Chapter 4

"Is that Edward Atkins?" a woman's voice chirped from somewhere behind us, loud enough to cut through the din. "And who is that beautiful woman with him? Jeannette Slater, isn't it? She' s finally back in town!"

Brody chuckled, a low, mocking sound that was meant purely for Edward's benefit. "Looks like our CEO found himself a new accessory."

Just then, a sleek, dark-haired woman, radiating confidence, detached herself from a nearby group and glided towards Edward. "Edward, darling!" she exclaimed, her voice theatrical. She linked her arm through his, pressing herself against his side. "So glad you' re here. We simply must finalize the details for our engagement party. I've already sent out the 'save the dates' to our closest friends."

My jaw dropped. Engagement party?

A ripple went through the small crowd, whispers breaking out like wildfire. "Engagement?" "Finally!" "They've been together forever in his head!"

Edward remained stoic, his expression unreadable, but a muscle twitched in his jaw. Jeannette, however, looked positively radiant, beaming up at him. She even gave his arm a playful squeeze.

Suddenly, a cold, hard truth slammed into me. Edward wasn't looking at me with possessiveness or regret. He was looking at me with... annoyance. As if I were a minor inconvenience, a fly bothering him during a crucial moment. My heart, which I thought had healed, gave a painful lurch.

Brody, noticing my sudden stillness, looked confused. "Who's this new one?" he whispered, his competitive spirit momentarily sidetracked by genuine bewilderment.

"That's Jeannette Slater," I murmured, my voice flat. "Edward's high school crush. His 'white whale,' as he used to call her." The explanation felt hollow, tasting like ash in my mouth.

"His... what?" Brody frowned, clearly not grasping the significance.

A woman nearby, overhearing, leaned in. "Oh, Edward's been pining after Jeannette since high school. She went off to live abroad, but everyone knew she was 'the one' for him. Such a beautiful couple. Always meant to be."

Edward cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the curious onlookers. He then looked directly at Jeannette, his expression softening slightly, a rare sight. "Jeannette," he said, his voice carrying, "I believe there's been a slight misunderstanding. While I have the utmost respect and admiration for you, and I truly value our professional relationship, the reports of an engagement are... premature."

He paused, then held up his hand. On his ring finger was a simple, silver band. "This," he announced, his voice firm, "is a promise ring. To Allyson. My girlfriend. We' ve been together for three years." He nodded pointedly in my direction, his eyes still holding a strange, unreadable intensity.

The air in the room seemed to freeze. Jeannette' s dazzling smile faltered. Her hand, which had been resting confidently on Edward's arm, slowly, almost imperceptibly, withdrew.

I stared at the silver band on his finger, then at him. A promise ring? He' d never worn one. Never even suggested it. He'd dismissed such things as "performative."

I remembered the conversation, less than a year ago. We were at home, watching a rom-com, and a character proposed with a simple band. I' d casually mentioned how sweet it was. Edward had scoffed. "Symbols are meaningless, Allyson. Actions speak louder than trinkets."

His words echoed in my ears. And now, this. This carefully staged performance.

"We broke up, Edward," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but in the sudden silence, it resonated. "Three weeks ago."

Jeannette' s face, which had been a mask of polite confusion, now registered a flicker of something akin to hurt. She glanced at Edward, then at me.

"Oh," she said, her voice surprisingly soft. "I'm so sorry. I... I clearly misunderstood. I thought you were just playing hard to get, Edward. You never mentioned Allyson. Not once."

Edward's jaw tightened. He ignored Jeannette, his eyes still fixed on me. He took a step towards me, his gaze intense, almost accusatory.

He muttered something under his breath, stepping closer as if to physically assert his claim. He ignored Jeannette, ignoring the growing murmurs of the crowd.

"Allyson, what are you doing?" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous, audible only to me and Brody. "This is a public event. You're making a scene."

Brody, still holding me tight, leaned in. "Looks like Edward forgot his manners," he said, his voice loud enough for Edward to hear. "Or perhaps he just forgot he had a girlfriend."

Edward' s eyes flickered to Brody, a storm gathering in their depths. The intensity was shocking. It was a look I' d rarely seen directed at me.

"Brody," Edward said, his voice laced with thinly veiled menace. "Stay out of this."

"Can't," Brody drawled, tightening his arm around me. "Allyson is with me now. And I tend to stand by the women I'm with." He shot Edward a challenging look. "Unlike some people."

Jeannette, clearly flustered, tried to interject. "Edward, perhaps we should just-"

"No," Edward cut her off, his eyes never leaving mine. "Allyson, we need to talk. Now." He reached for my arm.

I flinched away, my heart pounding. This was a side of Edward I hadn't seen in years, not since we first started dating and he was fighting for every scrap of success. It was raw, possessive, dangerous.

"Edward, let's not make a bigger spectacle than necessary," Jeannette said, her voice strained. Her eyes, still wide with shock, darted between us. "I'm sorry, I truly thought-"

"It's fine, Jeannette," Edward snapped, his patience clearly wearing thin. He turned back to me. "Allyson. Come with me."

I shook my head, my resolve hardening. This wasn't about me. This was about him. His image. His control.

Edward's shoulders slumped, a subtle but significant shift. He ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. He looked around, suddenly aware of the dozens of eyes on him. I watched as he composed himself, his expression shifting back to that familiar, unreadable mask.

"Edward," Jeannette said again, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I truly am sorry. I just assumed, given our recent conversations and your history..."

Edward held up a hand, silencing her. He glanced around the room, then back at me, a flicker of something almost like desperation in his gaze. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them.

"This is a public event," Edward stated, his voice now calm, authoritative, addressing the room, not just me. "Let's all maintain a level of decorum suitable for the occasion." He then looked pointedly at Jeannette. "Jeannette, perhaps it's best we continue this discussion at a more private setting. Allow me to escort you."

He offered her his arm, his movements stiff and formal. Jeannette, looking relieved but still somewhat bewildered, took it. As they walked past me, Edward's eyes, still cold, met mine. A fleeting, intense look. A warning? A challenge? I couldn't tell.

He paused for a second before continuing, his voice a low rumble. "We will talk, Allyson. Soon."

The silence he left in his wake was heavy, punctuated only by the excited murmurs of the crowd.