Chapter 3Everyone Expected Revenge, I Gave Them My Blessing

Rage burned through me.

Emily wanted my money and my position. Worse, she was twisting Julian's mind to get both. He had already suffered enough because of me. I wouldn't let her hurt him again.

I went straight to the company and headed for Julian's office. His secretary hurried over to stop me. "Ms. Hart, Mr. Rhodes is with a major client. He shouldn't be disturbed."

I scoffed. I'd built this company from the ground up. What major client would choose Julian over me?

One look from me made the secretary step aside. I pushed open Julian's office door. He was on the couch, with Emily on her knees between his legs.

The pleasure vanished from his face the moment he saw me, replaced by panic. There was nothing childlike about him now. He looked like a guilty coward.

My stomach turned. I tried to reassure myself. It's fine. This isn't the real Julian.

I swallowed my disgust and slammed down the evidence of Emily's deal with Barbara, the fixer who had helped her manipulate Julian. The video showed Emily exactly as she was—vicious and greedy. She called me a brainless idiot and Julian a spineless loser. Then she bragged that all it took to control a man like him was a little praise and adoration. After that, he'd do anything she wanted.

Emily didn't even finish dressing. She rushed at me half-naked, snatched my phone, and smashed it. Then she burst into tears.

"Why would you use AI to fake a video like this? Why are you trying to destroy what Julian and I have? If you have a problem with him, talk to him. Why put such disgusting words in my mouth? Thank God Julian is smart enough not to fall for something this cheap!"

For a moment, I was speechless. Then I laughed in disbelief at how quickly she'd turned the accusation back on me.

Julian's face flushed with anger, and his lips trembled as he struggled to speak.

I was sure the real Julian was fighting his way back. This time, I'd put the truth right in front of him. There was no way Emily could talk her way out of it. I had Mateo bring in Barbara, her partner in the scheme, and ordered Barbara to tell Julian everything.

The moment Barbara walked in, however, she handed Julian a stack of photos showing Mateo and me in bed together. She claimed I'd fabricated the evidence against Emily because I was terrified my affair with Mateo would be exposed.

I stared at the photos, frozen. Her AI fakes looked even more convincing than my real security footage.

Barbara hadn't become a top fixer for nothing. She'd been terrified and obedient when she confessed everything to Mateo, but now she changed her story without missing a beat. "I've seen every dirty trick in the book, and there's nothing I hate more than a woman who loses her mind over a man. But Emily is different. Her love for Julian is real. In all my years in this business, I've never seen anything like it. Even I was moved."

Emily seized the opening. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me. "Caroline, this is all my fault. I fell in love with your man, so of course you hate me enough to drag my name through the mud. I don't blame you. I just hope you'll stop seeing other men and treat Julian well. Make him happy. As long as he's happy, I'll leave and never come back."

I was still rolling my eyes when Emily grabbed the fruit knife from the conference table and slashed a major artery. Blood sprayed everywhere. Julian broke down sobbing, scooped her into his arms, and rushed her to the hospital.

What the hell was this? What were they trying to pull now?

I followed them to find out.