvin, had never fully been able to move on. But now, she was going to prove them wrong, even if it meant lying.

 She raised her hand to reveal a ring on her finger. "I'm engaged. I've been seeing someone too..." she said, but the look on Jennifer's face told her Jennifer wasn't buying it.

 "I've been seeing... Aiden Blackwood," she added before she could stop herself.

 A collective gasp rippled through the room. Heads turned toward her, each face displaying shock. The music abruptly stopped, and in that moment, Alina realized she'd spoken those words out loud.

 Lorraine's eyes widened, and she quickly nudged her. "Hey, what are you talking about?"

 Jennifer's laughter broke the silence. "You're such a joke, dear sister. Do you even know Mr. Blackwood?"

 Jennifer's tone turned cold and commanding. "Why don't you prove it? Call him over."

 Alina's heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed, her throat dry.

 "I... I..."

 "Prove it." The chant started to rise from the crowd.

 "I guess someone came up with a perfect lie," Jennifer sneered, walking toward Alina and snatching her phone from her hand.

 "Give it back!" Alina shouted, reaching for it, but Jennifer held it out of her reach, shoving her back. Alina stumbled and fell, her palm and knees scraping the floor. She bit her lip, fighting back the pain as she quickly got to her feet.

 "Give. it. back!" she repeated, her voice strained.

 Jennifer smirked, taunting her. "And why should I? You can't even prove what you said," she laughed, scrolling through the phone.

 Alina lunged forward, but Kelvin stepped in the way, pushing her back with a force that made her stumble again. This time, she would have fallen if not for a firm arm catching her mid-air.

 She looked up, her breath catching at the sight of the man who wrapped his arms round her waist, keeping her from falling; Silver eyes, a sharp jawline, and an easy smile that made everything around her feel like it had stopped. 

 "Hey, wifey, " he smiled, "Did I keep you waiting too long?"

 Alina's eyes widened, her heart racing as she stared into those eyes, the noise around her fading.

 "Aiden Blackwood?" someone gasped from the crowd.

 "It's truly him!"

 "What's he doing at a party like this?"

 The whispers grew louder, and that was when Alina finally understood; the man she had just lied about, the powerful and untouchable Aiden Blackwood, was now standing right in front of her.

 Was she doomed after this?

 Her eyes traveled up to meet his, and her breath hitched again. He was more breathtaking than Kelvin-tall, and sharp-featured. She looked down quickly, forcing herself to stand upright.

 "Mr. Blackwood," Kelvin began with a strained voice, trying to recover his composure. "Word has it you don't interfere in matters like this. Why are you covering up a lie?"

 Aiden's eyes flickered over to him. The corner of his lips lifted into a cool smile, but his eyes stayed cold. He looked amused... in a dangerous way.

 "I don't actually know you," he said, voice low and unbothered. "But since you're so invested in how I met my woman, let me clear the air."

 The room fell silent.

 "I met her at The Blooming Nest flower shop," he said smoothly, giving Alina a soft look. "I was just there to buy flowers. Then I saw her-the most beautiful one in the place. I got interested, so I went after her. Got a problem with that?"

 Kelvin's mouth opened to argue, but Jennifer chimed in, skeptical. "Anyone can claim that. She works there. It could be a made-up story."

 Aiden's jaw tightened. He was already irritated. If it weren't for his grandma nagging him to settle down, and his assistant dragging him to this miserable party, these fools would've learned their place a lot sooner.

 Still, Alina had just handed him the perfect excuse to finally get the old woman off his back... and he wasn't about to waste it.

 He turned to Alina and stepped closer, closing the space between them.

 Then, he looked straight at Kelvin.

 "Watch closely," he said, voice low and cold. "This is what we've been doing behind your back for the past few months."

 And then, before Kelvin, or Alina, could react, Aiden claimed her lips.

 The room gasped.

 Alina's eyes flew open in shock. What... what was he doing?

 But then his hand settled on her waist, firm and possessive, and his lips moved against hers with ease.

 "If you're going to lie, then make it believable," he murmured against her mouth.

 Alina's heart thundered. What choice did she have now?

 Her hands instinctively reached for his back, steadying herself as she kissed him back. Just enough. Just convincingly enough.

 When he finally pulled back, he scanned her face, his voice quieter this time...almost too intimate.

 "You need to stop coming to places like this. Why here, when you have me?"

 "I..." Alina started, but her voice failed her.

 "Stop making me worry too much," Aiden interrupted softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

 Alina blinked, speechless. What was happening?

 Before she could process another thought, he bent and swept her off her feet, cradling her in his arms.

 The crowd parted.

