Arianna had no idea what had just transpired between them.

"I'm going to grab some juice. Do you want anything?"

Maxwell nodded. "Sure, let's go together."

They each picked up a glass of juice and wandered over to the dessert station. Maxwell selected two cakes and placed them on a tray held by a server, then turned to look at Arianna. "Anything else you want?"

On the tray were two slices of cake—strawberry and chocolate—both her favorites.

"How about an egg tart?"

Before Arianna could reply, Maxwell picked up the tongs and grabbed two.

"Do you want some fruit? Wait, let me get a different plate for that."

Arianna took the plate and waited quietly.

Maxwell returned with a fresh plate, taking the one from her hands. "Pick whatever you want."

"Okay."

As she reached for the fruit, Arianna caught sight of two familiar faces: Cameron Hughes and Alexis Morgan.

They were standing right across from them, clearly having watched for some time. Alexis had her hand on Cameron’s shoulder, whispering something while casting a knowing, mocking look toward Arianna.

Arianna didn't blink. She just kept picking her fruit.

Her eyes remained cold and unreadable. She treated them like strangers.

Cameron had never been ignored by Arianna like this, and it wounded his pride. He strode over. "Arianna, what are you doing here?"

Arianna didn't even flinch. She picked up a few bright red strawberries before answering in a calm, measured voice. "Why wouldn't I be? Is this place owned by you now?"

Cameron was stunned. He hadn't expected her to talk back with such biting indifference. He stood there, speechless.

At that moment, a soft, cynical laugh drifted from nearby.

Cameron snapped his gaze over. Maxwell stood beside Arianna, looking down at him with a faint, mocking curve to his lips. There was zero warmth in his eyes.

Cameron’s blood boiled. He recalled the scene he’d witnessed moments ago—the two of them standing so close, perfectly in sync as they navigated the dessert bar. To anyone else, they looked like a couple.

His jaw tightened. He glared at Arianna. "Why are you with him? Did he bring you here? When did you two even meet?"

Arianna ignored him and turned to leave.

Cameron blocked her path, his face darkening. "Arianna, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you. Stop stalking me."

She brushed past him, heading back toward the dining area. But the confrontation was inevitable. Five minutes later, as she exited the ladies' room, she ran into Cameron again.

"Arianna, let's talk."

She didn't break her stride. "I said, there’s nothing to talk about."

"Come on, at least—" Cameron paused, darting a glance at the empty hallway before continuing, "Let me die with some clarity. I still love you, Arianna. I don't want to break up."

Arianna stopped and looked him in the eyes. He gazed back with an expression of such profound sincerity it looked like he was ready to rip his heart out right there on the floor. It was a masterful, pathetic performance.

She felt a dark humor rising in her chest. "Cameron, with acting chops like that, why are you wasting your time in finance instead of Hollywood?"

"It’s not an act," Cameron said, reaching out to grab her, his voice intense. "Arianna, I really do love you."

Arianna realized she did need to talk to him, just so he would stop treating her like an idiot.

"You say you love me, yet you tell everyone I'm some distant cousin from the sticks? Is that your version of love?"

Cameron’s pupils dilated. "How do you know about that..."

Arianna let out a cold laugh. "At the gala, when I got hit on, you were jealous, so you gaslit me. You said my dress was trash and I was an embarrassment."

"When Alexis’s friends bullied me, you saw it. You chose to look away, and later you subtly 'reminded' me that I wasn't in your league."

"You spent our whole relationship breaking me down, and you call that love?"

"Cameron, your love is repulsive."

She was eerily calm. The eyes that once shimmered with adoration whenever they landed on him were now as empty as a glass of water.

Cameron panicked. "That’s not it, Arianna, listen to me..."

She didn't let him finish.

"Last Valentine’s, Christmas, my birthday—every time you bailed, claiming family emergencies and leaving me alone in the freezing cold. Were those real emergencies? No. You were just seeing Alexis."

Cameron sucked in a breath, scrambling for a defense. "Alexis had an emergency! I didn't want you to overthink it, that’s why I lied."

"Overthink it?" Arianna stared him down. "Aren’t you guys just 'bros'? You told me you didn't even see her as a woman. So what exactly was there to overthink?"

Cameron choked on his own words.

Arianna’s mouth curled into a cold, sharp line. "Are you really that dense, or just pretending? Cameron, do you just love having women hovering around you for your ego?"

"Whatever the case," she said, her voice dropping to a final, chilly whisper. "I’m not playing anymore."

Her expression was ironclad. There was no trace of affection—only a mix of pity and cold, calculated detachment.

Cameron felt his world crumbling. He lunged after her as she turned away, but he was stopped cold in the hallway.

He struggled to push past, but a solid arm blocked his path like a steel bar, letting only Arianna pass.

Cameron slammed against the restraint, his face twisted in a mask of impotent rage. "Maxwell! What the hell is your problem?"

Maxwell didn't even blink. He slowly pulled his arm back, his expression ice-cold. "I think that’s my line."

"It’s your problem. Arianna is here with me. Why are you harassing my date?"