Page 128 of Pretend To Be Mine

“Adrian, I’m so sorry. The graphics team swears they uploaded the right file, but somehow the old version⁠—”

“I know. It’s done.” I kept my voice level, professional. “This is your show, your night. I don’t want to step on your toes or take liberties, but we need to correct this somehow.”

“Just make an announcement at the end. When everyone’s on stage, grab the mic, explain there was a technical error, give Elizabeth her proper credit.” Dash said it like it was obvious. “Problem solved.”

Relief flooded through me. “You’re sure? You don’t mind?”

“Mind? Adrian, those dresses were incredible. Elizabeth deserves recognition for them. I’m the one who should be apologizing—it was my show, my team that fucked up.” He clapped my shoulder. “Make the announcement. Set the record straight. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Thank you.” I meant it. “I know you put Elizabeth’s pieces in as a favor to me.”

“I put them in because they were good enough to be in the show. Don’t diminish her talent by making it about favors.” He glanced over my shoulder. “Though you might want to hold up on that announcement.”

I turned to find Sebastian approaching, his expression grim, phone in hand.

“We’ve got trouble,” Sebastian said without preamble.

I groaned. What else? “What kind of trouble?”

42

ELIZABETH

The show was still going on. I wanted to run but apparently it wasn’t quite as easy as I had hoped. I couldn’t just hail a cab. I was stuck waiting for Adrian to take us back to the villa.

Dash’s final pieces were on the models making their way down the runway. They were stunning, but I couldn’t focus on any of it. I stood in the wings and tried to hide. But that was impossible.

I pulled out my phone, thinking maybe I could distract myself with something—anything—else. That was my first mistake.

My social media was exploding. Notifications piling up faster than I could process them. I opened social media and immediately wished I hadn’t.

Gold digger spotted

Knew the engagement was fake

Poor Adrian getting scammed

She’s not even that pretty

Around me, I could feel the shift. People glancing my way, then quickly looking away. Whispers that stopped when I got too close. The kind of social isolation that happens when you become a scandal instead of a person. People who had smiled at me just hours ago were now doing everything they could not to make eye contact with me. They looked at me like I was contagious.

I wanted to disappear. To sink into the floor and never resurface.

“Elizabeth.”

I looked up to find Mimi approaching. The look of concern on her face told me she knew. Whatever was happening, she had somehow been made aware. I never would have thought she was the type to be on social media, but apparently, I was wrong.

She took my elbow and for a moment I thought she was going to escort me out. I expected her to tell me to leave and never come back. I had humiliated the family.

I wanted to tell her I had nothing to do with whatever was currently unfolding on the internet.

“Mrs. Blackwell⁠—”

“Mimi,” she reminded me.

“Mimi, I don’t know what happened,” I said.

“Come with me, dear. Let’s get you somewhere quiet.”