"When I was at my grandpa's I got a phone call." He interlocked his fingers tightly and looked down at his plate. "That person, who called, said that you two were dating each other a long time before you met me." He looked up at me. "At first I didn't believe it, but then that person sent me some photos of you two," he paused a little with a little expression on his face, "kissing and making out. And also many times I saw you two together in front of our college, at your dad's birthday party. " He released a shaky breath reluctantly. "And I just lost it. And then You also admitted that those pictures were real, not false."

That whole time I was frozen on my seat. Those people didn't even spare Brant. They used him too. That was so upsetting, so unforgivable, so disappointing, so....

I didn't even know what to think anymore. I felt angry, no actually I was beyond anger.

"I am so sorry." I said with a tired tone as I massaged my temple hard. "They dragged you too into this."

"Who?" He croaked. "What are you saying?"

I lightly scratched the polished top of the table with my nails as I told him everything. The rivalry thing. Their plan to taint Ron's perfect image by creating that scandal, those crazy photographs, everything. And the whole time Brant was stunned on his seat, surprised, shocked and.... angry.

"They were just trying to create some dirty scandals against Ron." I looked outside from the cafeteria window, to our college garden. "They just needed someone to use with him for the scandal." I looked back at him and smiled bitterly. "And unfortunately they chose me." I let go a deep mournful breath.

"Arghh, fuckkkkk!!" He groaned loudly with vexation. "What I had done!" He whispered again with a broken voice. "What I had done!" He looked up at me. His face looked like he was going to cry . "I am so sorry, Liza. I am so sorry. I..I shouldn't believe in that person's words. I should have come to you first before anything." His eyes were glistening with pure guilt. "I left you when you needed me most. I was such a failure as a boyfriend."

I would be the happiest girl, if he told me those lines just a few months ago. But right at that moment those kind words felt so empty....so meaningless and kinda irritating. Those lines were actually making me remember those depressed moments, those scars, those nightmares, those....

"It's fine," I told him curtly, to shut him up.

"No! It's not fine!" But he was kinda persistent. "Not fine at all." His frustration suddenly changed into worry. "But why did you marry him? If you guys don't love each other, why did you two get married?"

I stared at him for a few moments. I didn't need to prove myself to him. But he should know what unfortunate things happened to me when he decided to turn his back to me when I actually needed him most.

"Because of all of those rumours not only me but my family also get affected." I started talking with a dry tone. "Ron said only marriage could save us both from that situation. So, I had no other choice but to marry him."

"So, that means you are only staying with him because of that scandal." I didn't know why, but he kinda sounded...relief. "You don't love him, right?"

I sighed. "It was kinda complicated at first." I leaned a little to the table and interlocked my fingers. "But, now..." I hesitate a little to answer him.

"You love him." Brant whispered as his shoulders slumped a little.

"Yes." I looked up and told him firmly. "Now, I love him. I really do, sorry."

Brant closed his eyes wearily.

We both fell silent again. Brant opened his eyes and looked into my eyes. "If you are happy then," he tried to give me a genuine smile, but failed, "good for you."

"Here is your salad and juice." We were suddenly interrupted by Ian who brought my lunch.

"Hey Ian!" Brant suddenly said with a surprise tone. "What are you doing here?"

Ian froze on his spot for a few moments. I looked back and forth between Ian and Brant.

"Hi Brant." Ian said without a smile on his face. "It's been a while."

They knew each other!

"Yeah, it is." Brant laughed a little. "You suddenly just moved out. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye."

"Yeah." Ian glanced at me uneasily and looked back at Brant. "Things were kinda complicated."

"Wait!" I interrupted them. "You guys know each other?"

Brant turned his attention to me. "Yeah, we were neighbours for a few months." He made an expression which indicated that he remembered something. "Do you remember that one time you visited my apartment?"

"Yes." I nodded my head.

"I introduced you to Ian. He was my neighbour. Remember?" He tried to make me remember our meeting.

I knotted my brows hard as I tried to remember the incident. When I went to Brant's apartment for the first time he really did introduce me to his neighbour, the one with a vast muscle build and a weird haircut....

That buzz cut!

"OH MY GOD!" I said out loud. "Yes, I remember now!" I looked at Ian with wide eyes. "That's why I always thought that I saw you somewhere else before." I laughed with disbelief. "How forgetful I am!"

