Page 88 of Accidental Fiancé

“Groped him?” Maggie was aghast until she searched her memory for a beat. “Didn’t he spill lemonade on his suit or something along those lines?”

“Yes, and she insisted he take the jacket off so she could run it under the tap. She helped him undress right in front of the whole class! I had never been so humiliated in my life!” Chloe snarled, “If you hadn’t brought her that night my parents would still be together!”

“That’swhat you call flirting?” Maggie ran her fingers through her hair. “My mom innocently helped your dad because he was freaked out over his suit, and you took it upon yourself to light my bakery on fire because of how you interpreted herkindnesswhen we were in fifth grade? Is that what you’re telling me?”

Chloe’s jaw locked tight. “She was flirting with him.”

“She was helping him, you psycho!” Maggie shook her head in disbelief.

It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. No one dared to speak.

Even Marcus paled. His eyes shifted from Chloe to Maggie and then to the floor, trying to make sense of nonsense. The silence continued for a few more heartbeats before Marcus straightened, finally breaking the tension. His voice was low and filled with disgust. “You set fire to Maggie's bakery because of something youthinkhappened between your parents? That's fucked up, Chloe.”

Her eyes flickered to him, confusion flashing across her face. “Marcus, this has nothing to do with you. Back off.”

He shook his head, stepping away from her. “We are done. I'm not going to stand by and support whatever this is. You've gone too far.” His voice was cold, final. “It’s over between us.”

Chloe's face crumpled with shock then anger, but Marcus didn't give her a chance to speak. He turned and walked away without looking back, his footsteps echoing through the foyer.

But Apollo had plenty to say. He looked Chloe up and down, his gaze as icy as his tone. “I'm filing charges against you on Monday, Chloe. You'll be lucky if this stays a local case, but I can't promise that it will. I suggest you don't leave the city.”

Chloe's face bleached, the reality of Apollo's words sinking in. “You can't be serious. It wasn’t a big deal. No one was hurt.”

“You’re lucky nobody was hurt. Arson is a serious crime,” Apollo replied smoothly. “And you just confessed in front of several witnesses.” He gestured around the room.

I couldn't help but admire Apollo's stoicism. The way he dismantled Chloe's arrogance with just a few sentences wasimpressive. But what really mattered was Maggie. She just stood there in the middle of the chaos, unbroken. I'd never been prouder of her.

As Chloe turned and stormed off, humiliated, I jogged down the stairs, trying to find the right words to say to Maggie. But before I could reach her, she turned and met my eyes.

“Julian,” she said quietly. Her voice held both finality and a deep sadness.

What could I say? That I was sorry? That I had made a mistake by letting this happen? That I loved her? She thought she knew how I felt about her better than I did, so there was no convincing her otherwise. There was nothing I could do to stop her from walking out of my life. “I’m sorry. About Chloe, about what she did to you.”

“This isn't on you. What happened, it's done. Don't give me those sad puppy eyes.” A hint of a smile on her plump lips gave me hope for her. Chloe may have burned down her bakery, but she didn't destroy the thing that mattered most—Maggie’s heart and grit.

I swallowed hard. “I know that it's not my place, but I'm proud of you for standing up to her. For everything.”

She gave me a small smile. “Thanks for that.”

Apollo ushered the others toward the lounge and away from the foyer. As I reached for the door to open it for Maggie a moment later, we heard Chloe scream out, “I am not going to prison! Do you understand me? I will not go!”

We both snorted a laugh, trying not to crack up. I wondered if a last-ditch effort would even matter at this point. But I had to say what was on my mind. “Do you think Chloe will look good in prison orange?”

Maggie's stiff upper lip attitude shattered.

Chapter 33

Maggie

Chloe’s incessant screams echoed through the house. Marble floors and hardwood surfaces bounced sound quite well, evidently. She had stormed off, humiliated and defeated.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. The memory of her face twisted in anger and degradation kept me smiling. I knew I was supposed to be better than that. She was the petty one, not me. But there was poetic justice there.

As I stood there, I couldn't help but revel in the fall of Chloe, at least a little bit. Chloe deserved what was coming to her. After everything she had done to me, the feeling of seeing her brought to her knees was one I wouldn't forget anytime soon.

The moment I confronted Chloe, the way she had crumbled, it felt like part of my past had been set free. The weight I had been carrying all of these years because of Chloe had finally been lifted.

The mystery was over, a lifetime of unasked questions answered. I had always wondered what I’d done so wrong to make Chloe Foster hate me so much. But I’d done nothing wrong. She was a nut job.

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