Chapter 4

During the few days we stayed in Millbrook, I guarded Ethan like a hawk. Even when he went to the bathroom, I stood outside the door.

Ethan seemed to thoroughly enjoy my paranoia. Every time he came out, he'd ruffle my hair. "Relax. No one is stealing me."

Unable to find an opening, Chloe's glares grew increasingly venomous.

I thought that as long as I kept a tight leash on the situation, nothing could go wrong.

But on the night of the engagement party, I left one fatal blind spot.

After endless rounds of celebratory toasts, Ethan uncharacteristically drank past his limit. By the time I helped him up to our hotel suite, he could barely stand.

I personally tucked him into bed, double-checked that the door was securely latched, and slipped the only key card into my inner pocket before heading back down to entertain the guests.

But Chloe still found a way.

By the time I got the frantic text and rushed back to the room, Chloe was sitting up in the bed, wrapped in the duvet. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

Linda stood by the bed, shielding her, her face dark with fury.

Ethan was sitting at the foot of the bed, his suit perfectly intact, his eyes as cold as ice.

Aunt Emily was the first to speak. "What happened, Chloe?"

Chloe just sobbed harder.

Linda looked at me. I knew that look. She wanted me to yield. Again.

Ethan stood up, his gaze locked onto Chloe. "How did your key card open my door?"

The relatives suddenly realized the flaw in the logic and started muttering.

"Right. You can forget a room number, but you can't fake a key card."

Chloe went pale, her eyes darting around the room. "I—I just pushed the door open. It must not have been closed all the way..."

"Impossible," I cut in immediately. "I pulled the door shut myself and checked it twice."

"It's not like I forced myself on Ethan!" Chloe suddenly shrieked, her voice cracking. "Why are you always backing me into a corner?!"

She threw off the blanket and lunged toward the suite's floor-to-ceiling window. "Fine! I'll just die! Will that make you happy?!"

Realizing things were spiraling out of control, hotel security called 911.

Linda whirled on me, screaming. "Grace, are you really going to push her to her death?!"

She turned to Ethan, her words rushing out in a desperate panic. "Just put the engagement on hold. Ethan, if you're willing to reconsider, we can handle Chloe's situation quietly. Grace will find someone else eventually. Don't ruin Chloe's life and reputation over this."

Chloe leaned into Linda's embrace, sobbing loudly, but I could see the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

Ethan cut her off directly. "Who marries whom is decided only by the people involved. You don't speak for Grace, and you certainly don't arrange things for me. The only issue on the table is Chloe's accusation against me."

Before I could say a word, Ethan gripped my hand tightly and turned to Officer Walker, who had just arrived on the scene.

"Chloe can't explain herself clearly, and she is accusing me. Please launch a formal investigation immediately."

All the color drained from Chloe's face. "No! You can't investigate!"

Ethan stared her down, his eyes lethal. "You want to protect your reputation. I'm protecting my innocence."

After Officer Walker separated everyone, the hotel manager, Karen Price, quickly pulled the hallway security footage and the electronic lock logs.

Karen arrived with Jessica Moore, the front desk receptionist on duty.

Jessica took one look at the footage and her face tightened. "That's her. She came to the desk and said she left her phone and wallet in the banquet hall. I didn't call the registered guest to verify—I just issued a replacement key based on the name and room number she gave me."

I pulled my original key card from my inner pocket and handed it to Officer Walker. "My original key card has been on my person the entire time."

The room number, the timestamp on the new key, and the hallway footage all aligned perfectly.

Karen played the audio from the front desk recording. Chloe's voice rang out, crystal clear, stating Ethan's exact room number.

Chloe ground her teeth, desperately trying to maintain her facade. "I—I just misremembered the room number. I've always been a little confused..."

Linda immediately backed her up. "Yes, she's been like this since she was a child! It's perfectly normal to mix up a room number!"

Ethan stated for the record that when he woke up, Chloe was already lying next to him. He was fully clothed, and absolutely nothing had happened.

Officer Walker looked at Chloe. "If you realized you were in the wrong room, why didn't you leave immediately?"

Chloe bit her lip, looking up at Ethan with big, tear-filled eyes. "I wanted to leave, but Ethan grabbed me... He wouldn't let me go..."

Ethan's eyes went glacial. "I didn't touch her."

Officer Walker looked at Chloe with dead seriousness. "If you wish, the police can arrange for a qualified sexual assault forensic examiner to conduct an exam. You also have the right to refuse."

Chloe went rigid.

Officer Walker continued, "But if you proceed with this accusation, the police will continue to verify it. If the evidence proves your statement is intentionally fabricated, you could face criminal charges for filing a false police report."

Everyone was staring at her.

Chloe had backed herself into a corner. She gritted her teeth and nodded. "I'm sure."

Then, she faltered. "I... I don't want to press charges against Ethan. I don't want to ruin his relationship with Grace. Can we just pretend none of this happened?"

Aunt Emily leaned in and whispered to me, "Grace, if Chloe gets indicted, she won't even be able to rent an apartment. Are you really not going to leave her any way out?"

Aunt Susan chimed in. "I'm not asking you to believe her, but can we at least get a lawyer and her therapist involved first? Maybe what she needs isn't a lawsuit."

I looked at them. "The consequences of her actions are not my responsibility."

Seeing the relatives still rallying to her defense, that familiar, triumphant gleam returned to Chloe's face. She looked like she had already won.

Ethan's fists clenched. "I want this investigated to the end."

Walker shook his head. "Chloe has the right to refuse the medical exam. But that doesn't terminate the investigation. We will continue to verify the key card logs, security footage, witness statements, and other evidence. Any formal charges will be up to the District Attorney based on state law."

Ethan fell silent.

Looking at the smug satisfaction on Chloe's face, I suddenly smiled.

I had been waiting for this exact moment.

"There's no need for an exam," I said, lifting my chin.

"I have proof that Chloe is making a false accusation."