Taylor POV

The taste of his lips still lingers when I pull back. My heart beats rapidly in my ears.

The intense noise of the crowd fades into the background as I remain fixated on him, the stranger whose steady hands kept me from collapsing just moments ago.

Except… his expression isn't good.

His jaw tightens, a muscle ticking in his cheek as if I've crossed a line. His eyes—gray, stormy, search mine, not with passion but with something else entirely.

Shock. Discomfort. Maybe even anger.

What have I done?

The audience moved their attention to different laughing couples after the Kiss Cam broadcast ended as well, and their roar moved away from us like an ocean wave that pulled back into the distance.

Out of the corner of my eye, Keira's jaw practically drops. She stares in stunned silence, her eyes blown wide and her mouth parted just enough to betray her shock.

Kiera glances between me and him, disbelief etched across her features, as though she can't decide if she just witnessed it happen.

I feel the heat of shame pressing into my skin as if the stadium lights are creating an intense glare that is slowly setting my body a blaze.

"I'm sorry," I blurt, words tumbling out. "I shouldn't have—"

He doesn't speak. His lips part, then press together again, and his gaze slides toward the court as if he's willing this whole thing to vanish.

I can't stand it. The combination of Dylan's betrayal and my public kiss with a stranger and his unspoken criticism has become unbearable for me.

My chest tightens as I glance at Keira. Her wide-eyed disbelief hasn't faded, but when I reach for her hand, she doesn't pull away. "Let's go," I whisper.

She gives the tiniest nod, still stunned, but she doesn't argue.

We navigate through the crowd while fans in the background discuss the game and then a person points at me saying "That's her!"

By the time we stumble out onto the cool night streets, I'm shaking.

My banner is still crumpled in my hand, a sad reminder of the night I thought would celebrate Dylan.

Kiera loops her arm through mine. "Taylor, screw him. Screw all of it. You're better than this."

"I don't feel better," I mutter. "I feel stupid.”

"Honestly, forget Dylan, you two looked smoking out there. That kiss? Fireworks, girl.” She bumps my shoulder lightly, eyes sparkling. “Maybe you should've asked for that stranger's number before you ran.”

"Come on, Keira, stop joking around—" I start, cheeks burning, but before I can finish my sentence, my phone buzzes sharply, the notification tone slicing through my misery. I almost ignore it, but the screen lights up with a charge notification.

It is my monthly credit card bill. I usually know what I spent on so it shouldn't be a problem.

But my stomach drops this time when I see the extra $20,000.

It must be Dylan.

I didn’t mind using my money to support his dream and our life together.

But now he cheated on me while spending an extra $20,000?

How dare he?

"Dylan squandered my money this month," I mumbled to Kiera, my voice shaking. "He probably had planned to break up with me after I found out."

"What-" Kiera's face darkens. " He didn't."

"Oh, he did." My fingers tremble as I dial his number

One ring. Two. Four. Straight to voicemail. I try again.

And again. On the sixth attempt, he finally answers. His voice oozes irritation.

"Taylor. Now's not a good time. I'm about to go back to the field."

"Not a good time?" My chest aches with fury. "You used up all my savings. What did you even buy this time?"

Then Dylan sighs like I'm the problem. "It's an investment."

"An investment? With my money?" My voice cracks. "In what, Dylan?"

"Don't be dramatic." His tone shifts, almost smug. "It's Ella, the woman I kissed earlier. You saw her."

"Ella?" The name punches the air from my lungs.

"She's wealthy, Taylor. I need to bring her on dates that are up to her standards. Once I win her over, everything will change. I'll pay you back—every penny. You just need to be patient."

The world tilts beneath me. "So you're using me—my money—to impress another woman?"

He exhales, annoyed. "It's called strategy. I saw you kissing another man too, by the way. Why don't we just both move on? "

Memories of kissing that stranger in front of everyone floods back. I can feel my cheeks heat up.

I don't have time to think about a stranger right now.

I have to get my money back.

"You cheated first, Dylan." My voice steadies, icy now. "If you don't pay me back immediately, I'll go to her. I'll tell Ella exactly what you've been doing."

That gets him. His voice sharpens, ugly. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

"Careful, Taylor." He now speaks with such venom. I have never heard him talk to me like that before.

"You don't know who-." The line goes dead. "Oh no, he didn't just hang up on me."

I try calling back but met with the robotic voice of an automated system: "The number you are dialing has blocked you."

