Chapter 5: The Engagement She Stole
I stared at Elias. “Why are you doing this? You’re supposed to marry her.”
“I was never supposed to marry her,” he said, never taking his eyes off Colleen. “She told you we were engaged. She told everyone. But she never told me.”
The gasp that went through the room was louder than the slap.
“I met her at a charity gala,” Elias explained. “We talked twice. She took a photo of us laughing, sent it to every family member, every friend, said we were getting married. By the time I found out, the invitations were sent, the venue paid for—and your aunt threatened to ruin my company if I backed out.”
Colleen looked like she might collapse. “You said you loved me!”
“I said you were intense,” Elias corrected. “That’s not love.”
He turned back to me. “I only agreed to come today because I got a tip you might show up. I needed to see your face when I told you I found the truth.”
My knees almost gave out. All those years of running, of hiding, of letting everyone think I was a killer… and the man standing at the altar had been fighting for me the whole time.
Then Colleen grabbed a heavy crystal vase from the table beside her.
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