The end of the workday arrived like a quiet relief. One by one, the lights in the company began to dim. August walked past her without saying a single word.

The suit was impeccable and his stride was steady.

But his eyes… those eyes.

For a moment, Eloise met them.

There was something there.

It wasn't just exhaustion.

It wasn't anger, or even impatience.

It was pain. A contained, suffocated pain, almost invisible.

And for a brief second, it hurt her too.

Without understanding why, she remained standing there, that strange feeling lodged deep in her chest.

Tension clung to him like a shadow.

Inside the elevator, only the metallic hum of the machinery broke the silence. He descended to the private garage, where the driver was already waiting beside the black luxury car. Without a word, August got in and turned his face toward the window as the car carried him toward his apartment.

The moment he stepped into the penthouse, he removed his jacket, loosened his tie, and went straight to the bar in the center of the living room, a sophisticated piece that matched everything else around him. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, no ice, swirling the amber liquid slowly before walking toward the panoramic window that covered the entire wall.

Night had fallen over North City. The city lights pulsed like urban stars, but his green eyes were far from there.

Holding the glass tightly, he drifted into his own thoughts. The invitation throbbed in his mind like an open wound.

Another high-society dinner. Another attempt by his father to reunite him with Victoria's family.

Victoria…

He had a flashback of her smiling in a red dress, dancing with him at the company gala, her eyes shining like she was truly in love.

In another scene, she was naked, lying on her stomach with his best friend kissing her back while she smiled peacefully, like they were the happiest couple in the world.

And another of his father, Joseph Montgomery, speaking coldly. "This kind of thing is something you get over, August. Business can't stop because of a personal disappointment."

The bitterness was a poison that had never stopped running through his veins.

The betrayal hadn't come from just a woman. It had come from family. From friends. From his own blood.

He downed the whiskey in a single swallow. The burn of the alcohol was nothing compared to the icy rage consuming him from the inside.

When his phone rang on the counter, he ignored it at first. But when he saw the unfamiliar number, one eyebrow lifted in curiosity.

He answered, his voice firm and impersonal.

"Hello?"

There was a pause.

"Hi, August…"

The voice on the other end made his heart lurch in disgust.

It was Victoria.

He didn't need anything else. He knew that voice the way someone recognizes a scar on their own body.

"What a surprise," he replied coldly.

"The real surprise is you avoiding me," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Are you planning to skip the dinner too?"

August took a slow breath, tightening his grip on the glass.

"I have no reason to avoid anything. I'll be there."

"Alone?"

He hesitated, just for a second.

Then he lied.

"No. I'm bringing my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" She laughed. A bitter laugh. "Well, that should be interesting. I can't wait to meet the saint who managed to soften that stone heart of yours."

The call ended, and August stood there, unmoving.

The word "girlfriend" echoed like an unexpected explosion.

In his mind, only one image appeared.

Eloise.

The bold brunette with bright eyes and a sharp tongue. The woman who had struck his life like lightning in the middle of darkness.

"Damn it…" he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

There was no turning back now.

He needed her. He needed her to agree to be his date at that dinner.

It was a temporary role.

Or maybe not.

But how was he supposed to convince Eloise to step into that game?

It was a dirty game, filled with manipulative people where no one was innocent and everyone had something to hide.

He knew she could get hurt.

But he also knew that right now, he had no other choice.

And deep down, even if he refused to admit it…

He wanted to see what would happen when that strong, unpredictable woman collided with a world built on masks and betrayal.

The game was about to begin.