When I walked into that house, my legs were trembling. The entire Salvatore clan was gathered in the living room. They looked like something out of a Renaissance painting. Every single one of them was beautiful and radiated power and wealth. What was I even doing there? I could feel August's hand resting against my back, his body close to mine. Somehow, I knew that if I suddenly panicked and ran away, he would support me. It was strange. We barely knew each other, yet I trusted him. At least in that sense. He was right when he said champagne would help. By my third glass, I already felt lighter and more relaxed. Diana seemed to be the only one truly interested in exposing me. August's sister was beautiful, almost model-like, elegant but undeniably arrogant. The only one who appeared somewhat normal was the older brother, Caesar. Still, I didn't let myself be fooled. If August and Diana had been raised believing they were born to rule the world, then Caesar,

It was simple. I just needed to look at the situation differently. August was a friend. A friend who paid the bills and happened to share a bed with me. Simple. Without thinking too much about it, I put on my bikini, threw on a beach cover-up, applied sunscreen, packed my bag, and we headed to the beach. It was paradise. Crystal-clear water, pale blue waves, warm sunshine, and a perfectly cloudless sky. The hotel provided private wooden lounge beds on an exclusive stretch of sand reserved for guests. I spread out my towel and lay down. My intention was to enjoy myself as much as possible and pretend I wasn't there as someone's fake contracted girlfriend with a ruined life. August sat beside me and took off his shirt and shorts. I didn't even need to look around to know every woman nearby was staring at him. Seeing photos of him shirtless with defined abs was one thing. Seeing him in person was something else entirely. Camille had been right. August was offensive

I could feel August's eyes on me while I calmly finished my meal. The food was incredible and deserved to be enjoyed slowly. But honestly, my heart was racing. Shaking Allison like that had filled me with adrenaline. She reminded me a little of my sister. Arrogant. Looking at me with pity, as if I were naive and stupid. But it wasn't only adrenaline. I had actually made out with August in the water. Really kissed him. I had felt his firm hands against my body. That hadn't been fake. I was turned on. He had awakened something inside me, and now my body felt painfully aware of him. I knew exactly why he was so eager to return to the bungalow. I kept claiming I had no desire to give myself to August, but while I sat there eating, it was the only thing I could think about. It was a terrible idea. When we finally finished dinner, August looked visibly relieved. The goal now was obvious. Going back to the bungalow. He held my waist firmly as we walked. Night

That conversation had solved nothing. There were still many things August and I needed to discuss, but the next day I maintained my cold and distant attitude. In public, I played my role as his girlfriend perfectly. I held his hand, accepted kisses on the cheek and quick pecks on the lips. Beyond that, I stayed guarded, trying not to think too much about how tempting that man was or about the fact that my self-control clearly wasn't as strong as I wanted to believe. We avoided being thrown out of the hotel only because August had enough money to smooth over the entire scandal. As for Allison, she disappeared from the island completely, which made the rest of the trip far more peaceful. Inside the bungalow, we continued sleeping with the bed divided down the middle, a symbolic barrier to avoid awkward situations in case one of us moved closer during the night. But this trip was supposed to be more than just a romantic vacation. It was the moment August intended to propos

"Seriously? So you didn't even get a little taste? You spent days with that nearly naked man in front of you and did absolutely nothing?" Camille asked while helping me pack my things, which honestly weren't that many. I had told her about the engagement, shown her pictures from the trip, and conveniently left out the fact that on the first night, I had almost completely given in to August's charm and body. "Isabelle! You can't fool me. I know that face. Something happened between you two. I knew it! There's no way anyone sleeps in the same room as that man without taking their clothes off." "Camille! It wasn't like that, seriously. Nothing happened. On the first day, I got a little too carried away, okay? The man is gorgeous and ridiculously hot. I almost lost my mind… but then I walked into the room and found a naked woman on top of him, and that brought me back to reality." "I can't believe it! Honestly, you can't expect much from August. So what did you do?" I told her th