---- Chapter 25 Amira Osborne POV: Seeing the raw, protective fury in Arjun's eyes, something inside me broke. The wall | had so carefully constructed around my heart crumbled, and for the first time since my mother's death, | cried. The tears were a hot, cleansing flood, washing away years of repressed pain and humiliation Arjun' s anger instantly dissolved into a panicked concern. "Amira? Did | scare you? I'm so sorry, | just... | lost my temper." He gently wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb, his touch sending a jolt of warmth through me. Just then, the wail of sirens filled the air. Carter, his face a swollen, bloody mess, had called the police. The situation was quickly sorted out at the station. Given Carter's initial assault on me and the lack of any serious injury, the police were content to let it go with a warning. But Carter wasn't having it. "She's my fiancée!" he raved, pointing a shaking finger at me. "| have a right to kiss my own fiancée!" He was completely unhinged, a man pushed past the brink of sanity. His delusional outburst earned him a night in a holding cell for disorderly conduct. ---- Walking out of the police station into the cool night air, | knew this couldn't go on. Carter's obsession was a sickness, and it was starting to infect every corner of my new life. The next day, a new problem arose. Chloe came home from her playdate in tears. She refused to tell me what was wrong, just buried her face in my shoulder and sobbed. Later that evening, | got a call from the playdate's mother. Her voice was cold. "I'm sorry, Amira, but | don't think it's appropriate for Chloe to play with my daughter anymore. | don't want her exposed to... that kind of environment." She explained that rumors were circulating through the neighborhood's parent group chat. That Chloe wasn't an orphan I'd adopted, but the illegitimate child of my affair with Arjun. That | was a homewrecker who had broken up his engagement "I'm not the daughter of a bad lady!" Chloe wailed when | finally got the story out of her. "Tell them, Mommy!" My heart broke for her. My past was now poisoning her present. It didn't take a genius to figure out the source of the rumors. Jianna. | met her for coffee the next day. | laid out copies of screenshots from the group chat and a recording of her gossiping with another mother. "Retract every word and issue ---- a public apology to me and my daughter," | said, my voice low and dangerous, "or this all gets sent to the ethics board at your law firm. I'm sure they'd be very interested in the extracurricular activities of their newest associate." Her smug composure finally cracked. "Why does he want you?" she spat, her voice filled with a venomous jealousy. "You're used goods! You're nothing special!" "Maybe that's the point," | said coolly. "Arjun isn't with me because he's settling. He's not with me at all. He called off your engagement because he doesn't love you. And even if he didn't love me, he still wouldn't love you." Her face crumpled. And then she did something so predictable, so pathetic, it was almost comical. She slapped herself, hard, and burst into tears just as the café door opened. Arjun stood there. Jianna threw herself to the floor, grabbing my ankles. "Please, Amira, don't hurt me! I'll stay away from him, | promise!" Arjun's face was a mask of thunder. He walked past her as if she were invisible and held his hand out to me. "Chloe is asking for you," he said, his voice soft, his eyes filled with an unwavering trust. | took his hand. "Aren't you even going to ask what happened?" | asked, a hint of a smile playing on my lips. He looked at Jianna with utter disgust. "| don't need to. | trust ---- you.' We walked out together, leaving her sobbing on the floor of the café. It was the last time | ever saw her.