Eva stayed quiet the whole time. After a while, she just couldn't keep playing along.
She said, "It's getting late. I'm heading out."
Leo stood to leave with her, but his friends immediately blocked the way.
"Come on, Leo. Eva's health isn't great—let her rest. But the rest of us haven't seen each other in forever. You can't just bail."
"Yeah, let her head home. You stay and chill with us for a bit."
Eva gently pulled her hand from Leo's grip and said softly, "Simon will take me. You should stay."
Before he could stop her, she turned and walked out. Her steps were quick, and Leo didn't catch up.
The car had barely pulled away when Eva reached into her coat and felt a phone that wasn't hers. The phone had a sleek black casing. It was Leo's.
She frowned and told Leo's driver, Simon Walker, to turn around.
The car had barely stopped outside the Red Rose Club when Eva spotted Cleo stepping out of a luxury sedan.
She kept checking her makeup in the car's tinted window, then turned and walked into the club.
Eva's grip around the phone tightened as she followed.
Sure enough, Cleo stopped outside the same private room Leo was in. And the moment she opened the door, she threw herself into Leo's arms.
Leo slipped an arm around her waist, his fingers playfully brushing through her hair. "You just got my call. How are you already here?"
Cleo leaned into his shoulder with a coy smile. "I missed you. The second I got your call, I dropped everything and came straight here."
Leo smirked and said, "Then you deserve a reward."
With that, he kissed her—deep, hungry, and unapologetic. Their lips tangled as if no one else was in the room.
"Alright, alright! Save it for later. There's no need for the live show!"
No one in the room seemed the least bit surprised. Instead, they chuckled and joked like they had seen it all before.
Eva stood frozen outside the door, watching everything unfold. A cold numbness spread through her body.
So they all knew. Every single one of them had been playing along, putting on a show just for her.
"Now that Cleo's here, can we finally turn this party up a notch?" someone joked.
The guys exchanged grins, clapping their hands.
A second later, the same scantily clad women from before poured back in from the adjoining room, draping themselves over the men like accessories.
Within moments, everyone had someone in their lap.
The rules were simple—spin the bottle. Whoever the neck pointed to had to answer a question.
After a few rounds, the bottle finally stopped on Leo. The room erupted with cheers and whistles, the energy building to a high.
"Alright, Leo. When was the last time you had sex?"
The guy grinned, and everyone instantly caught the insinuation.
Leo raised a brow, his expression calm and unreadable. "Yesterday. In my car."
That answer sent the room into a frenzy.
"Damn, how was it?"
Cleo was already flushed scarlet, tucked tight in his arms. Leo smirked and answered slowly, word by word. "Hot. Absolutely unforgettable."
"See? I told you—lovers are always better than the wife."
"No kidding. Guys like us? You gotta have a few extras outside the house."
"As long as you keep it quiet, man, you can live the dream. Eva will never find out."
At the mention of her name, Leo's expression froze, and his smile vanished.
"Don't ever bring this shit near Eva. If she finds out... You know what happens next."
"Yeah, yeah! We got it! No one's telling her a thing. Don't worry."
The laughter continued inside, loud and shameless. But outside that door, Eva stood frozen in place. Her entire body felt numb, like the life had drained right out of her.
She turned and walked away like a ghost, hollow and lifeless.
Simon noticed something was off and rushed toward her. He was about to head inside to inform Leo, but she stopped him right away.
"Don't tell him I was here. And I don't need a ride. I just want to walk for a bit."
A heavy downpour broke out suddenly, but she moved through it like she didn't feel a thing.
She didn't know how long she wandered. She only knew that it was long—longer than that snowy night years ago, when she had twisted her ankle and Leo had carried her home.
She wondered if true love ever really stayed the same in this world. Did it ever remain unwavering and unbroken?
