Chapter 1

The music was too loud at Bella Hayes' s staff gala.

I stood near the edge of the room, a glass of water in my hand.

Bella, my Bella, was across the room, laughing with someone important. She owned this whole restaurant chain. I was just a sous-chef. Our love was a secret.

Her childhood friend, Julian Vance, walked up to me. He always looked like he smelled something bad.

"Walker," Julian said, his voice sharp. "Enjoying the free food?"

I didn' t answer. I just wanted the night to be over.

He stepped closer. "Where' s my watch?"

"Your watch?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"My designer watch. Vintage. Very expensive. It' s gone. I was with you in the VIP lounge."

He said it loud. People started to look.

"I don' t have your watch, Julian."

"Really?" He smirked. "You wouldn' t know anything about it? A struggling chef, mother needs expensive treatments."

My face burned. He knew about my mom.

"Let' s see what' s in your cheap bag, then," Julian said.

Before I could react, he grabbed my messenger bag. I tried to pull it back.

"What are you doing?"

He was stronger, or maybe I was too shocked. He ripped it from my shoulder.

He unzipped it and turned it upside down.

Everything fell out. My worn wallet, a spare apron, a cheap notebook.

And my mother' s medical bills. Prescription receipts. White papers scattered on the polished floor.

The crowd gasped. Whispers started.

"See?" Julian sneered, pointing at the bills. "Motive."

My hands clenched. "I didn' t steal your watch. Check the security cameras from the VIP lounge. They' ll show you."

Julian laughed. A cold, ugly sound.

Bella was walking over, her smile gone. Her eyes were wide.

"What' s happening here?" she asked, her voice tight.

"Ethan here lost my watch," Julian told her. "Or, more likely, helped himself to it."

A staff member hurried up to Bella. "Ms. Hayes, the main camera in the VIP lounge... it was unplugged."

Julian' s eyes lit up. "Unplugged? How convenient. Walker must have taken care of that too."

"That' s a lie!" I said, my voice shaking. "I want to call the police. They can fingerprint the lounge, the watch, everything. I didn' t touch your watch."

Julian held up a hand, suddenly looking reasonable. "Now, now. For Bella' s sake, let' s not involve the police. It would be terrible for the restaurant' s image."

He bent down, rummaging through my spilled belongings.

Then he stood up, holding his watch. "Well, what do you know? It was in his bag after all."

He dangled it in front of my face.

I stared at it. How?

Bella looked from the watch to me, then at the scattered medical bills. Her face was pale.

She stepped forward. "Ethan," she said, her voice low, almost a whisper. "Just... let it go."

My heart stopped.

"The watch is found," Bella continued, louder now for the crowd. "It was a misunderstanding."

She looked at me, and her eyes were cold. "With your mother' s expenses... people might understand a moment of desperation."

A moment of desperation. She thought I did it.

The words hit me harder than a punch.

Julian smirked, victorious.

The people around us stared. Some with pity, most with disgust.

I was a thief in their eyes.

Bella, the woman I loved, had just called me one.