“It started back in college, when we had just begun seeing each other. We bumped into your uncle’s family at a restaurant, and you introduced me to your cousin. The moment you stepped away to the restroom, Alice slipped her number into my phone,” David said.

The fire in Alice’s eyes fizzled, as though someone had doused her with ice water, leaving her stiff and speechless.

David continued, “I didn’t think twice at first. Since she was your cousin, I saved the contact. But once we were connected, she wouldn’t leave me alone. Her messages turned suggestive, and she kept trying to set up meetings. She even sent indecent photos that no one should ever share. I told her to cut it out, but she ignored every warning.”

Alice’s expression hardened. She clutched at his sleeve. “That’s enough.”

Pulling her hand into his grip, David swung his focus back to Alice. “Sophie, you don’t deserve any of this. You should tell everyone exactly what she’s been doing. Let the world see Alice for what she really is—a shameless flirt chasing after her own cousin’s boyfriend.”

A sharp laugh sliced through the tension.

David snapped his head toward the sound, startled to find Sophie was the one laughing.

His brow furrowed. “What’s so funny?”

Sophie drew in a breath, ready to strike back.

Alice’s nerves cracked, and she shouted over her, “Alice! You gave me your word!”

Her teeth sank into her lip as Sophie forced down the confession that nearly spilled free.

A promise was a promise. For the sake of those house keys, Sophie had sworn to bury Alice’s mess, and she kept her end of the bargain.

Sophie brushed it aside with ease. “Come on, give me something positive instead.”

David asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Sophie replied, “Nobody here understands a thing you’re saying, so your whole plan to let them know Alice is a flirt? Useless from the start.”

The words left David speechless.

Something else seemed to click in Sophie’s mind as she muttered, “So the two of you were tangled up this early? That explains a lot.”

David couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Women like Alice were the type he once mocked for being shallow and predictable. However, lately, every time she crossed his path, his focus snapped to her without fail.

David’s gaze drifted to Sophie, who was shaking her head and whispering with a sly grin. Curiosity pricked at him. “What’s so funny?”

Sophie’s laugh rang sharp. “I’m just exposing that saintly front of yours, acting like no woman could ever rattle you. Truth is, you folded long ago. One playful spark at the wedding, and you were hooked.”

A sudden pounding hit David’s temples as half-formed memories blitzed through his mind. He asked, “What are you talking about?”

Before he could push for more, Alice slipped in between David and Sophie, cutting the tension like a wall.

“Cut it out! Alice is my cousin. She’d never do something like that. David, I trust you too. You’re both my family, and I won’t stand here watching you tear into each other!”

Without waiting for a reply, Alice stepped in, snatched Sophie’s suitcase, and shoved her forward, leaving Sophie no chance to exchange another word with David.

The moment the elevator doors shut, Alice’s polite mask slipped away. Her voice turned sharp. “Why’d you even show up? Don’t tell me he was right and you came chasing after him.”

Sophie rolled her eyes hard. “Please. Just hearing his name makes me sick. Only you would want him.”

Alice’s expression darkened, her tone like steel scraping. “Then explain what you’re doing here.”

.

.

.