The filth pouring from her mouth was more than I could bear.

My hand moved on its own. The sharp crack of my palm connecting with her cheek echoed in the hallway.

"You're disgusting," I spat, my voice trembling with rage.

A cold presence behind me made me freeze. I turned slowly and met the icy, furious gaze of Caspian.

He didn't say a word. He just stood there, looking at me, and I knew. I knew he would make me pay for this.

The entire birthday gala passed in a blur of anxiety. I smiled, I mingled, I accepted birthday wishes, but my mind was in a knot of fear. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Caspian's quiet, calculated revenge.

But nothing happened. The party was a spectacular success.

Finally, the moment arrived. My father stood on the stage, ready to announce my future husband. The ballroom fell silent, a thousand guests holding their breath.

"It has to be Caspian Vance," someone whispered nearby. "He's the only one worthy of her."

"What about Silas Blackwood?" another voice countered. "He's been chasing her for years. Poor guy never stood a chance."

I couldn't help the small, triumphant smile that touched my lips. I glanced across the room at Silas. He caught my eye and gave me a look of such deep, unwavering love it took my breath away. He raised his hand and signed to me, a little joke between us: Don't you dare change your mind.

I laughed, a real, happy laugh.

And then the world exploded.

The giant screen behind the stage, which had been displaying a beautiful montage of my life, flickered and changed. An image of my bedroom appeared. It was me.

I was holding one of Caspian's shirts, pressing it to my face, my eyes closed in a state of pathetic, lovesick bliss. The video continued, showing me in my most private moments, touching myself, whispering his name.

"I love you, Caspian," my voice echoed through the silent ballroom. "I love you so much."

A wave of absolute horror washed over me. I turned, my eyes desperately seeking Caspian in the crowd. He stood there, his face a cold, blank mask.

Tears streamed down my face. "How could you?" I mouthed, my heart shattering into a million pieces. "How could you be so cruel?"

"Turn it off!" my father roared, his face purple with rage. "Somebody turn that damn thing off!"

But the video kept playing. The system was locked.

Silas, seeing my devastation, didn't hesitate. He charged the stage, picked up a heavy champagne stand, and smashed the projector to pieces.

"Find out who did this!" my father bellowed, his voice shaking. "I want them found!"

One of his business partners tried to calm him down. "Charles, it's just a young girl's crush. It's clear who she's in love with. Announce the engagement to Caspian. It will smooth everything over."

My father's face was pale. He knew. He knew I had chosen Silas. He looked at Silas, a desperate hope in his eyes.

Silas walked to my side, wrapping his strong arms around me, shielding me from the prying eyes of the crowd. He held me tight, a solid, unshakeable anchor in my swirling nightmare.

Then he turned to face the stunned guests, his voice ringing with authority and fury.

"Seraphina Ashworth is my fiancée," he announced, his voice booming through the hall. "And I swear to God, whoever is responsible for this, I will find you. And I will destroy you."

The crowd gasped.

Across the room, the faces of Caspian Vance and the other Ashworth Fellows were ashen. They stared at me, at Silas, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. This was not how their plan was supposed to end.

Caspian and Ronan looked the most stunned. Their faces were white with shock.

"Is this a joke?" Caspian finally managed to say, his voice tight. "Seraphina, are you doing this to make me angry?"

Ronan stepped forward, his eyes pleading. "Seraphina, why him? I can be whatever you want me to be. You can use me, hurt me, anything. Just don't choose him."

His performance was so convincing that a wave of murmurs went through the crowd.

"Wow, he really loves her."

"To be willing to be her plaything... that's true love."

"What a shame. She's breaking his heart."

I almost laughed. I stepped away from Silas and faced Ronan directly. "You love me? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I would die for you, Seraphina."

"Really?" I asked, my voice dangerously sweet. "Because I seem to recall you saying, and I quote, 'Why is it our job to cheer her up? I'd much rather be with Lyra.' Or was that someone else?"

The color drained from Ronan's face. He stammered, "I... I don't know what you're talking about. Someone must be spreading lies!" He looked around desperately. "I swear, Seraphina, I love you!"

His acting was flawless. He almost looked like he believed it himself.

"Is that so?" I said, pulling a small digital recorder from my clutch. I pressed a button.

Ronan's own voice filled the ballroom, loud and clear. "Why is it our job to cheer her up? I'd much rather be with Lyra."

The room fell into a dead silence. Ronan's face was a mess of horror and disbelief.

"That," I said, my voice as cold as steel, "was you. This morning. So please, stop the act. It's pathetic."

Ronan's eyes welled with tears as he struggled for words.

Before he could speak, Silas strode forward and punched him squarely in the jaw. Ronan crumpled to the floor.

"No one," Silas snarled, standing over him, "insults my fiancée." He looked up, his eyes sweeping over the other Fellows. "I love her more than any of you ever could."

Caspian's jaw tightened at the word "fiancée." He stepped forward, trying to regain control. "Seraphina, stop this foolishness. You know you want to marry me. We are meant to be."

He tried to give me a reassuring smile. "I will cherish you. You will have everything you desire." He lowered his voice. "Don't ruin the relationship between our families over a little tantrum."

I stared at Caspian, a mixture of fury and incredulous laughter bubbling in my chest. My eyes burned with unshed tears.

"You really think I would still marry you?" I whispered, my voice breaking. "After what you did tonight, you still have the nerve to talk about marriage?"

My voice rose, filled with a hatred so intense it felt like it was physically choking me. "I would rather die than be your wife."

The look in my eyes must have finally gotten through to him. I saw his composure crack, a flicker of something like pain in his own eyes. He flinched as if I had struck him.

"I... I don't know what you mean," he stammered, feigning confusion.

"Don't you dare play dumb with me!" I shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the smashed projector. "That! That was you! You did that to me!"

His face went pale. "You think... you think I was the one who played that video?" His voice held a note of genuine, wounded disbelief.

"Yes!" I bit down on my lip, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth again. It didn't matter. "The cameras in my room were hidden. You're the only one who knew how to get past my security. You can pick any lock. You're a world-class hacker. You put them there to humiliate me! To punish me for slapping your precious Lyra!"

I was sobbing now, the words tearing from my throat. "We grew up together, Caspian! How could you be so vile?"

My grief and rage culminated in a single, desperate act. I lunged forward and slapped him across the face with all my strength.

The sound echoed through the silent ballroom. A bright red handprint bloomed on his cheek.

My father, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally moved. He hobbled forward, his cane shaking in his hand. "Caspian," he said, his voice trembling with a terrifying fury. "Was it you?"

I could see the deep hurt in my father's eyes. He had loved Caspian like a son. He had planned to give him everything—his daughter, his empire.

"Tell me the truth," my father demanded.

Caspian stood tall, his expression unreadable, even with the mark of my hand on his face. "No, sir," he said, his voice calm and steady. "It wasn't me. I would never humiliate my future wife."

His face was so sincere, his denial so absolute, that for a split second, a sliver of doubt entered my mind.

But I crushed it. I couldn't afford to trust him. Not ever again.

"I will prove my innocence," Caspian said, turning to the crowd. He pulled out a laptop. "The signal that controlled the projector can be traced. It leaves a digital footprint." He looked directly at me, his eyes burning with a strange fire. "And when I find who did this, I will tear them limb from limb."