The Love That Wasn't

ll, indulging in street barb

rried"-the headline flashed

ow, and eventually, I couldn't

dering barbecue just to linger. The stall owner looked at the surging crowd and prac

Wells Ret

ration CEO i

poration E

o schmooze with a big sponsor, but I'd ditched that plan entirel

aw the headline-Cameron Wells, the CEO of Wells

nothing ta

andsome photo had gone viral, flooding every corner of the internet. With it came an aval

creen, the food in front

hamelessly adored and pined for over

before I couldn't hold back my emoti

ners, and the owner hollered, "We're full! Try th

Wait, isn't that Dayna

her! Forget other stalls

swarming my little

my daze just long enough to flee the scene. Somew

rders! This is insane! Damn i

mill BBQ" and "Barbecue Stall Owner Shuts Down Due to Ove

tuation as manageable. "It's fine," she said. "

a darker turn. An alleged "college clas

egan. Then it accused me of being Cameron's obsessive junior in c

rother-in-law's company, leveraging our "spec

with the Wells Corporation engagement announce

" the post took the internet by storm, with people calling me

trended relentlessly. When the controversy reached its pea

m, the door swung open. Shane Bar

y expression. Shane, unfazed by my reaction, approached with that same insuffer

began. "We don't need you saying or doing anything to make this mess worse

ng a sponsor's little sweetheart isn't that bad. You're experienced enough by now

and glared at him, cold

er, grabbed my wrist and

e care of you instead. You'll get everything you want-fame, freedom, protection. All it takes is becoming mine. All those nasty

heel came down hard on his foot. As he yelped in pa

se you were my sister's husband. Over the years, I've earned billions for yo

his cheek. I kicked him away

th rage. "Dayna! Don't think I won't destroy

self for him? What a joke!" he spat. "You're nothing but a pathetic lapdog chasing a

off one of my heels, and

ced. "Y-you wouldn't," he stammered

ad with a satisfying thud. "Mind your own damn bus

n holed up in the hotel, a

he lobby. Reporters who had been lying in wait abandoned wha

opriate relationship with your broth

age as a pure, unattached actress w

idden sister feels about al

trying to make it to the exit, bu

o the floor. Cameras clicked relentless

pursued thei

ent with Cameron begin during

ons blurred together, a shar

mething, anything,

e the CEO won it all, I was no

e to respond, a collective ga

isn't

the carpet, delibe

er, until they stopped

ested on my shoulder, pull

d up, s

e said softly, his piercin

nd I felt an inexplica

my voice shaky. "It

ime we'd seen each othe

t as breathta

out to become some

onder

a small gift, like a $20 bouquet or a hand

licked furiously, th

ene. But before I could move, the hotel doors burst open, and a group of suite

artled, and the hotel

t Ms. Barton circulating online, any individuals or media outlets perpetuating these

his were just another business meeting. Without missing a beat, he reached out, brushin

finished last time," he said casuall

th an iron grip was... followin

trify the room, as reporters b

o overwhelmed to think

like a

d from afar? The same Cameron who was

," I

lake. He was reading a book. I couldn't resis

said, "That's love at first sight. You'd better

s icon-like the moon in t

d all my courage

ture of innocence, and clung to literature text

, I would sit in the back, stealing glances,

professor c

its tax evasion a second tim

f guard,

lked over and took my noteb

teased him, "Mr. Wells, you've committed quite the crime. This

er eru

d. When he glanced in my direction, there was a flicker of

one firm. "Hey, I just want to tell

silent for a moment,

l you be interest

d with a sharp sigh, he

ork, so I moved

alentine's Day, I even sang love songs

led th

informed me that my noise

ron was an u

soften in my secon

a gift and cried myself into a headache in my dorm. My roo

ital bed, he paused, looking somewhe

ice and came here instead? Are

forehead, pout

gh, he flicked my

you dinner.

ent, my hea

less effort, he finally agr

definitely wasn't dat

after we escaped the hotel and went to a

platter and handed t

ivermill? Was it because of.

moment, then his hands fidgeted

assistant will handle it," he said calmly. "

roz

our advertisements are everywhere on the road

d of hair behind my ear, feel

here to deliver a wedding i

nt to attend? Could

over him got an invite, would

the wedding. When a child approached selling f

o my feet, staring a