Maya's POV
"Well," James Walsh says into the microphone, his fake smile not reaching his eyes. "It seems we have some unexpected guests tonight."
Every person in the ballroom stares at me and Ethan. The whispers start immediately. I hear fragments of conversations around us.
"Isn't that the girl Derek was supposed to marry?"
"She's with Ethan Stone? The billionaire?"
"I thought she was nobody. How did she land him?"
I force myself to stand tall, to keep breathing. My hand tightens on Ethan's arm. He covers my hand with his, steady and strong.
"Shall we?" Ethan asks quietly, leading me further into the room.
We walk through the crowd like we own the place. People part to let us through, their eyes wide with curiosity and shock. I keep my face calm, expressionless, even though my heart pounds so hard I think everyone can hear it.
Derek stands frozen near the stage, his eyes locked on me. He looks terrible—pale, sweating, his hands shaking. Vanessa grabs his arm possessively, but he doesn't even look at her. He only looks at me.
Good. Let him look. Let him see what he threw away.
Patricia stares at me with pure hatred. She didn't expect me to recover this fast. She thought she'd destroyed me completely when she stole my money and threw me out.
But I'm still standing. And I look better than I ever did when I was with Derek.
"Maya!" A familiar voice calls out. Sophie pushes through the crowd, her eyes wide with shock. "What are you doing here? I thought you were—I mean, I heard about—"
She stops, realizing everyone is listening.
"Sophie." I hug my best friend, grateful for one friendly face in this room full of enemies. "When did you get back from Paris?"
"This morning. I've been calling you all day." She looks at Ethan, then back at me. "Is it true? Are you really engaged to Ethan Stone?"
Before I can answer, Ethan extends his hand to Sophie. "Ethan Stone. It's nice to meet Maya's best friend. She's told me wonderful things about you."
Sophie shakes his hand, completely starstruck. "I—wow. I mean, congratulations?"
"Thank you." Ethan puts his arm around my waist, pulling me close. "Maya is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
The lie sounds so real. For a moment, I almost believe it myself.
James Walsh descends from the stage, walking directly toward us. Patricia follows him, her face twisted with anger. Derek tries to come too, but Vanessa holds him back, whispering urgently in his ear.
"Mr. Stone," James says smoothly, offering his hand. "What a surprise to see you at our family event."
Ethan doesn't shake his hand. He just stares at it until James lowers it awkwardly.
"I'm here with my fiancée," Ethan says coldly. "Maya Chen. I believe you know her."
"Of course. Maya." James's smile is like a snake preparing to strike. "How unexpected to see you here, dear. I heard you were having a difficult time after Derek's wedding."
"I'm having a wonderful time, actually." I force myself to smile at him. "Turns out losing Derek was the best thing that ever happened to me."
Patricia steps forward. "Maya, we need to talk. Privately."
"I have nothing to say to you." My voice is ice. "You stole my money and threw me out. We're done talking."
"That money was—"
"Stolen," Ethan interrupts. "From a bank account that belonged solely to Maya. Which makes it theft. We're currently gathering evidence for a lawsuit."
Patricia's face goes red. "You can't prove—"
"We can prove everything." Ethan's smile is dangerous. "Bank records, withdrawal authorizations, every illegal transaction. My lawyers are very thorough."
James's eyes narrow. "Be careful, Mr. Stone. Making accusations about my family could be very costly for you."
"Is that a threat?" Ethan asks calmly.
"It's a warning. From one businessman to another."
"I don't take warnings from murderers."
The word drops like a bomb. People nearby gasp. James's face goes purple with rage.
"What did you say?" James hisses.
"You heard me." Ethan's voice carries through the suddenly silent ballroom. "Everyone here should know what kind of man you really are. A man who destroys businesses, ruins families, and kills anyone who threatens to expose him."
"You're insane," James says, but his voice shakes slightly. "Security! Remove these people!"
