A few hours later, the car pulled up to Arianna’s apartment complex.

She looked down, fumbling to unbuckle her seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome."

Maxwell rested his wrists casually on the steering wheel, turning his head to look at her. His expression was calm, almost unreadable. Yet, Arianna couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes held stories they weren't telling.

She studied him for a heartbeat before averting her gaze. "I'm heading out now. See you."

"See you," Maxwell replied, not moving his gaze. Just before she pulled the door shut, he added, "The outfit will be delivered this afternoon. I'll have my assistant reach out to you."

Arianna paused, her mind processing the implication. The thought of tomorrow’s gala made her stomach churn with unease. She closed the car door, then circled around to the driver's side. Through the half-lowered window, she locked eyes with him again. "Are you… are you really sure about this?"

She barely got the words out before Maxwell cut her off.

"I am."

Arianna blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't even finished her sentence.

Maxwell watched her intently, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. "Arianna, I am certain—absolutely and unequivocally certain—that it’s you."

***

Once inside her apartment, Arianna made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of ice water from the fridge and downing half of it in one go. The freezing liquid scorched her throat, finally cooling the heat rising in her cheeks.

She leaned against the refrigerator, her mind flashing back to the raw sincerity in Maxwell’s eyes, the gravity in his voice. It felt like a scene pulled straight out of a romance film, the kind where the lead actor whispers, "XX, I'm certain—absolutely and unequivocally certain—it's you for the rest of my life."

Her phone buzzed, shattering the trance.

While the sentiment was similar, the meaning was worlds apart. Maxwell wasn’t pulling a grand cinematic confession; he was just trying to give her a push. *I trust my judgment, and I need you to trust yourself.*

She felt foolish for reading so much into it.

"Arianna!" Gemma’s voice practically shrieked through the speaker as soon as she answered. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

Arianna was baffled. "What’s going on?"

Gemma stuttered, her frustration palpable. "I... I just saw Alexis Morgan’s Instagram story."

Arianna had introduced Gemma to Cameron and his group once, and Gemma had exchanged socials with Alexis on a whim. At the time, Arianna had asked why. Gemma, ever the protective friend, had retorted, "She’s trouble. I’m just keeping an eye on the enemy lines, you know?"

Arianna didn't need to ask what the post looked like. Before she could even respond, a screenshot hit her messages.

"Look at this," Gemma spat. "It’s making my blood boil."

Arianna opened the image. In the photo, Alexis and Cameron were huddled close, laughing, their glasses clinking together. Alexis was practically draped over him, her weight leaning entirely into his side, her chest pressed firmly against his arm. Cameron’s jaw was set, the veins in his forearm bulging as if he were holding back a surge of irritation—or something else.

It didn't surprise Arianna in the slightest.

On the other end of the line, Gemma let out a long, ragged breath. "Look at the caption! Is she insane?"

The caption on Alexis's post read: *Life advice: Guys, be careful when choosing a girlfriend. Seriously. From personal experience… it’s a nightmare.*

Below the photo, a few mutual friends had commented.

*Personal experience? When did you get a girlfriend, Alexis?*

Alexis replied: *Piss off.*

*Why does Cameron look so drained? Don’t tell me his girlfriend is wearing him out.*

Alexis’s reply was intentionally vague: *Haha… just, be careful. Seriously, watch out.*

"She’s such a pick-me girl, it’s disgusting," Gemma ranted, her voice dripping with venom. "‘Be careful,’ my ass. Since when is she dating anyone? Does she think because she hangs out with the boys all day she’s one of them? Why hasn't she just moved into the men's locker room already?"

Arianna tried to interject, "Gemma, listen—"

But Gemma was on a roll, fueled by righteous indignation. "She’s being so passive-aggressive. Everyone knows you’re the girlfriend, so this is obviously a dig at you!"

"Calm down, Gemma. Let’s just ignore her."

Gemma felt like her blood pressure was hitting critical levels. "Are you kidding? How are you not furious right now?"

"I'm not." Arianna even managed a small, genuine laugh.

Gemma fell silent. She was convinced Arianna had finally been pushed over the edge by that manipulative witch. "No, seriously—why aren't you angry? She’s dragging your name through the mud."

"Gemma," Arianna said, her voice steady and clear, "I broke up with Cameron."

She dropped the bomb as if it were nothing.

There was a long, stunned silence on the other end of the line—the kind of silence that usually follows an explosion. Finally, Gemma whispered, "Did I hear you right? Say that again."

Arianna smiled to herself. "I broke up with Cameron." She added, fearing Gemma would spiral, "It was my decision. I’m done with him."

If life wasn’t bringing her joy, it was time for a change.

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal erupted from the phone, making Arianna hold it at arm's length. "Are you serious? Oh my god! Don't you dare be joking with me!"

"Why are you so excited?" Arianna laughed.

"Because I've been waiting for this!" Truth be told, Gemma had never liked Cameron. His hot-and-cold attitude toward Arianna and his constant coddling of Alexis had always screamed "red flag." She just hadn't said anything because she didn't want to hurt her friend. "He’s absolute trash, Arianna. He knew exactly what he was doing letting Alexis post that. He loves having women fawning over him, and he loves it even more when you’re forced to watch. He’s never been right for you. You deserve better."

Arianna fell silent, letting the words sink in. She hadn't realized how much Gemma had been holding back. "Thank you," she said softly. "I really mean that."

"Don't mention it." Gemma sounded like she’d finally taken a deep, cleansing breath. "Right, I’m blocking Alexis. No point in keeping that trash on my feed."

"Yeah, go ahead."

Gemma tapped the screen, hovering over the delete button. She’d wanted to do this for months. She’d only kept Alexis around to monitor the drama for Arianna's sake, but now? The cage door was open.

Wait. Gemma’s finger froze over the screen.

"Arianna? One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"You two... you’re not going to get back together, are you?" Gemma asked, a sudden worry creeping into her voice. "If he comes crawling back, will you say yes?"

"No," Arianna said firmly. "I have absolutely nothing to do with them anymore. Feel free to hit block."