 Lorraine stood rooted in place, her mouth slightly ajar. It felt like her spirit had departed from her body. 

 Meanwhile, Alina's brain completely shut down the moment her feet left the ground. One second she was being mocked and backed into a corner, the next, she was in the arms of Aiden freaking Blackwood, a man she only knew from news headlines and scandalous business gossip.

 "What the hell is happening?" she whispered, barely audible.

 Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as he carried her with ease past the gaping crowd. Everyone moved aside like he was royalty. Maybe he was.

 She could feel her pulse thudding in her ears. Her cheeks burned. And her heart? It felt like it had jumped right out of her chest.

 They reached a sleek, black Bentley and a suited man opened the door right on cue, and Aiden gently slid her inside before joining her.

 Silence filled the car.

 Alina blinked as it started moving. Her palms were sweaty, and her throat dry. The tension in the air wasn't angry; it was the kind that made her very aware of how close he was, how good he smelled, and just how insanely attractive he looked.

 "Are you gonna keep looking like you've seen a ghost?" Aiden asked casually, eyes still fixed on the road ahead.

 Alina jolted. "W-Why did you help me?"

 Aiden leaned back, resting his arm along the back of her seat. "Because you lied."

 "What?"

 "You said you were seeing me. That put me in a very... interesting situation, flower girl."

 "Since when do you know me?"

 "I don't," he said simply. "I only saw you by chance while driving past that shop. You were smiling so wide it irritated me."

 She blinked. He had also lied... to save her?

 Her lips parted, but no words came out.

 He turned to her then, one brow raised. "I was supposed to bring a girlfriend to my grandmother's birthday next weekend. And you just volunteered."

 "I didn't!" she exclaimed, horrified.

 "You called me your fiancé in front of those people. Sounds like volunteering to me."

 "That was..." she hesitated, biting her lip. "That was a mistake."

 "Well," he smirked, "then we're both making one now. And since we're in it, we may as well play it right. I'll clean up your lie, you clean up mine."

 "Isn't it wrong to just... impose that on me?"

 "I kissed you in front of everyone. Do you want me to go back and tell them it was fake?" He asked, raising a brow, already irritated.

 Alina froze.

 Aiden leaned closer, voice dropping. "Then you'll become the laughingstock."

 She bit her lip, mind spinning. She had no idea who this man really was beyond the rumors, but one thing was clear; he didn't ask for permission. He took what he needed.

 And somehow... he made it look like a favor.

 "So," he said, relaxing, "we're going to act like a couple until next weekend. You'll smile, say 'yes, honey' when needed, and charm the hell out of my grandma. I'll handle the rest."

 "After that?" she asked.

 He glanced at her. "We'll go back to being strangers."

 Her heart squeezed strangely at that. Why?

 "...What's your grandma like?"

 "You'll get all the details." He didn't look up, fingers scrolling through his iPad.

 "Oh."

 They sat in silence for a while until she finally turned to him. "I'll do it."

 "Deal, then."

 "It's Alina. My name-Alina."

 He gave a distracted hum in reply as she turned to gaze out the window.

 "I can do it," she whispered to herself. Maybe this insane lie was the beginning of something even crazier.

 And maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad pretending to be Aiden Blackwood's fiancée, even if it was just for a week.

 Her fist clenched in her lap.

 "I promise you one week of hell, Kelvin. I'll use every second to destroy you."

  The moment Aiden carried Alina out of the grand hall, the room exploded with whispers, gasps, and flashing cameras.

  In no time, the internet went wild.

Clips of Aiden and Alina, kissing, and him carrying her out, were everywhere. Alina's face was barely visible, hidden against his chest, but that didn't stop the rumors from spreading.

  The lighting was dark, the camera angles unclear, so no one could say for sure who she was. Still, everyone was talking.

  Comments flooded in:

  "Is that Aiden?! Who's the girl?"

  "Wow, finally a scandal! Took him long enough."

  "Whoever she is, she's lucky."

  Some praised the rare display of emotion, others debated whether it was a publicity stunt. Either way, it was blowing up online. It quickly became the most searched topic.

 Meanwhile, Jennifer nearly crushed her phone as she scrolled through the feed. Her jaw was tight, her eyebrows pulled together in frustration.

She read the comments again and they only made her feel worse.

  "She must mean a lot to him."

  "Aiden looked serious... Did someone bullied his woman?"

  "I hope this is real. They look... intense together."

  "That kiss, damn."

  Jennifer's fingers trembled with fury. It wasn't just the scandal...it was the praise. The admiration. The idea that someone else, someone like Alina, had touched a part of Aiden "she" had spent months trying to reach.

