Lilian knew Bella's heart too well. She was kind to a fault, incapable of turning her back on a friend in need. That was what made her easy prey. Lilian was confident her scheme would work; she had always been good at acting, good enough that she sometimes thought she'd chosen the wrong career.
Chris and Bella were still enjoying their dinner when Bella's phone buzzed. Lilian's name flashed on the screen.
"Sorry, I need to take this...it's Lilly," Bella said softly, giving Chris an apologetic look.
Chris nodded, though his jaw tightened. He knew Bella's nature, and he knew there was no stopping her once she decided someone needed her.
The moment Bella picked up, sobs filled the line. Loud, broken, desperate.
"Lilly? What's wrong? Talk to me, babe!" Bella asked, panic rising in her voice.
Lilian choked out a series of hiccuping sobs, raw enough to sound real. "Yo... you... don't... hiccup... have to... come."
Bella pressed a hand to her chest, stricken. "I'm coming over now. Text me your address."
On the other end, Lilian smirked through her crocodile tears. Bella had taken the bait. "Thank you," she whispered, masking her malice with a broken tone.
Within seconds, Bella received the address. She stared at Chris, guilt swimming in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," she murmured.
Chris didn't scold her. Instead, he reached for his wallet and stood. "It's fine. I'll take you."
Outside the restaurant, they ran into Na-jin and Ri-joon.
"Unnie," Bella said, beaming at Na-jin despite her worry.
"Are you free tomorrow?" Na-jin asked with her sweetest smile.
Bella bit her lip. "I have a flight tomorrow afternoon... how about the day after?"
"Perfect. I'll call you," Na-jin said, squeezing Bella's hand before parting ways.
The drive was quiet, Chris filling the silence with soft music. Bella sat stiffly, her thoughts circling Lilian's sobs.
"Babe," Chris said gently, squeezing her hand.
"Mm?"
"Are you okay?"
Bella glanced at him, her voice trembling. "I'm just... worried. Lillian isn't the type to break down easily. I've never heard her cry like that."
Chris's eyes softened. "She'll be fine. And you being there for her—that's what matters most."
A few minutes later, Chris pulled into a luxurious estate. Towering gates, pristine lawns, and a penthouse apartment that screamed money.
Bella froze. "This... this is where she lives?" she whispered. She had known Lilian was from a wealthy family, but this level of privilege unsettled her.
Chris watched her carefully. "Do you want me to go up with you?"
Bella forced a smile. "No. I'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I can handle it."
She reached for the door, but Chris caught her wrist, tugging her back into his arms. His lips brushed hers in a deep kiss, lingering, reluctant to let her go. Bella melted against him, their breaths tangling until they had no choice but to part.
Neither of them knew that across the street, a photographer's camera had been snapping away. He captured everything the way Bella stepped out of Chris's car, the way they kissed in the shadows, the clear view of their faces.
Grinning wickedly, the man whispered to himself, "Let's see how they deny it now."
He raced to his car, transferring the photos to his phone before sending them straight to Thelma.
When Thelma received the images, her blood boiled. She clenched her phone so tightly it was a miracle it didn't shatter. Fury surged through her as she forwarded the photos to a journalist friend at one of the biggest TV stations in the country.
"Let the world see," she muttered bitterly.
Meanwhile, Bella rushed upstairs, her heart pounding with worry for Lilian. She had no idea she had just walked into the center of a carefully laid trap.
Lilian made sure she looked the part. Her mascara was smeared, her eyes red and puffy as if she had been crying for hours. She slipped into an oversized white sweatshirt that hung mid-thigh and walked barefoot to the door when the bell rang. She didn't even check who it was she knew Bella would come.
The moment the door opened, Lilian collapsed into a wail, her voice breaking like glass.
"Lilly!" Bella gasped, rushing forward, pulling her friend into her arms. She stroked Lilian's hair and back gently, whispering words of comfort until the sobbing subsided.
Lilian led her to the pristine white sofa in the living room. The luxury of the apartment barely registered to Bella; she was too focused on her friend's trembling frame.
"Babe, what happened? You scared me half to death." Bella searched her face, worry etched in her features.
Lilian hadn't planned a convincing story yet. So she simply lowered her gaze and murmured, "I don't want to talk about it. Having you here is enough." She forced a weak smile, which Bella returned.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push. I was just... worried." Bella rubbed the back of her neck, uncomfortable in the heavy silence.
But Lilian wasn't finished. She had lured Bella here for a reason. Rising from the couch, she walked to the kitchen. From a cabinet she retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses. Her hands trembled not from nerves, but anticipation as she dropped two dissolvable tablets of Rohypnol into Bella's glass. She swirled the wine until the drug vanished without a trace.
Moments later, she returned, smiling sweetly. "Here, drink with me. Just one glass. Please?" She pushed the spiked glass toward Bella, raising her own as if to toast.
"Lilly... I don't think I should. I'm on board tomorrow," Bella hesitated, guilt lacing her voice.
"Your flight isn't until two. It's just this one glass. For me?" Lilian widened her eyes, her best puppy face on display. Bella's resolve faltered.
"Fine," she sighed, taking a careful sip.
The rich aroma filled her senses, and she closed her eyes, savoring it. "This tastes so good."
"I knew you'd love it," Lilian replied smoothly, raising her own glass. "To friendship."
"To friendship," Bella echoed, clinking glasses before drinking again.
Within minutes, the drug took hold. Bella's head grew heavy, her vision blurred. She slumped back against the couch, fighting the pull of unconsciousness, until at last her body gave in.
Lilian's expression hardened. She tapped Bella's face twice to confirm she was out, then pulled out her phone. "Come upstairs," she ordered into the receiver.
Minutes later, Neil arrived.
"Quick," Lilian whispered, ushering him inside.
Neil scooped Bella into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Together, he and Lilian staged the perfect trap: Bella stripped, Neil stripped to his boxers. They arranged Bella's limp body across Neil's chest, adjusting her limbs to make it look intimate. Lilian snapped dozens of photos and recorded a short video, careful to capture angles that would make it impossible to argue Bella wasn't a willing participant.
When she reviewed the footage, her lips curled into a manic grin. "Perfect. Let's see you deny this, Bella."
She sent the files immediately to her family group chat.
"You can go now," she told Neil curtly.
He smirked as he dressed. "What's your plan with this?"
"You'll see. But trust me, when it breaks, it'll be everywhere." She opened the door. He stepped into the hall, still grinning.
"I'll be waiting for the headlines," he said before disappearing.
The next morning, Bella woke with her head pounding. The light was too bright, stabbing at her skull. She blinked slowly, adjusting. This wasn't her room. Panic seized her chest.
She checked her body immediately her clothes were back on, nothing seemed disturbed. Relief washed over her, but confusion lingered.
"How... did I get here?" she whispered.
Fragments flickered in her mind her dinner with Chris, the excitement of meeting Na-jin and Ri-joon, Lilian's call, Chris dropping her off. After that... nothing. A blank wall.
The door opened, and Lilian strolled in wearing a white robe, a towel wrapped around her damp hair, pink slippers shuffling softly. She carried a tray with coffee, bottled water, and ibuprofen.
"Morning," Lilian said gently, setting the tray down. "Here...this should help with the headache."
Bella pressed her palm to her temple, disoriented. She had no idea she had just woken into the aftermath of a carefully staged betrayal.