"We're leaving," Ethan says. "But not because you told us to. Because we've seen enough of your pathetic celebration."
He starts to lead me toward the exit. But Derek finally breaks free from Vanessa and rushes toward us.
"Maya, wait!" Derek grabs my arm. "Please. I need to talk to you."
I stop and turn to face him. Up close, he looks even worse. His eyes are red like he's been crying. His breath smells like alcohol. This is not the confident man I dated for six years.
"Let go of me," I say quietly.
"I made a mistake." Derek's voice cracks. "The biggest mistake of my life. I should never have married Vanessa. I should have chosen you."
"But you didn't." I pull my arm free. "You chose a business deal. You chose money and power. You chose everyone except me."
"I was pressured! My father, her mother, everyone was pushing me—"
"And you weren't strong enough to say no." I look him directly in the eyes. "I worked three jobs for six years to support you, Derek. I gave up my dreams, my time, my life. And the moment things got difficult, you threw me away like garbage."
"I know. I know I hurt you. But we can fix this. We can—"
"There's nothing to fix." I step back into Ethan's arms. "I've moved on. And you need to let me go."
Vanessa appears beside Derek, her face a mask of false concern. "Darling, you're upsetting yourself. Remember what the doctor said about stress."
She touches her chest dramatically, like she's having trouble breathing. The dying girl act. I want to laugh at how fake it is.
"Vanessa isn't dying," I say clearly, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "She's lying. There's no heart condition. No terminal illness. Just a manipulative girl who wanted to steal my life."
Vanessa's face goes pale. "That's not true! I have medical reports—"
"Faked." Ethan pulls out his phone. "I have evidence from three independent doctors proving you're perfectly healthy. Would you like me to share it with everyone here?"
Vanessa's mouth opens and closes like a fish. No words come out.
Derek stares at her in shock. "Is it true? Have you been lying about being sick?"
"I—I can explain—" Vanessa stammers.
"Explain what?" Derek's voice rises. "Explain that you faked a terminal illness to manipulate me into marriage? Explain that you destroyed my relationship with Maya based on lies?"
"Your father knew," Ethan says calmly. "James Walsh knew Vanessa was faking from the beginning. It was part of the plan to get you married into Patricia's family."
Derek turns to his father, horror on his face. "Dad? Tell me he's lying."
James doesn't answer. He just glares at Ethan with pure hatred.
That silence is answer enough.
"You knew," Derek whispers. "You knew she was lying and you let me marry her anyway. You destroyed my life for a business deal."
"Don't be dramatic," James snaps. "The marriage benefits our firm. Benefits our family. Your personal feelings don't matter."
"My personal feelings don't matter?" Derek's voice breaks. "I threw away the woman I love because you told me to. I married someone based on a lie because you told me to. And now you're saying my feelings don't matter?"
For one moment, I almost feel sorry for Derek. He looks lost and broken, realizing his father manipulated him.
But then I remember how easily he gave up on us. How quickly he chose his father's approval over our relationship. How he offered me a secondhand marriage like I'm not worth being first choice.
My sympathy dies.
"Come on," Ethan says, guiding me toward the exit. "We're done here."
This time, Derek doesn't try to stop us. He just stands there with his fake wife beside him, watching me leave with someone better.
But as we reach the ballroom doors, Vanessa's voice rings out. "You can act superior all you want, Maya. But you're still just a waitress playing dress-up in a billionaire's world. Everyone here knows you don't belong."
I stop walking. Every muscle in my body screams at me to keep going, to ignore her.
But I can't.
I turn around slowly and face Vanessa across the crowded room. "You're right. I was a waitress. I worked three jobs and barely survived. But you know what I learned working those jobs? I learned that people's true character shows when they have nothing. You were born rich, given everything, and you're still so insecure that you had to steal someone else's fiancé. I had nothing, and I'm still more than you'll ever be."
The room is dead silent. Vanessa's face turns bright red with fury and embarrassment.
