**Blake's POV

The ballroom went dead silent. Every camera froze mid-flash as I stared at the plastic rings sitting in the velvet box. Not elegant jewelry - cheap toy rings with fake plastic diamonds that caught the light all wrong.

These reporters had been told to capture Parker Group's next masterpiece.Instead, they were photographing what looked like dollar store costume jewelry. I could feel their confusion rippling through the crowd.

I'd personally made sure the media knew these rings would showcase our new jewelry line. The designs were promoted as revolutionary-the creation of a brilliant designer that would soon hit market.

And now this.

I turned to Laurel, my expression hardening. The rings had been delivered directly to her from the workshop. She'd insisted on keeping them until the ceremony.

Her face was pale, eyes wide with what appeared to be genuine shock.

"Blake darling, I..." She bit her lip, voice shaking. "I don't know what happened."

She met my eyes with visible panic. "You know appearances mean everything to me. Even II I hated Audrey. I wouldn't humiliate myself at my own engagement."

She had a point -Laurel Rose would never willingly make herself look bad in public. Her entire career depended on her perfect image.

"Who else handled these rings?" I asked quietly.

Laurel leaned closer, lowering her voice. "The workshop dellvored thent.They said the designer personally checked them before sending them to me." Her expression darkened as the pleces connected. "It was Audrey!"

Before I could respond, a mocking volce cut through the silence.

"Well,what do we have here?"

Heads turned toward Astrid Wilson, who sat casually nearby, swirling red wine in her glass. She nodded toward the ring box with amused eyes.

"Parker Group and Rose heiress getting engaged with plastic rings?" She took a slow sip. "Is your love that cheap?"

The crowd stayed silent. attention bouncing between Astrid and us. 'The reporters were waking up now, adjusting their cameras to capture this unexpected drama.

Astríd finished her wine in one go and stood. Her red dress made her stand out like a flame against the sea of black and white.

"Though I shouldn't be surprised," she contlnued, "A homewrecker and a cheating husband -how much could that be worth?"

Laurel froze beside me, face draining of color. I felt my jaw tighten as whispers spread through the room.

Someone in the crowd recognized her. "Astrid Wilson! Stop talking nonsense!"

Astrid just smiled and walked toward the stage. She took the mlerophone from the stunned host with one smooth motion,

"Does anyone here not know Blake Parker was married to my friend Audrey three years ago?" Her voice echoed through the speakers. "Is there anyone in New York who doesn't know he was still married when he started sleeping with Laurel?"

"Does having money and fame suddenly make cheating acceptable?"Astrid asked, her voice growing harder.

I watched her eyes glisten with unshed tears before she walked directly toward me. From her pocket, she pulled out a small object- a star-shaped pendant with tarnished metal, its gold tone faded with age.

"Recognize this?" She held it out.

My heart stopped when I saw it. My mother's pendant. The one she'd given me asa child.

Five years ago,when I was recovering in that small clinic. I'd given the pendantto Laurel as thanks for helping with my treatment costs.Rachel had told me that her sister liked it, and she'd treasure it.

When I reconnected with Laurel four years ago, she'd told me she lost it.T d been disappointed but understood.

Yet here it was in Astrid's hand.

I turned to Laurel, watching her reaction.

Her lips curled with contempt as she snatched the pendant from Astrid."Which garbage dump did you find this in?" She held it between her fingers like something dirty. "You really think Blake would remember this?

"He grew up with the finest things. This cheap metal?" She held it up to

the light. "He'd never touch something so worthless."

Laurel raised her hand to throw it away. I grabbed her wrist before she could, my fingers tightening around it.

"You're hurting me," she winced.

"What are you doing?" I asked, voice low.

She tried to pull away. "Throwing trash where it belongs."

"This tacky thing is offensive to look at," she continued. "Astrid brought it to humiliate us."

Her words hit me like a physical blow. I searched her face for any sign of recognition. HIer eyes showed only disgust, not a flicker of awareness of what she was holding.

When I'd given her the pendant five years ago, I'd specifically told her it was from my mother. Now Laurel was calling it garbage.

"You really don't recognize this at all?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

She started to speak, "Why would I -" before stopping mid-sentence.

Looking down at the pendant again, her expression changed. "I don't remember..." She bit her lip.

"Audrey asked me to return it to you." Astrid cut in, her voice cold."When I met Audrey four years ago, she always wore this pendant.She told me it came from someone she loved more than anyone."

She looked directly at me. "She still wore it after marrying you. But when you woke up, she gave it to me for safekeeping. She didn't want you knowing about ft."

Astrid's lips curved slightly. "I thought she was hiding it because she didn't want you knowing she'd once loved someone else. Yesterday I learned the truth. This pendant was from you. The person she loved more than anyone...was always you."

Each word hit me like a hammer. My mind raced to make sense of it.

The pendant I'd given Laurel had somehow ended up with Audrey? And she'd been wearing it for years?

How could that be possible? And why would she claim I'd given it to her?

Astrid had said I was the man Audrey loved most. But that couldn't be right. Audrey told me about her first love - the man from Pinehaven Village.We'd first met at my grandfather's nursing home four years ago.

None of this made sense.

"That's all I came to say," Astrid said. "Audrey wanted me to return this to you. She's giving back your mother's pendant and with it.all her feelings for you."

I grabbed her wrist. "What are you talking about? Yes, this was my mother'

s. But five years ago.I gave it to Laurel!"

My grip tightened as confusion and anger surged through me. "How did Audrey get it? How did she know where it came from?"

Astrid yanked free. "Ask your precious Miss Rose about that."

She straightened her dress. "Audrey never lies. She's divorced you now,cut all ties. She has no reason to lie about something like this."

**Laurel's POV**

My head spun as I stood on stage, staring at the pendant in my palm before glancing at Blake.

Audrey having this pendant wasn't part of my plan. Rachel never mentioned it in any of her phone notes! Not once!

Everything was unraveling.

No. I wouldn't let it.

I bit down on my lip and grabbed my phone, dialing quickly. When the call connected, I turned away slightly.

"You at the spot yet?" I whispered.

The voice confirmed on the other end.

"Do it now," I ordered through clenched teeth. "No survivors."

I hung up and turned back toward Blake, feeling a smile stretch across my

face that I couldn't control.

So Audrey had a pendant. Big deal.

In minutes, both she and Rachel would be gone. Permanently.

With them dead, my version becomes the only version.

Nothing would stand between Blake and me. Nothing.