"You're seriously not letting him get away with this, right?" Kiera grabs me, her words igniting the flame inside me.

He's not just going to walk away from this.

Not with my money, and certainly not with my dignity.

“I'm going backstage to find Ella.” I whisper. "She deserves to know what a Prick he really is."

Although the sports venue is quieter now since the second half of the game is about to start, the security personnel maintain their position with operational radios crackling in the shadows.

Kiera hisses beside me as we sneak toward the side entrance. "Taylor, you're insane. But if you're doing this, I'm with you."

I squeeze her hand. "Thank you."

The backstage area hums with the noise of distant voices, while the air carries the scent of sweat and disinfectant. The walls display shiny posters showing athletes with glossy smiles.

Then I see him. Dylan. His eyes land on me, and something hard flickers there.

To my surprise, Ella is not there with him.

"Get her out of here," Dylan says flatly, dismissing me like I'm some crazed fan. "She doesn't belong."

"What?" My voice rises, sharp and trembling. "You can't just—"

Two guards advance, broad shoulders blotting out the hallway lights.

Kiera squeezes my hand hard. "Go find Ella. I'll distract them."

"What? No—"

"Taylor, go!" she hisses, then spins toward the guards with the kind of wild, dramatic energy only she can pull off. "You want trouble? Here it is!"

She kicks over a trash bin which produces a loud metallic sound before she throws her arms into the air as if she wants to start a protest. The guards immediately turn their attention to her, shouting commands as she shrieks in exaggerated outrage.

"Don't touch me! I know my rights!" she yells, drawing every eye in the hallway.

My heart twists with gratitude.

"I owe you one" I whisper even though I know she can't hear me because her loud performance drowns out my voice.

With their focus on Kiera, I ran down the hallways as my heart races with increasing speed.

I expect to find Ella somewhere nearby, maybe tucked into a private lounge or corner of the backstage area. But when I finally turn a corner, I freeze at the sight before me.

Ella is there, yes—draped in elegance. But she's not with Dylan.

She's speaking to HIM.

The stranger. The man from the stands. The one I kissed.

He stands a few feet from Ella, his shoulders squared, posture rigid as though every muscle in his body is strung tight. His fists flex at his sides, slowly opening and closing, like he's fighting to stay calm.

"Unbelievable," he mutters. "We're still in the middle of a divorce process, and you're already parading around with a new boyfriend?"

"Oh, calm down, Aiden." Ella doesn't flinch. She crosses her arms over her chest, chin tilted high, her perfume drifting sharp and floral even from where I'm hiding.

Oh God.

The stranger—the man whose lips I stole in a moment of reckless desperation—is Ella’s husband.

Her divorcing but still married husband.

Aiden POV

Twenty Minutes Ago

I'm a billionaire, a quarterback for one of the biggest American football teams, and one of the main investors in Pacific Wave FC.

Nick, the club manager, sits beside me. We came here to scout—check out Dylan's debut, see if the kid's worth signing for next season, maybe spot a few other recruits. That's why we slipped into these cheap seats instead of the VIP box. The plan was to stay unnoticed, avoid the players' eyes, and keep a low profile.

But now my mind keeps replaying the moment I saw Ella kissing him while her hand kept rubbing his arm as if it belongs there.

My chest tightens at the thought.

After all, she is still my wife. Even though we’ve been living apart for quite some time.

As if that weren't enough, some girl—barely more than a stranger—yanked me into a kiss, and of course the Kiss Cam caught it.

Now I'm supposed to be paying attention to the match, blending in with the crowd, but how can I?

The guy two rows down keeps sneaking glances, like he half-recognizes me from a sports headline or a highlight reel.

I sink lower in my seat, wishing to look normal.

"That girl could work in our favor," Nick says carefully, flipping through his clipboard. "If you're seen dating and kissing her, it might clean up your public image. People think you only go for blondes with trust funds. And that you don't respect poor people."

The girl’s face cuts through the noise in my head—dark hair tumbling in loose waves, skin with a sun kissed warmth that doesn't fade under stadium lights, eyes the color of strong coffee watching me like she already knew my secrets.

Even her mouth, the one I can still feel pressed to mine, held something defiant in it.

She looked nothing like the polished blondes I’ve been photographed beside. She looked real.

I glare at him. "I'm not even divorced yet. There's nothing to discuss."

"Deadline to sign the papers is this week. Ella's already moved on, Aiden.” He sighs, leaning back into his chair. "What's really stopping you?"

