The Bodyguard's Betrayal

Chapter Thirteen

Evangeline

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"Exclusive," the headline reads, "Inside Jude Henry and Evangeline Ryder's whirlwind romance."

I massage my temples, trying to ward off the hangover from hell while scrolling through one of the hundreds of articles about the kiss. "According to close insiders, the pair have been getting cozy for months, with Jude Henry supporting Evangeline in the lead up to her father's explosive tax evasion trial, which has been scheduled for the end of this month."

There are several more articles just like it, each with their own take on how long Jude and I have been together, ranging from rumors of marriage to speculations about pregnancy sparked by an unflattering angle of me in my dress last night.

I push aside the croissant I'd been snacking on and type my father's name into a search engine. While the first few results are about his trial date, the rest of them are focused on me and Jude. Lilith's Crisis Management team strikes again.

I should feel relieved that we've managed to draw some of the focus off my father so close to his trial, but as I scroll through more pictures of Jude and me, I start to feel sick, remembering the taste of cigarette on my tongue from his kiss. I'm used to my mother and Lilith scheming ways to protect my reputation, but this time, with Jude, felt different.

I felt cheap.

Luckily, that's about all I remember from last night. The rest is hazy after that final glass of champagne, but somehow, Gabe got me home safely and into my bed, for which I'm both thankful and horrified. What if I made a fool of myself?

Remembering there's a way to find out, I open the security app on my phone and review the footage from last night. It shows Gabe carrying me bridal-style out of the car and into the house, all the way up the stairs, with my arms around his neck and my face nestled against his side.

I swallow hard as he disappears into my bedroom, one of the few places without cameras, but I don't need the footage. I remember now, the memories fragmented, sharp-edged yet soft. He laid me on the bed, took off my shoes, and tucked me in tightly, as someone might do if they genuinely cared, and then I drifted off to sleep.

A strange warmth shoots through my stomach, different from the fire I've felt between my thighs before. It's his job to ensure my safety, I remind myself, but deep down, a tiny part of me wishes it weren't. That he wanted to.

Of course he didn't want to. He probably thinks I'm a manipulative bitch, and maybe he's right. If I were a better person, I'd tell my mother I wasn't going through with this anymore, that my morals weren't worth jeopardizing to protect us from a scandal, but I'm not.

I set down my phone, close my eyes briefly, then head to the gym to release my frustrations on the treadmill. I'm drained, not just from the workout, but because thoughts of my stalker keep me up every night, and the past few weeks have been relentless.

Still, I keep running, pushing through the discomfort. The image of me looking pregnant in the headlines is etched firmly in my mind. No matter how hard I try to ignore what people say, those words find a way of branding themselves on my skin, mine to carry forever.

Kat comes over around ten to help me get ready for today's latest appearance: a charity fundraiser. It's the only big event we can fit in before my father's trial starts, and it's crucial for making a strong impression. Star-studded and exclusive, Lilith insists it's important for networking and showing the public my charitable side before the chaos starts.

"You didn't look fat," Kat assures me as I finish telling her about last night, adjusting my Red Light Therapy mask. "You looked absolutely amazing. But that kiss..." She pauses to fasten the clip at the side of my face, scrunching her nose. "That looked sloppy. Was it sloppy?"