Chapter 1 " Julian , where's your precious girl tonight ? " N The teasing voice of Julian Locke's friend drifted lazily over the steaming waters of the spa pool . Gwyneth Fletcher's lips curved in a subtle smile as she prepared to walk around the artificial rock garden . But before she could take another step , Julian's voice floated through the mist - low and careless . " She's sulking . Decided not to come tonight . " Gwyneth's smile froze . Her mind went blank , ringing with confusion . She wasn't angry with him.§ Were they talking about someone else ? }] A burst of laughter echoed across the pool . " Well , can you blame her ? She's been following you around all this time in secret , and now you're getting engaged to Gwyneth tomorrow . Of course she's upset . " Through a gap in the rocks , Gwyneth looked over at her fiancé of five years - Julian . Shrouded in pale clouds of steam , he lounged at the edge of the pool , a towel slung low around his waist , casual and at ease . There was faint , almost mocking smile on his lips . " She's easier to please than Gwyneth . Just a bit of sweet talk and she'll come around . " Gwyneth's fingers dug into the rough stone , knuckles white where the sharp rock pressed her skin . Her eyelashes trembled uncontrollably . Julian ... was cheating on her ? } For five years , they'd worked at the same company , gone home together every evening , lived under the same roof . How had she never noticed anything ? " Talk is cheap ," someone jeered , " You've already taken everything from her . Isn't it time to make her official ? " Julian lifted a hand , plucked a glass of red wine from a floating tray , and swirled it lazily between his fingers . " Once the inheritance from her family goes through , I'll break up with Gwyneth . " Gwyneth's breath caught . She stared at the man she'd loved for five years , unable to believe what she was hearing . For all that time , he'd been gentle , considerate - almost impossibly attentive . Her friends had envied her , praised him as the perfect boyfriend : loyal , devoted , a gentleman through and through . " They'd shared a bed for years , but he'd always stopped short of crossing the final line . Even when she'd deliberately wrapped herself in a towel and slipped into his arms , he'd only looked at her with soft eyes and coaxed , " Sweetheart , I can't bear to rush you . Let's wait until we're married , all right ? " She'd been so naïve . She'd believed his restraint was proof of how deeply he loved her . " But all along , he'd been hiding another woman . } 1 A week ago , Julian had told her the company was struggling , asked her to transfer her parents ' business over to him to help cover a financial crisis . With their engagement set for tomorrow , Gwyneth hadn't doubted him for a second . She'd hired a lawyer and started the paperwork right away . The process was still stuck at the final stage . She never imagined it was all just a trick - a scheme to steal the Fletcher family inheritance . " Julian , after five years with Gwyneth , are you telling me you never cared for her at all ? " Julian's eyes were half closed , his tone cold as ice . } " No. She's just a means to an end ." % Gwyneth wished she was drunk , hallucinating all of this . But Julian's icy words stabbed through her , sharp as a knife , twisting mercilessly until she could barely breathe She clapped a hand over her mouth , the taste of blood rising in her throat . Clinging desperately to her last shred of composure , she bowed her head and sent a trembling text : [ Julian , I've had too much to drink . I'm heading home.J She couldn't listen anymore . Stumbling away on unsteady legs , she fled . Back at the house they shared - a place she had once filled with warmth and light - Gwyneth now saw only a prison . ) Empty Cold & The air pressed in on her , suffocating , prickling at her skin . 15057 Chapter She curled up beneath the blankets . Though she squeezed her eyes shut , memories flooded in , refusing to let her rest . When had things started to rot between them ? Who was the woman he'd betrayed her for ? She had no idea how long she drifted in and out of numbness before a sudden rush of footsteps echoed down the hallway ... Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!