"What's stopping me?" I can't help but frown at the question. "I just don't want this."

Divorce feels like failure. Every woman I've ever dated was dazzling, the type who lit up magazine covers.

And yet, they all said the same thing to me when we broke up — that I couldn’t give them what they really wanted.

Love.

I need to talk to Ella. Now.

My phone feels heavy in my hand as I type out the word: We need to talk. I saw the kiss cam.

Then I hit send before I can even stop myself.

Taylor POV

"You never loved me! The only thing you ever loved was football!"

Ella's voice rips through the hallway loud and raw, shattering the quiet like glass underfoot.

Her voice trembles with fury and something sharper. It contains pain– hurt so deep it almost burns the air around it.

Pressing flat against the cold wall, my spine aching from the sudden tension.

My heart begins to hammer so violently. I could hardly hear the voices coming from further down the hall. I clutch my jacket so tight that my knuckles begin to turn white.

I should not be here. I should not be eavesdropping.

My mind is telling me to run away, but my feet won't listen while my eyes stay locked on them.

"That’s not true…" Aiden tries to explain.

But Ella cuts him off sharp before he can finish his sentence, her voice trembling. "You never loved me, Aiden. Not even when I was in the hospital… after the miscarriage."

My stomach drop. A miscarriage.

I have never known anyone to go through something so devastating and so achingly personal.

Aiden's voice cuts through the silence, soft, almost desperate. "Ella…I--I didn't get the message in time. I'm so sorry. I should have been there sooner I--"

"I waited," Ella whispers, voice cracking into a shuddering sob. "Three days. Three days, Aiden. And you couldn't even come then. Couldn't even be there when I needed you most."

Even though I saw her practically kissing off my boyfriend's face on the Kiss Cam, a stubborn part of me can't help but feel it for her.

And then there's him.

Aiden.

He should have been there for Ella, holding her hands and whispering to her that everything would be okay. But he didn't.

He is handsome, sure, jaw sharp enough to cut glass, voice smooth, words practiced, but beneath it all—he's a douchebag.

The kind of guy who makes it impossible not to notice him while simultaneously making you hate everything about him.

"I let you down in every way—" His words break apart thick with regret, trembling around the edges like it might crack entirely. "I would do anything to change that. Anything."

"Let me down? You think that's the word for it?" she spits, each syllable heavy with pain.

"You think an apology can undo the nights I spent crying alone? You think I can forget that you… you didn't care enough?" Her voice breaks at the end, lacing with anger but also with a hint of something almost softer, almost like the tremor of heartbreak hiding beneath the anger.

Aiden's voice drops to a lower tone while he speaks with greater caution.

"Ella… please let's not go through with the divorce. Can we… just try again? I want us to work."

The silence that follows is like ice. I can feel Ella's hesitation before I hear it.

"I… I have someone now," she says finally, steadier than I expected. "Someone who actually cares. Someone who would not leave me waiting when I needed them most. Unlike… you."

"The boy you kissed today? He is way too young to take any responsibility." Aiden's words falter, a stutter of disbelief.

"I trust him," Ella exhales, the sound sharp, resolute. "I will go public about my relationship with him after the divorce, his name is Dylan, he is not someone like you who hides, who avoids responsibility, who—"

I roll my eyes before she can finish.

Dylan? Please.

If she really believes that man will stand by her, she's in for a brutal wake-up call.

He only cares about her money.

I initially came here to warn her…but now I'm not sure about that.

Ella probably also saw the kiss between Dylan and me. I guess she won't trust what I'm going to tell her now.

Maybe another time. Another way.

I should have walk away the moment I heard the word “divorce”. Now I need to disappear before either of them becomes aware of my presence.

As I turn to leave, my foot nudges a metal trash can and a sharp clang rings out.

Where did that trash can come from?

I stumble back. My heart shoots up to my throat while my pulse creates a deafening sound in my ears.

"Oh shit," I whisper, my voice small, barely audible over the hammering of my own heart.

"Who's there?" Aiden's voice slicing through the silence, sharp and laced with irritation.

Taylor POV

The silence of the hallway makes my shoe squeak like a loud scream revealing my presence.

After taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I finally decide to step out, revealing myself.

My throat feels like fire as I try to speak, "Hi…I'm Taylor."

"Why are you here?" Aiden stares at me intensely with eyes that seem to cut through all my defenses to reveal my deepest truth.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." My voice keeps trembling even though I try to steady it. "I was running away from the security. I somehow ended up here."

