Love, Lies, and Billion-dollar Secrets.

Chapter 2

Lily fastened the clasp of her earrings and studied her reflection one last time. The midnight-blue gown fit her perfectly, elegant without demanding attention. Damien had always said she looked her best when she kept things simple, and without thinking, she reached for the silver bracelet he had given her three years ago.

She ran her thumb over the tiny engraving inside.

*"To my forever."*

A smile tugged at her lips before she slipped it onto her wrist.

Her phone vibrated on the vanity.

**Damien:** *Come to my office before the gala.*

She read the message twice, her heart beating just a little faster.

"So this is why you've been acting strange," she murmured with a quiet laugh. "You're terrible at surprises."

She grabbed her clutch and headed out.

The executive floor was almost deserted.

Most of the staff had already gone downstairs to welcome guests, leaving the hallway unusually quiet. The soft click of Lily's heels echoed against the polished marble floor as she stopped outside Damien's office.

She knocked once.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open and smiled.

"You wanted to—"

The words died on her lips.

Damien stood by the window with one hand in his pocket, the city lights stretching behind him. His suit was flawless as always, but something about him wasn't. His shoulders were stiff, and the untouched glass of whiskey on his desk told her he'd been standing there for a while.

"You look beautiful," he said.

Lily laughed lightly.

"That's your opening line?"

"It wasn't supposed to be."

"Good. I was beginning to think the great Damien Brooks had forgotten how to greet his girlfriend."

The corner of his mouth lifted, but the smile disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

She walked closer until only his desk separated them.

"You've been avoiding me all day."

"I've been busy."

"You've always been busy." She tilted her head, studying him. "That never stopped you before."

He looked away.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence felt unfamiliar. They had shared thousands of quiet moments over the years, but this one pressed against her chest in a way she couldn't explain.

She rested both hands on the edge of his desk.

"If something's wrong, tell me."

He let out a slow breath and reached into his jacket.

Lily's pulse quickened.

When he placed a small velvet box on the desk, her breath caught.

She stared at it before looking back at him.

"You..." She laughed softly. "You actually bought one."

"I did."

"When?"

"Six months ago."

She looked at the box again, unable to stop smiling.

"You've had a ring for six months and didn't tell me?"

"I wanted everything to be right."

Her eyes sparkled.

"So tonight really is—"

"It isn't."

The smile slipped from her face.

She searched his expression, waiting for him to grin and admit he was teasing her.

He didn't.

"What do you mean?"

He rested one hand on the chair beside him, gripping it so tightly the leather creaked beneath his fingers.

"I should've done this differently."

"Damien..."

A knock interrupted her.

Three firm knocks.

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Come in."

The door opened.

A tall woman stepped inside wearing a white designer gown that looked as though it had been made for tonight alone. Diamond earrings framed her face, and confidence followed every step she took.

She smiled at Damien.

"There you are. The reporters are asking where we've disappeared to."

Only then did she notice Lily.

"Oh."

The smile remained, but it cooled noticeably.

Lily glanced at Damien.

He didn't say anything.

The woman extended her hand.

"I'm Isabella Beaumont."

Lily shook it politely.

"Lily Morgan."

"I've heard about you."

There was something in the way Isabella said it that made the words feel less like a compliment and more like an observation.

Lily looked back at Damien.

"What's going on?"

He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck before speaking.

"We should head downstairs."

She frowned.

"You still haven't answered me."

"We'll talk afterward."

"After what?"

Another silence.

This one hurt more than the first.

Lily wasn't someone who jumped to conclusions, but every instinct she had was screaming that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The ballroom glittered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers.

Business leaders, politicians, celebrities, and investors filled the room, their conversations blending with the soft music from the orchestra. Camera flashes lit up the entrance as each distinguished guest arrived.

The moment Damien appeared, reporters surged forward.

"Mr. Brooks!"

"This way!"

"Over here!"

Lily instinctively slowed her steps, waiting for him as she always did.

He didn't wait.

Instead, Damien offered his arm to Isabella.

For the first time in five years...

...he walked past Lily.

Isabella slipped her hand through his arm as though she'd done it a hundred times before.

The cameras erupted.

"Mr. Brooks! Miss Beaumont!"

"One more picture!"

"They look perfect together!"

Lily remained where she was.

People brushed past her without noticing she'd stopped moving.

One of the event coordinators approached with a bright smile.

"Miss Morgan, the executive table is ready."

Lily blinked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your table."

She forced a smile.

"Right. Thank you."

She continued walking, though each step felt strangely heavy.

Across the room, Damien laughed at something Isabella whispered.

Lily couldn't remember the last time she'd heard that laugh.

The ceremony began with the usual speeches.

The chairman praised the company's growth. Investors applauded another record-breaking year. A short video celebrating Brooks Group's achievements played on the giant screens around the ballroom.

Every few minutes, Lily caught herself looking toward Damien.

He never looked back.

The master of ceremonies returned to the stage with a broad smile.

"And now, the man responsible for turning Brooks Group into one of the most powerful corporations in the country... Mr. Damien Brooks."

Thunderous applause filled the ballroom.

Damien walked onto the stage with the calm confidence everyone expected from him.

Lily folded her hands in her lap.

Whatever this was...

Whatever had happened upstairs...

He would explain.

He always did.

Damien thanked the guests before speaking about the company's journey, the employees who had stood beside him, and the future he envisioned.

Then his tone changed.

"Tonight isn't only a celebration for Brooks Group."

The room grew quieter.

"It's also an important night in my personal life."

A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd.

Lily felt the people seated around her glance in her direction.

One of the directors smiled knowingly.

Another gave her a discreet thumbs-up.

Heat rose to her cheeks.

She looked at Damien.

He wasn't looking at her.

Instead, he turned toward the front row.

"Isabella."

The woman stood gracefully and joined him on stage.

Lily's smile wavered.

Damien reached for Isabella's hand.

"My success wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Beaumont family."

A murmur swept through the ballroom.

He continued before anyone could react.

"I'm honored to announce that Isabella Beaumont has agreed to become my wife."

For a heartbeat...

Nothing existed.

No applause.

No music.

No voices.

Lily stared at the stage, waiting for someone to laugh and reveal it was some terrible joke.

Instead, the ballroom exploded with cheers.

People rose from their seats.

Camera flashes became blinding.

Reporters rushed toward the stage.

Isabella smiled as Damien slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.

The bracelet on Lily's wrist suddenly felt too heavy.

She lowered her eyes to the tiny engraving hidden inside the silver.

*"To my forever."*

Her fingers curled tightly around it.

Across the ballroom, Damien finally looked at her.

Their eyes met.

She searched his face for an explanation, an apology... anything.

He gave her nothing.

Not a word.

Not a gesture.

Not even the slightest shake of his head.

Just a long, unreadable look before he turned back to the woman standing beside him.

And in that moment, surrounded by applause meant for someone else, Lily understood one heartbreaking truth.

The future she had spent five years building had never belonged to her.