Warren's POV
“Ah, dude, what a mess this turned into!” Ray laughed awkwardly. “Totally my fault. Last month, the property office came by to update the records. Elvira wasn’t home, so I just put down my own contact information. I’ll go there right now and explain everything. I'll get it changed back immediately!”
He sounded sincere, but I noticed his right index finger tapping nervously against his thigh, and his eyes kept flicking away, which were classic signs of lying.
But what bothered me even more was the way he called Elvira. His tone was way too sweet.
Still, I didn’t lose my temper, not yet.
“I came all the way back from overseas and just stepped off the plane. You’re not planning to invite me in to sit down?”
Elvira’s expression stiffened, and Ray’s smile froze as well.
They exchanged a quick look, which tightened my chest like a fist.
“Warren, maybe another day,” Elvira said awkwardly. “Ray has a lot of pets, so the place is a bit messy—”
I didn’t let her finish. I shoved past Ray and walked straight inside.
The first thing that hit me was the smell. A heavy cologne I didn’t recognize, mixed with the faint sweetness of Elvira’s usual perfume.
The villa didn’t look like mine anymore.
The elegant furniture I had carefully chosen was gone, replaced with gaudy pieces.
The framed photos of Elvira and me had vanished, too. In their place hung random abstract paintings.
But what stopped me cold was the coffee table.
Two wine glasses still sat there, stained with deep red at the bottom.
Beside them was a torn-open condom wrapper.
Elvira’s face flushed crimson. She rushed forward, snatched it up, and tossed it into the trash.
“Don’t get the wrong idea! Ray sometimes brings his girlfriend over—”
Ray jumped in quickly. “That’s right, bro. My girlfriend was here last week. Honestly, Elvira’s been amazing. I'm grateful that she let me live here and even allowed me to bring friends around.”
As he said that, he kept glancing at me, testing my reaction, wearing an eager and false grin.
I ignored him and headed straight for the master bedroom.
“Warren, wait!” Elvira’s voice cracked in panic, but I was already pushing the door open.
Upon opening, I saw the bed was a mess of tangled sheets, and on the nightstand sat a photo frame.
Inside it was a picture of Elvira and Ray, leaning their heads together, smiling brightly on a beach.
My temples throbbed.
That was Cocoa Island in the Maldives, where we had planned to hold our wedding next year.
Elvira couldn’t meet my eyes. Her gaze darted to a corner of the room, her lips pressed tight, and a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead.
“Warren, let me explain,” she said quickly. “Last month, my company sent me to the Maldives to meet with a French client. Ray speaks French, so I brought him along as my translator. That photo, we took it after the meeting.”
I frowned. “But if I remember correctly, didn’t you major in French yourself?”
Ray lowered his head slightly, his tone soft, almost pleading. “Bro, please don’t blame Elvira. The truth is, she didn’t even want to take me. I just begged her. Said I wanted to see more of the world. You know how it is. I’m new here and don’t know anyone. Elvira’s the closest thing I have to family.”
While he was explaining, I just kept my gaze on Elvira.
Her lashes trembled, her lips pressed into a thin line, and guilt was written all over her face.
Finally, I asked coldly, “Is that so? Then why does the beach in that photo look exactly like the wedding venue I booked for us?”
