Enzo's POV
Lola dropped her phone because it was burning her. "That's not possible," she whispered, looking at the screen on the ground. "My dad wouldn't lie to me. He wouldn't."
I picked up the phone and watched the security video. Her father was definitely smiling and shaking my hand. Counting the check with eager hands. "Lola, I'm sorry, but" "Don't." She backed away from me, shaking her head. "Don't say it. There has to be a reason. Maybe Vanessa changed the video. Maybe it's fake." "Or maybe your father lied about what really happened."
Her face fell, and I felt like the worst person in the world for saying it out loud. But we were drowning in lies, and I was tired of pretending. "Why would he lie?" Lola's voice broke. "Why would he let me hate you for five years if it wasn't true?"
Before I could answer, my phone rang. My protection chief, Marcus. "Boss, I found something big," he said without welcome. "About Lola's father and Vanessa. You need to see this right now." "Send it to me." "I'm sending a movie file. Watch it. All of it. Then call me back."
The file was downloaded, and I opened it. It was more security video, this time from my office building three months ago.
The video showed Vanessa going into a coffee shop. Sitting down across from someone.
Lola's father. "No," Lola breathed. She was watching over my shoulder. "No, that can't be him."
But it was. Clear as day.
I turned up the noise. The audio was distorted, but I could make out some words. "...told you, Mr. Marlowe, if you help me destroy Enzo, I'll make sure you get your business back," Vanessa's voice said. "And my daughter?" Lola's father asked. "You'll leave her out of this?" "Actually, I need her involved. Get her to Burning Man. Tell her whatever you need to tell her. Once she's there, I'll handle the rest." "I don't know. Lola's been through so much already." "Mr. Marlowe, do you want your company back or not? Because Enzo Marchesi is the only thing standing between you and everything you lost. Help me take him down, and I'll give you back your heritage."
There was a long pause. Then Lola's father nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
Lola made a coughing sound and ran out of the tent. "Lola, wait!" I chased after her.
She made it about twenty feet before she fell to her knees in the dust, sobbing so hard her whole body shook.
I knelt beside her, not sure if I should touch her or give her space. "He sold me out," she gasped between sobs. "My own father. He worked with Vanessa to destroy us both just to get his stupid business back." "I'm so sorry." "The fake email from Mrs. Chen was from him. He set me up. He sent me here knowing what would happen." She looked up at me with saddened eyes. "He used me as bait."
I pulled her into my arms without thinking. She fought for a second, then fell against me, crying into my chest. "Everything I believed was a lie," she whispered. "He wasn't the victim. He took your money freely and then lied about it. And when that wasn't enough, he teamed up with your crazy ex to ruin both our lives." "We don't know if." "Stop trying to make it better!" She pushed away from me. "My father is a liar and a manipulator, and I spent five years hating you for something you didn't even do wrong!" "Lola, "I blamed you for everything! For his depression, for my parents' breakup, for having to drop out of college. But it was all his! He made those choices!"
She was right, but hearing her say it didn't make me feel better. It just made me angry at her father for hurting her like this.
My phone buzzed with a text from Marcus: There's more video. You need to see what happened after the business deal.
I opened the new movie file. This one was marked six months after I bought the Marlowe business.
It showed Lola's father in a bar. My casino. Gambling.
Losing.
Gambling more.
The date showed he'd been there for eight hours straight. The amount he'd lost showed on the screen: $847,000.
Almost the total amount I'd paid him for his business. "Oh my God," Lola whispered. She'd seen it too. "He gambled it away. All of it."
The video continued. Her father, drunk and angry, was being led out by security. Screaming that I'd ruined him. That I'd ruined his life.
But I hadn't damaged anything. He'd destroyed himself. "The sadness, the suicide attempt, it wasn't because of losing the business," I said slowly. "It was because he gambled away all the money and had nothing left." "And he blamed you instead of taking responsibility." Lola's voice was hollow. "He let me believe you were the monster."
Another text from Marcus: Vanessa knew about the gaming. She's been blackmailing him with this footage for months. That's how she got him to cooperate.
Everything clicked into place. Vanessa had found out about the gaming. She'd used it to influence Lola's father into helping her destroy me. And Lola had been caught in the middle. "I need to call him," Lola said suddenly, taking her phone. "I need to hear him admit it." "Lola, maybe you should wait."
But she was already dialing. It rang four times before he answered. "Lola, I don't want to talk to you right now," her father said coldly. "Did you work with Vanessa to set me up?" Lola asked, her voice shaking.
Silence. "Dad, I saw the video. I saw you meeting with her. I saw you gambling away all the money Enzo paid you. I know everything." "You don't know anything," her father said, but his voice wavered. "Then tell me I'm wrong! Tell me you didn't send me to Burning Man knowing what would happen! Tell me you didn't lie to me for five years about Enzo pushing you to sell!"
