Chapter 3 Highly Capable

"Go tell Andrew the truth. Tell him you used to sell yourself. Tell him I kept you for three years. Tell him your first time was with me. And the money he's using now? That came from what you earned in my bed. If you can't say it, then end things with him. Don't make me wait too long, Rosalyn. I don't have that kind of patience."

Rain came down the second Rosalyn stepped outside. Old memories kept coming back, one after another. Eight years with Nathan, and it still felt like she hadn't gotten out of it.

Her phone kept ringing and dragged her back to the reality. She saw Andrew's name and picked up.

"Where are you?" Andrew asked urgently.

She hesitated before answering, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier. My friend just went through a breakup, so I went out with her for a drink. Just wait for me at home. I'll be back soon."

"Alright."

After the call ended, the uneasy feeling didn't go away. It got worse. She went to the mall right away and bought new clothes. The ones Nathan had touched went straight into the trash.

Later, when she met Andrew, she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "Sorry for making you worry with those missed calls."

Andrew said nothing at first. He just stared at her, his expression hard to read. "Is that what you were wearing when you left this morning?"

The question threw her off. He usually didn't care about such details. Half the time, he wouldn't even notice what she wore.

"I ran into a homeless guy earlier. He grabbed my dress, and it got dirty. I just bought a new one and changed." Her voice came out steadily, but her heart was pounding hard.

"Really?" Andrew asked, a faint smile on his face. The way he looked at her made it obvious. He didn't believe her at all.

Nathan's threats kept ringing in her ears. At that moment, she didn't want to hide her past anymore. She wanted to tell Andrew everything.

"Andrew, I..." Rosalyn made up her mind to tell him everything, but before she could continue, his phone suddenly rang.

The sharp sound cut through the moment. Her eyes dropped to the screen, and the name "Nathan Harvey" made her freeze.

Without wasting time, Andrew picked up and turned on the speaker.

Nathan's voice rang out. "I've already signed the contract. Come by tomorrow morning to collect it, Mr. Murray. And your fiancée handled everything well. She's highly capable. It's not often you come across someone like her."

Each word hit Rosalyn like a shock. Her thoughts began to spiral, and she could barely steady herself. She pressed her fingers into her palm until it hurt, bracing for whatever Nathan might say next.

But the call ended just like that. Nathan didn't push things further.

A quiet breath slipped out of her as the tension eased, though it didn't last long. Her phone lit up.

She turned slightly and checked it. It was a message from Nathan. "My patience is limited, Miss Carter. You should understand that better than anyone."

Her brows tightened as she deleted it without a second thought.

When she turned around and faced Andrew again, his eyes were already on her.

She slipped her phone behind her back and shifted the topic. "Your parents. When are they coming?"

She figured that since she was going to say everything, she had to be honest about all of it before the wedding. Keeping it hidden wouldn't change anything because Nathan would make sure her past came out anyway, and that wouldn't be fair to Andrew or his family.

Andrew clenched his jaw before speaking. "Honey, Mr. Harvey just praised you. You've helped me more than you know."

His fingers brushed along her neck, slow and deliberate. "Once you're done trying on the wedding dresses tomorrow, I'll set up a meeting with them."

A small nod from her followed. "Okay."

Meanwhile, tension filled the hotel room.

"Who exactly is she?" Julia Sutton stepped forward and threw a stack of photos onto the table.

Without rushing, Nathan adjusted the belt of his robe. Only then did his attention shift toward the scattered images. In every shot, two figures stayed pressed close, leaving no room for doubt.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. Traces of Rosalyn still lingered in the room, but the evidence of their encounters had already reached Julia.

"Your father approached my family to propose this marriage arrangement between us. You should at least act like it matters. I paid five million to keep these photos from spreading. If I hadn't, they'd already be everywhere by now. If you can't control yourself, then learn how to keep her hidden. I don't want to deal with this kind of trouble again," Julia said, crossing her arms without softening her tone.

Her eyes stayed on the photos longer than needed. Even in the photos, the woman's figure stood out in a way that drew attention without effort.

Nathan reached out and gathered the photos in one sweep. "Where are the negatives?"

A short laugh slipped from her lips. "Gone. Looks like you do care about your reputation."

No response came from him.

Julia said, "Don't show up late for the wedding dress fitting tomorrow."

Before stepping out, she glanced around the room, her nose scrunching as if the place offended her. Rumors from the paparazzi echoed in her mind, stories about how long their time together had lasted.

The door shut behind her. From the other side, her voice carried faintly. "Shameless."