"I don't care who you are or why you are here. Just leave," Ella says without even sparing me a look, clearly impatient about my sudden interruption of their very private conversation.

"Actually…" My voice falters.

I wonder if I should just warn Ella about Dylan after I made the worst first impression.

"Actually, the real reason I'm here is because of you, Ella.” I decide to say it anyway. “I came to talk to you about Dylan."

I push my legs to move forward.

"Dylan is my ex," The words taste bitter on my tongue. "He used my credit card to bring you on dates. He thinks he can win you over with it, like he always does. And when I asked him to pay me back, he just—he refused. He laughed."

I swallow hard, my words coming out faster now. Thank God I got them out before I lost the courage to say them.

I glance over at Ella, she finally raises her eyes to look at me, her face full of judgment.

"He's not a good person. You should be careful around him. What he has for you isn't about feelings—it's about what he can take. He's probably just after your money. He did this to me too," I continued.

I know I sound like a crazy ex-girlfriend, but I just have to tell her the truth.

Ella doesn't hesitate. She rolls her eyes at me, slow and deliberate, like she doesn't give a flying shit about what I have to say.

Whatever broken, sad look she was portraying earlier when speaking to Aiden is now gone, wiped clean as if it never existed.

In its place is only arrogance, her chin is held high, her smile cold, like she's determined to show me just how little I matter.

"Your name's Taylor?" Her tone dripping with mockery.

I nod.

"Oh, so you're the ex-girlfriend Dylan mentioned— " Her voice is sharp, teasing. "He said he knew you'd come to accuse him. I won't fall for your tricks, though. I know you are just a gold digger trying to get more out of him after you guys broke up. He owes you NOTHING."

"By the way, are you the girl on the kiss cam today?" Ella smirks, tilting her head, as if she's studying a curious insect.

I blink, caught off guard.

"I didn't see your faces. But judging from your hair.... And the man seems to wear the same hat as you, Aiden." Ella turns to Aiden with a sneer.

"She grabbed and kissed me," Aiden answered immediately, trying to distance himself from me. "I just happen to sit next to her."

"Looks like Taylor got her new target. Just be careful."

Damn, Her words sting sharper than I expected.

Imagine I came here to warn her, to protect her from the same trap I fell into, and instead… she insults me.

Heat begins to rise in my chest. My jaw tightens. "I'm not lying," I snap, letting the anger rise through my words, "Dylan fooled me, and he'll fool you too."

Ella produces a brief dismissive laugh before she shakes her head. "Let's just stop it here. I don't want to continue our meaningless conversation anymore." She then turns around, about to leave.

"But we-," Aiden stops her by grabbing her arms.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you either." Then Ella just walks away while her high heels produce a rhythmic sound on the wooden floor.

She doesn't believe me.

I look at Aiden, who remains completely silent after Ella left.

He doesn't even look angry—just… distant.

Maybe he's already made up his mind. Or maybe he's thinking about Ella. Does he actually not want to end their marriage?

Okay, Taylor, think. Maybe if I… butter him up a little. Make him think I'm on his side.

Make him feel like… maybe I can help.

"You seem… like a really nice guy," I say cautiously, forcing myself to smile.

"Maybe… we could team up? If you… if we could let Ella see the truth about Dylan, maybe she'd break up with him. And maybe you can take the change to win her back too," I rush out, the sentences awkward but desperate.

I know it's bold. I know it's asking a lot. But what choice do I have?

Aiden shifts his head to the side as his eyes grow darker. Then he shakes his head, and the coldness in his tone cuts like ice.

"I've seen women like you before," he says, his words deliberate, slow and sharp.

What does that even mean?

"Poor and greedy. When you realize you can no longer get more out of Dylan, you begin to trick me into your scheme. With the kiss and everything."

My stomach drops. I feel like I just got a punch in the gut.

This is probably the worst day in my life...

First cheated by Dylan. Then lost all my savings. Now this?

The burning sensation of humiliation spreads from my chest all the way to my feet.

My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms.

"Now I understand why Ella is divorcing you." The words come out sharp, unfiltered. I feel a tremor in my chest as I say them. "You're not poor. But so what?"

Aiden narrows his eyes.

"Actually, I bet you don't have any real friend or family." The words rip from my mouth before I can even stop them, sharp and venomous. "Your self-centered, toxic bias will make you die alone."