Scarlett didn't say much that morning.
She and Sadie moved around their shared apartment in quiet rhythm—boiling water, folding clothes, laying out tools for the event. The last few days had been a blur since Camille dropped them off after the estate. It should've been behind them by now.
But it wasn't.
There was something Scarlett couldn't shake. Something that had stayed with her, pressed into her skin like heat.
She hadn't told Sadie about the balcony. Or the stable. Or the moment she hadn't pulled away.
And she definitely hadn't told her about the tension that still lingered in her chest every time she thought about Brian.
She'd buried it.
But today was the press event.
And the silence was cracking.
Sadie drove them across the city around noon. The trunk of her car held a box of backups—extra thread, shoe straps, emergency stain kits, a lint roller. Scarlett sat in the passenger seat, eyes on the road, heart thudding like she was headed toward something she couldn't name.
"You okay?" Sadie asked as she slowed for a red light.
Scarlett nodded. "Just ready to get it over with."
Sadie didn't push. She just offered a quiet, "You've got this," and turned up the radio a little.
The venue was nothing short of extravagant.
A rooftop ballroom with floor-to-ceiling glass, glowing chandeliers, white roses climbing up every column. The skyline curved behind the space like it had been made just for Camille's big moment.
Scarlett barely looked at any of it.
She headed straight for the styling room and unzipped the garment bag with methodical focus.
The dress was untouched.
Perfect.
Waiting.
Camille entered ten minutes later, glowing and breathless, flanked by a glam team and someone from her PR staff. She practically floated to the mirror in a silk robe.
"My girls," she grinned, spotting them. "How did I survive without you for two whole days?"
Sadie smirked. "You didn't."
Scarlett smiled faintly. "Dress is ready."
"Thank God," Camille whispered. "I need this moment."
Sadie and Scarlett helped her change, adjusted every seam, clipped the back, fluffed the train. Camille turned and posed for her reflection, her eyes gleaming.
Scarlett stepped back.
Camille looked… stunning.
She should've felt proud.
Instead, her stomach turned.
Brian arrived just as the first wave of photographers began setting up.
Scarlett didn't see him at first. But she felt him. That pause in Camille's breath. The shift in the room's energy. The way Sadie subtly leaned toward her, like bracing for impact.
Then there he was.
Black suit. Hair sharp. Expression unreadable.
"Wexler and Calloway," one of the press photographers whispered. "Power couple of the year."
Scarlett kept her head down.
She adjusted Camille's necklace, retightened the waist sash, and moved away just before they stepped into the spotlight.
But not before Brian's eyes found hers.
Just for a second.
Long enough.
The shoot unfolded like a dream.
Camille laughed on cue. Brian posed like a man who'd done this before. Their arms draped casually, hands interlaced. Perfect smiles. Polished angles. The cameras clicked nonstop.
Scarlett stayed back, standing near the edge of the garden terrace, arms folded tightly, heart pounding in a rhythm she couldn't slow down.
Every so often, she'd glance up and catch him glancing too.
Sadie noticed.
She didn't say anything.
But she noticed.
An hour passed.
Camille was pulled aside for an exclusive sit-down interview. Brian disappeared toward the back after taking a call. The crowd thinned around Scarlett and Sadie.
"Want me to handle the accessories?" Sadie offered, already picking up the clipboard.
Scarlett nodded. "Yeah. I'll just check the backups in the corridor."
"Cool. I'll be at the rack."
Scarlett slipped away quietly, moving down a narrow hallway near the side of the venue. She stopped in the shade, leaned against the wall, and exhaled slowly.
The quiet settled around her like a blanket.
And then—
"Scarlett."
She opened her eyes.
Brian stood just down the corridor, hands in his pockets, eyes steady.
She didn't move.
"I didn't expect to see you here," she said, voice low.
"You knew I'd be here."
"Not here."
He took a step forward. "I've been trying to stay away."
"Then try harder."
Brian smiled slightly, but there was no humor in it.
"You said it didn't mean anything," he said. "At the estate."
"It didn't."
He took another step.
Scarlett's arms folded tighter.
"But I think about it," he said. "And I don't think I'm the only one."
"You're getting married."
"You think I forgot?"
Scarlett looked away.
"I don't want this to be anything," she said. "It's not supposed to be."
Brian stepped in, slow, controlled.
"You keep saying that."
And then he was right in front of her.
Close enough to touch.
Close enough for her to feel the warmth of him, the way his breath shifted the air between them.
And then he reached for her waist.
She stiffened.
But she didn't stop him.
His hand closed around her hip gently. Steady. Real.
He pulled her toward him.
Scarlett's breath hitched.
"Brian…"
He leaned in, slowly, deliberately, his forehead brushing hers for just a second—
Then his lips found hers.
The kiss wasn't sweet.
It was full.
Pressed.
Like it had been building in silence for days.
Scarlett's hand gripped his suit jacket.
And just as quickly as it started, she stepped back.
Her eyes wide.
Her heart racing.
They stood there—frozen.
Silent.
Scarlett took another step back. Her fingers still tingled.
She didn't speak.
And neither did he.
She turned and left.
She found Sadie near the dressing room.
"Let's go," she said, her voice quiet.
"Camille's wrapping up now," Sadie replied. "But yeah. We're good to leave."
Camille waved them off from across the room with a bright smile, too distracted by cameras to notice anything off.
Scarlett said nothing.
Sadie drove them home without asking questions.
The car ride was quiet.
Scarlett stared out the window the whole way.
That night, Scarlett didn't sleep.
She paced the apartment. Sat on the couch. Turned off her phone. Turned it back on.
She kept seeing it.
The kiss.
The way she hadn't pulled away.
The way it had felt.
She still hadn't told Sadie.
But Sadie noticed.
She always did.
The next morning, the apartment was still.
Scarlett stayed in bed.
Sadie was in the kitchen, making tea, phone open on the counter.
Scarlett heard the kettle.
Then nothing.
Then—
"Scarlett?"
Scarlett rolled over.
"Yeah?"
Sadie appeared in the doorway, holding her phone with two hands.
Her face was pale.
"You… need to see this."
Scarlett sat up slowly.
Sadie handed her the screen.
And there it was.
A headline.
Just one sentence.
"Wexler Caught in Quiet Moment With Mystery Woman at Press Event."
Scarlett's heart dropped into her stomach.
There it was.
One line.
That changed everything.