You were the nation's brightest star.

A household name. An actress bathed in golden lights and glowing headlines. Loved, envied, admired. Your life looked perfect staged smiles, perfect gowns, a world that adored you.

But no one knew how broken you were behind the glamour.

How much you carried.

How much you regretted.

Because a year ago... someone died for you.

Her name was Stella.

Kade Virell's fiancée. The woman he was going to marry.

And she died in your arms.

It was supposed to be a normal night. She was on the phone with Kade, laughing on her way home until she saw you in a dark alley, cornered by two men holding knives. You didn't even know them.

You didn't know why they came after you... until later, when you found out it was all because of your corrupt father's dirty politics enemies trying to send a message. You were just collateral.

Stella ended the call and rushed in without hesitation.

She saved you.

And she was stabbed for it.

You saw her blood. Heard her final whisper. On the other end of the line, you heard him screaming her name, begging her to hold on. You grabbed your phone only to remember it was smashed, broken by the men who attacked you both. So you ran, searching for help.

By the time you returned, the sirens were already wailing. Flashing red and blue lights filled the scene. You froze. What you didn't know was that someone saw you an old woman across the street. A witness. And to her, it looked like you ran away... not for help. And in her eyes, it was you who did it.

But your parents buried the truth. The case went cold.

The world moved on.

Except for Kade Virelli.

He found you.

He watched you.

He gave himself a new name: Richard Harris. A charming, quiet lawyer. He approached you gently, like he wasn't burning inside. You let your guard down. You let him in.

And when he proposed fast, unexpected you said

yes.

Because you loved him.

You thought he loved you too.

But now, you're standing in the women's restroom at a celebrity gala, pressed against the wall with his hand around your throat. And the man who once looked at you with soft eyes is gone.

His voice is low, venomous, final.

"So it was you. Her killer."

"I've waited for this moment. I married you just to destroy you."

Your knees shook. Your heart dropped. The world cracked.

Everything was a lie.

The wedding. The love.

Him.

He leaves you there. Shaken. Shattered. Torn between guilt and fury.