Quieter. Then, quietly: "I did what I had to do."
Lola's face went white. "What?" "That woman promised me my business back. She promised me everything I lost. Was I supposed to just say no?" "You used your own daughter as bait!" "You were going to be fine! She said you'd just have a bad weekend, get some bad press, and then it would blow over. I didn't know she'd make it this big." "You didn't know? Or you didn't care?" "Don't talk to me like that, Lola. I'm still your father." "No." Her voice was ice. "You stopped being my father the moment you picked money over me." "Lola, please."
She hung up and threw her phone into the dust.
I wanted to say something comforting. Something that would make this hurt less. But there was nothing to say. "I need to see the full wedding film," Lola said suddenly. "The one from last night. Not the clips Vanessa released. The whole thing." "Why?" "Because I need to know if any of it was real. Or if I'm just as big a liar as my father."
I called Marcus. "Can you get us the full raw video from the wedding ceremony?" "Already done. Sending it now."
The file was big. It took two minutes to download. We sat in the dust together, Lola's shoulder pressed against mine, and watched.
The movie started before the ceremony. It showed us walking up to the minister, laughing. "Are you sure about this?" video-me asked video-Lola. "I've never been surer of anything," she answered. "With you, I feel safe. For the first time in five years, I feel like someone actually cares about me."
My breath caught. She'd said that. Meant that. "I care about you," video-me said, taking her hands. "I know this is crazy. I know we just met. But I've been alone my whole life, Lola. And tonight, with you, I finally feel like I'm home."
Present-day Lola was crying quietly beside me.
The video showed the event. Showed us promises that came from somewhere deeper than alcohol. Showed us kissing like we'd found something precious.
Then it showed what happened after. We walked away from the service, holding hands. "I need to tell you something," video-me said. "My name isn't actually Marco."
Video-Lola laughed. "I figured. You don't look like a Marco." "It's Enzo. Enzo Marchesi."
She stopped walking. "The gambling guy? The billionaire?" "Yeah. I'm sorry I lied. I just wanted one night where someone liked me for me, not my money." "I don't care about your money." "I know. That's why I'm telling you the truth."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, kissed me. "I'm glad you told me. And I'm glad I met you. Both sides of you." "What about you?" video-me asked. "Any secrets I should know?"
She paused. "My last name is Marlowe. Lola Marlowe."
Video-me froze. "Marlowe? As in" As in the business you bought five years ago. Yeah." She looked scared. "Are you mad?" "No. No, I'm not mad. I'm" Video-me ran a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what that did to your family. If I'd known" Stop. It's in the past." She took my hands. "Tonight, we're just Lola and Enzo. Two people who found each other. Can we just be that? For tonight?" "For tonight," video-me agreed. "And maybe tomorrow too." "Maybe forever," video-Lola whispered.
The video finished.
I looked at Lola. She was looking at the blank screen, tears streaming down her face. "We knew," she whispered. "We knew who each other were, and we still decided to get married." "We were drunk." "We were honest." She turned to me. "For the first time in both our lives, we were totally honest with someone. And it felt right." "Lola," "Don't you see? Everything else is a lie. My father lied. Vanessa lied. The media is lying about us. But that night? That video? That was the only real thing in this whole mess."
She was right. But admitting it scared me.
My phone rang again. Unknown number.
I answered. "What now?" "Mr. Marchesi, this is Channel 7 News," a woman's voice said. "We'd like to give you a chance to speak on the new allegations." "What allegations?" "That you knowingly targeted Lola Marlowe as revenge against her father. That you planned this entire fake marriage to shame the Marlowe family. We have a source ready to go on record." Who's the source?" "A Mr. Richard Marlowe. Lola's father. He's saying you manipulated his daughter as payback for."
I hung up and looked at Lola. "Your father is telling the news that I planned this whole thing. He's making me the enemy again."
Her face hardened. "Then we fight back." "How?" "We tell the truth. All of it. We show them the videos of my father working with Vanessa. We show them the gambling video. We show them everything." "That will destroy your father's reputation." "Good." Her voice was steel. "He destroyed mine first."
Before I could reply, both our phones exploded with notifications.
Another video had gone viral.
This one showed Vanessa and Lola's father together, planning the whole setup. Planning to destroy both of us.
But it was already too late. The damage was done.
A text came through from an unknown number: You think you've won? You have no idea what's coming. - V
Then another text, this time with a file.
I opened it, and my blood ran cold.
It was a picture of Lola's apartment building. On fire.
The words below read: Better hurry home. Some things are worth more than money.