"At least I'm married," Vanessa hisses. "At least Derek chose me."
"He didn't choose you," I say calmly. "He chose a business deal that happened to include you. There's a difference."
Before Vanessa can respond, Ethan speaks. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make."
He pulls me close and looks down at me with an expression so tender it takes my breath away. For a moment, I forget this is all fake.
"Maya Chen has agreed to be my wife," Ethan says loudly. "We're engaged. And unlike some people in this room, our relationship is based on real feelings, not lies and business arrangements."
The crowd erupts in whispers and gasps. Cameras flash as reporters capture the moment.
Derek makes a sound like he's been punched. He actually staggers backward.
James Walsh's face is purple with rage. "This is outrageous! Security! Get them out of here!"
Security guards start moving toward us, but Ethan doesn't look worried. "Come on, love. Let's go home."
Love. He called me love. My heart does something strange in my chest.
We walk out of the ballroom with everyone staring. The cool night air hits my face as we step outside. Cameras flash everywhere. Reporters shout questions.
"Mr. Stone! When did you propose?"
"Maya! How does it feel to move on so quickly?"
"Is it true you're suing the Chen family?"
Ethan's car pulls up. He opens the door for me and I slide inside, grateful to escape the chaos.
As we drive away, I look back at the hotel. Derek stands in the entrance, watching us leave. Even from this distance, I can see the regret on his face.
"You okay?" Ethan asks.
"I don't know." My hands shake as adrenaline fades. "That was intense."
"You were perfect. Strong, confident, powerful. Everything I knew you could be."
"I wanted to punch Vanessa," I admit.
Ethan laughs. "So did I."
We drive in silence for a moment. My phone buzzes constantly with texts and calls. Sophie. Derek. Unknown numbers. I turn it off.
"What happens now?" I ask. "James knows we're working together. He'll come after us."
"Let him try." Ethan's jaw tightens. "We're just getting started."
But as he says that, his phone rings. He answers it, his expression changing instantly.
"What? When?" He listens intently, his face going darker with each second. "I'm on my way."
He hangs up and immediately changes direction, driving faster.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"My sister. Someone got into her hospital room tonight during the gala. The nurse found her unconscious. They're not sure if she'll survive."
My blood runs cold. "James Walsh did this."
"Yes." Ethan's knuckles are white on the steering wheel. "He attacked my sister while we were at the gala. He wanted me distracted while he struck at my weakness."
"Will she be okay?"
"I don't know." His voice cracks slightly. "She's all the family I have left, Maya. If he kills her—"
He doesn't finish the sentence. He doesn't need to. I can see the fear and rage in his eyes.
We race through the city toward the hospital. My mind spins with everything that happened tonight. The confrontation with Derek. The revelations about Vanessa's lies. Ethan's public engagement announcement.
And now James Walsh attacking Ethan's vulnerable sister in retaliation.
This war just became deadly real.
As we screech into the hospital parking lot, my stomach churns. Not from stress this time. From morning sickness.
The pregnancy. I forgot about it during all the drama at the gala.
We rush into the hospital and take the elevator to the psychiatric ward. Ethan is silent, his jaw clenched, his whole body tense.
The elevator doors open and we run down the hallway toward his sister's room.
But as we round the corner, I see someone standing outside the room.
Derek.
He's here, in the hospital, outside Ethan's sister's room.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan demands, his voice dangerous.
Derek turns, and his face is covered in tears. "I came to warn you. My father is planning something worse. Something that will destroy both of you."
"Why would you warn us?" I ask suspiciously.
"Because I finally understand what kind of man my father really is." Derek's voice shakes. "And because I still love you, Maya. I won't let him hurt you, even if you hate me."
Before anyone can respond, the door to the sister's room opens. A doctor steps out, her face grave.
"Mr. Stone? We need to talk about your sister's condition. I'm afraid the news isn't good."