Benjamin's eyes narrowed the second he saw the small box on the floor.
He bent down, picked it up, and read the label.
"Birth control?" he muttered, then slowly turned to Cherry. His face darkened.
Without warning, his hand flew up and grabbed her by the neck.
Cherry gasped, her fingers clawing at his wrist. Her feet scraped against the floor as he shoved her against the wall, cutting off her air.
"You were supposed to be a virgin!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "That's what your sweet mother said, didn't she?!"
Cherry's vision blurred. Her lungs screamed for air. She tried to shake her head, to explain, but no sound came out.
Benjamin's gaze locked on the faint red marks on her neck from the night before. His rage deepened. "He touched you," he said bitterly. "You already let someone else you, and you didn't even think of telling me."
He suddenly released her.
Cherry fell to the floor, coughing and gasping. Her hands trembled as she pulled herself upright, but Benjamin just stared at her, his face a mixture of disgust and amusement.
"Maybe you'll say yes now," he sneered. "No one wants a used girl anyway."
Cherry blinked away tears, frozen by fear, but her mind raced. She had to survive this. She had to get out.
Then the doorbell rang.
She froze. Her heart leapt.
Benjamin didn't flinch. He stood, calm and cocky. "Come in," he called out, his tone casual, as if nothing had happened.
He sat on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other.
The door opened.
A man in a hotel uniform pushed a cart into the room. A covered tray. Food, maybe. Cherry's eyes locked onto him, hope rushing through her.
But he didn't look at her.
Not once.
He just wheeled the tray inside and parked it by the window.
Her breath caught in her throat. He didn't help. He didn't even see her.
"This is what you requested, Mister Scott," the waiter said as he set the dishes one by one on the table. He even lit a tall candle and placed it in an elegant holder.
But Benjamin suddenly stood and snatched it from his hands. "I'll take it from here. You can go."
The waiter nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, sir," he said, backing out with the cart.
Cherry's eyes followed him, desperate. She didn't move. But as the waiter pushed the cart toward the door, he gave her a small, quick glance, and a slight nod.
Hope sparked in her chest.
She got it.
Now. Or never.
With everything she had, Cherry shoved the cart toward Benjamin. It crashed into his leg with a loud clatter. Dishes toppled. The candle hit the floor. Benjamin cursed loudly.
Before he could recover, Cherry bolted through the open door.
"You !" he roared, clutching his shin. "Are you asking to die?!"
Then he shouted at the frozen waiter, "What are you waiting for? Go after her, you idiot!"
"Y-Yes, sir!" the man stammered, though he didn't move right away.
Cherry didn't look back.
She sprinted down the hall as fast as she could, dodging people and carts. She could barely breathe, her chest tight with fear. Just reach the elevator. Please be open.
It was just about to close when she got there.
"Wait!" she yelled.
She flung herself forward, and nearly collapsed inside.
A strong arm caught her just in time.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, "
She stopped midsentence.
The man who caught her?
Gilbert Ace Carter.
His eyes, cold as steel, stared down at her. He looked like he was about to speak, but froze. Something in his expression flickered.
Cherry couldn't hold it in anymore. She shook like a leaf, tears slipping down her cheeks. The fear, the pain, the shame, it all came flooding out at once.
Gilbert still held her, confused, then slowly pulled her upright.
And that's when he smelled it.
The soft, clean scent of baby cologne.
The exact same scent as the woman in his bed the night before.
His grip tightened just slightly.
His eyes narrowed.
Without a word, Gilbert shoved Cherry away from him.
She stumbled backward and hit the wall with a soft cry. "Ah, "
Gilbert narrowed his eyes. Really? That weak of a push? He scoffed inwardly. "What an act," he muttered under his breath.
He crossed his arms, his face cold as stone. "Don't even try to play innocent. It won't work for me."
Cherry looked up at him, wide-eyed, still breathless. "W-What?"
Gilbert didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened as Liam's words echoed in his mind.
She planned it.
According to Liam, Cherry had deliberately befriended his grandmother. Asked questions. Dug into her background. She knew exactly who Mathilde Ace Carter was, and used it to her advantage.
Rich old woman with a soft heart. Easy target.
He felt sick just thinking about it.
"You really had this all figured out, huh?" Gilbert said bitterly. "Pretend to be sweet, attach yourself to my grandmother... and boom. Instant marriage. Instant Ace Carter."
Cherry shook her head slowly, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Gilbert scoffed. "Don't act clueless now. You knew who she was. You knew everything before you even 'accidentally' met her."
Her lips trembled. "That's not true…"
He stepped closer, towering over her.
"You really think you can fool me like you fooled her?"
She flinched at his voice. But she didn't back down.
"I didn't trick anyone," Cherry whispered.
Gilbert let out a low laugh. "Save it. I've seen your kind before. Gold-diggers with angel faces."
He turned away, disgusted, fists clenched tight at his sides.
Why the hell did she smell like her?
Why did her tears make his chest tighten?
He shook it off. He didn't care. Not anymore.
According to the information gathered by his secretary, from the very beginning, Cherry Blaire had gotten close to Grandma Mathilde with an ulterior motive. She wasn't just some kind-hearted friend, she had a plan. Win the old woman's heart and take advantage of it.