  She ran outside in anger, but by the time she got there, Aiden's car was already disappearing down the road. Her brows furrowed in anger, her lips slightly parted. She had just witnessed something she never expected; Aiden Blackwood had kissed Alina her own step sister... a low life like Alina. He had kissed her in front of everyone and carried her off like a scene from a romantic movie.

  She stood frozen, mind blank, disbelief washing over her. Her chest tightened as her hands slowly curled into fists.

  Staring at the road where the car had vanished, her mind raced with questions. Why did Aiden do that? What's so special about Alina?

  Months ago, she had done everything to get close to him, attended the same parties, wore the finest clothes, and smiled every time he glanced her way. Yet, he had never paid her attention.

  She was upset, but more than anything, she was confused. "How did that good-for-nothing girl end up in Aiden Blackwood's arms?" she muttered in frustration.

  Just then, a calm, mocking voice interrupted her thoughts.

  "Well," Lorraine said, coming to a stop beside her, "I guess Alina turned out to be luckier than we thought."

  Jennifer didn't respond. Her eyes were still fixed on the empty road ahead. Lorraine raised her eyebrows and gave a small smile.

  "Well..." she continued, casually brushing imaginary dust off her jacket, "maybe you think Mr. Blackwood will turn out just like shitty Kelvin."

  Jennifer snapped her head in Lorraine's direction.

  "Yeah... dating one woman and trying to use her to get closer to another." She tilted her head slightly, a pointed look in her eyes. "But Aiden Blackwood isn't like that. He doesn't seem like someone who settles for leftovers... or chases after girls who act like unrecyclable trash willing to cling to anything that gets tossed their way."

  Jennifer's eyes widened. Her mouth parted in disbelief, but Lorraine had already turned away.

  "Anyway..." Lorraine turned back and snatched Alina's phone from Jennifer before forcing a smile. "Goodnight, and enjoy the party." She gave a careless wave and started walking toward the street to catch a cab.

  Jennifer stood there, heart pounding, cheeks burning with rage and humiliation. She stomped her foot hard on the ground, the sound loud in the quiet night.

  Then, a voice called her name but this time, it sounded irritating to her hearing.

  "Jennifer."

  Without sparing him a glance, she started walking toward the parking lot, her heels stabbing into the ground with every furious step.

  "Jenny," he called again.

  But she didn't stop until he gently caught her wrist.

  "What?" she snapped, finally turning to face him, her eyes cold and filled with frustration.

  "What?" Kelvin repeated, frowning.

  "Take me home." She walked past him and got into his car.

  Kelvin watched her for a moment before pulling out his phone to text his friends that he was leaving with her, then joined her in the car.

  Jennifer sat with her arms crossed, her thoughts spinning. She felt a surge of anger at the image of Alina in Aiden's arms.

  *****

  A young woman lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone when she suddenly sat up, eyes wide.

  "Aiden? In a scandal?" she gasped, the phone slipping from her hand in shock. She quickly scooped it back up and leapt out of bed. "No way!"

  She dashed out of her room, taking the spiral staircase two steps at a time.

  "Mom!" she yelled breathlessly, her voice echoing through the room as her socks slid slightly on the floor. "Mom."

  In the grand sitting room, her mother looked up from her laptop, startled.

  "What is it, Mandy?" she asked.

  "Aiden... Aiden got into his first dating scandal!" Mandy announced, eyes wide with disbelief.

  "What?"

  "He kissed a girl," she said, waving the phone in the air like a victory flag.

  Her mother's brows raised as Mandy handed her the phone. "What do you mean kissed a girl? Aiden?" she repeated, tapping the screen with narrowed eyes.

  "What's happening in this house?" came a gentle, curious voice.

  Mandy turned, eyes lighting up. "Grandma! You're not going to believe this...my brother got into his first dating scandal."

  "That can't be true." her grandmother said as she slowly made her way over, adjusting her glasses.

  Mandy held out the phone and watched as her grandmother's lips parted in shock. "It's him, isn't it?" She said.

  They all stared at the blurry image of Aiden, his figure unmistakable even with the grainy quality, holding a woman in his arms.

  "That looks like my son," Jessica, Mandy's mom, whispered. "But..."

  "But he can't even stand to be near a woman," Grandma added, eyes still fixed on the screen.

  Jessica frowned. "Maybe it's fake... Photoshopped or something."

  Grandma sat down slowly, still speechless.

  Mandy flopped onto the couch with a stunned grin. "I don't know who this mystery woman is," she said, "but she just made history in this family."

  " I need to meet her," Grandma mumbled, almost to herself. "The woman who somehow managed to get my grandson's attention."