If only Grandma Mathilde hadn't blamed the company… If only that crisis in California hadn't happened, forcing him to stay there for over a year… Gilbert would've never let this happen. He would've protected his grandmother from someone like Cherry Blaire.
Now, just looking at her made his eyes burn with disgust.
He turned to his secretary. "Press the button."
She quickly obeyed, but before the elevator could close, a man came storming out of the hallway.
Cherry froze. Benjamin.
Panic swept through her like a wave. She didn't know what the man would do if he got to her. Her body trembled as she backed up toward the elevator, then suddenly turned to face Gilbert Ace Carter.
Desperation pushed the words out of her mouth.
"M-Mister Ace Carter... Don't you recognize me? I... I'm your wife..."
She almost collapsed just saying it. But she had no choice. Gilbert was her only lifeline. Even if she wasn't sure he remembered her, even if it meant swallowing every ounce of her pride, she had to try.
But instead of helping her, Gilbert's face turned stone-cold.
Wife?
She had no right to say that. Their marriage was nothing but a contract, one that his grandmother arranged. She was just a name on paper.
Gilbert narrowed his eyes.
"Isn't it clearly stated in the prenup that our marriage stays a secret, Miss. Blaire?"
His voice was low and sharp, like a warning. The temperature in the air seemed to drop with every word he spoke.
Cherry froze in place.
His eyes. Those cold, gray eyes made her feel like the lowest woman in the world.
But what did she do to deserve that look?
It wasn't her who pushed for the marriage. It was his grandmother. And Cherry only agreed because she had no choice. Time was running out for her own grandmother, and Grandma Mathilde had offered her a way to help. She just took it.
Now, standing in front of Gilbert Ace Carter, she realized something painful.
It wasn't that he didn't know her.
He simply didn't care.
Why would he? She was nothing but a nobody, a desperate woman who married a stranger for reasons he would never understand.
Then came the sound of rushed footsteps.
Cherry turned her head and saw Benjamin, panting and sweating, arrive in front of the elevator. But the moment he saw Gilbert, he froze too.
"B-Brother Gilbert..."
Her heart dropped.
Did they know each other?
What was happening? Why did it feel like the world was closing in on her?
She looked between the two men. Her knees weakened, and her body started to shake. The energy left her all at once. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move.
Gilbert's eyes didn't leave Benjamin.
"Why do you look like that?" he asked flatly. "You look like shit."
His words struck like ice. Calm, but cruel.
Benjamin's face went pale. He hadn't expected this. He just wanted to enjoy himself tonight, but of all the people he could run into, it had to be Gilbert Ace Carter.
The one man who could destroy everything with just a look.
Especially now, when their family had so much to lose.
Because if Gilbert found out about his secrets…
It wasn't just Benjamin's name on the line.
It was Olivia's, too.
And she was a Carter.
"M-My classmate asked me to come here… she said she needed something from me," Benjamin lied, barely keeping eye contact as he glanced at Cherry, standing frozen a few steps away.
She looked terrified, like prey cornered by a predator.
"Just wait. You're dead meat,' Benjamin thought, straightening his posture like nothing happened.
"Y-You're lying!" Cherry suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling. "You tricked me! The guard said my brother was here!"
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Benjamin snapped, his voice rising. His face twisted with fake outrage as he pointed at her. "You were the one flirting with me! You and your sweet little mommy tried to squeeze money out of me!"
He turned to Gilbert, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "Don't fall for her act, Gilbert. That little person is a liar!"
But Gilbert didn't flinch. His cold stare moved between the two of them, unreadable. He said nothing, but the tension in the room was suffocating.
Benjamin, panicking that his lies might not hold, suddenly pulled something from his pocket, a small silver box, and tossed it at Cherry's feet.
Contraceptive pills.
"Look at that, Brother Gilbert!" he declared triumphantly. "If she wasn't planning anything dirty, why would she be carrying those?"
Cherry's heart dropped. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She looked at Gilbert, and his face had changed.
His eyes had darkened. Jaw clenched. Hands curled into fists.
"That's not mine," she began, her voice cracking.
But Gilbert cut her off. "Are you saying your mother had nothing to do with this?"
His tone was razor-sharp. Cold. Final.
Benjamin smirked, knowing he'd landed the blow. He could already imagine Cherry breaking down. There was no way she'd deny it now. Not when he had screenshots of payments made to her mother, evidence ready to destroy her.
Cherry stood frozen, trembling. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, but her lips stayed sealed.
She couldn't deny it.
Because it was true, her mother had accepted money. And even if she tried to explain, she knew Gilbert wouldn't believe her. Not now. Not after seeing those pills. Not when the trap had been set so perfectly.
Gilbert didn't even need to hear Cherry's answer. The coldness in his eyes was gone, but that didn't mean warmth had taken its place. What replaced it was worse, disappointment. Quiet, heavy disappointment that said more than anger ever could.
Cherry Blaire didn't say a word, but her silence spoke volumes. And for Gilbert, that was enough.
Everything Benjamin said suddenly made sense. The pills. Her hesitation. Her connection to his grandmother.
In his eyes now, she wasn't just a liar, she was a con artist.
Someone who had used his Grandma Mathilde's kindness for her own gain. Someone who had played innocent until the truth came out.
And now, she didn't even try to defend herself.