"We just met once." Ian said with a stoic face. "Of course, people usually don't remember their one time meeting."

"But still..." I chuckled softly.

"What are you doing here?" Brant again asked Ian.

"I am her personal bodyguard and driver." Ian pointed at me politely. "And currently I am on duty."

"Oh, wow!" Brant looked at me amiably. "So, you are like a celebrity?"

"Shut up!" I made a little embarrassed face..

"I have a class to attend." Brant got up after checking the time. "I have to go." He slung his backpack on his shoulder and picked up his tray and was about to leave. "Umm, see you later?" He looked at me hopefully.

"Yeah, see you later." I smiled at him reassuringly. He smiled back and looked at Ian. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah." Ian gave him a dry smile. "It is, indeed."

"Can you believe that we actually met before?" I said Ian after Brant left. "And the funniest part was we didn't remember each other." I laughed while thinking about that.

"Yeah it is really hard to believe." Ian looked down at his plate with a stoic face.

When I was on my way home, I got a call from Ron.

"I miss you," he said with an affectionate voice as soon as I answered his call. "Terribly." He added.

"Me too." I chuckled gleefully and glanced at Ian. He was making a face to make people believe that his concentration was only on driving. "Terribly." I added too.

"Really! Then I am coming back tonight." He informed me calmly.

"Yeah, right." I chuckled. He was silent. "You serious!?" I asked happily.

"Yes." He laughed at my reaction. "The meeting went well. There's nothing more for me to do here. So, I am coming back tonight."

"But you said it will take a few days." I said surprisingly. "And it's only been two days."

"You are not happy that I am coming back early?" He asked me with an amused tone.

"Of course I am." I said smilingly. "I am just surprised." I rolled my eyes.

"I bought some white diamonds for you." He said.

"You know I don't wear too much jewellery." I said. "I only wear this necklace you gave me."

"Are you sure you don't want them?" He asked me with a teasing tone. "But they are very beautiful pairs of ear cuffs. But of course I won't force you. If you...."

"I will take them." I quickly cut him off. There's no way I would say no to ear cuffs. I love them.

"And I have another surprise for you," He said.

"What is it?" I asked promptly.

"If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise anymore." He chuckled.

"Stingy." I pouted.

"See you tonight." He chuckled contentedly.

"See ya." I cut the call and stare at the phone screen. I didn't tell Ron about my earlier meeting with Brant. I will tell him later. It was not that important anyway.

When I reached home Ian checked the surroundings cautiously as his routine checked up and nodded his head when he was done. I told him good night and got off from the elevator. When I was removing my shoes Stacy walked towards me with a big welcome smile.

"How was your day?" she asked as she took my backpack from me.

"It was great." I smiled at her brightly.

"Mr Ryan is here," Stacy informed me.

"What!" I was amazed. "Ron is already home? But he said his jet would land here tonight." He never failed to amaze me.

"Not Mr. Ron," Stacy promptly corrected her answer. "It's his dad, Mr Allan Ryan." She smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Silly me."

"It's fine." I laughed gently with her cute reaction. "Where is he?"

"In the study room." She informed me. "Are you hungry? Should I bring you

something to eat?"

"No thanks." I said as I already started to walk to Ron's study room. "Later."

When I reached that room I saw Alan was looking through some documents attentively near those big cabinets on the wall. I never came into Ron's study room. I assumed he was keeping his important papers and official documents there. As I acknowledged very well about my clumsiness, I genuinely thought it'd be better to mercifully spare that room from my vicious habit of making messes.

Anyway that grand room looked very boring and out of my taste. A huge dark wooden desk was resting in the middle of the room with a heavy leather office chair. There was nothing much on his large desk. A few important things like, the latest i Mac, a land phone, few files and a small photo frame.

"Allan." I called out happily. Allan abruptly turned his head towards me. A huge smile instantly lit up his face.

"Liza!" He dropped the file on the little table just beside the big glass window.

"How are you dear?" He came to me, crossing that enormous room with big steps. He engulfed me in his broad arms and kissed my cheeks affectionately.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming over?" I asked him when he finally released me from his bear hug.

"Sorry, dear." He apologised shyly. "Actually I needed an important document to attend a meeting. Ron was supposed to handle this matter, but he had something important to do, so I am covering his ass." He smiled tenderly.

"So, did you find the documents you are looking for?" I asked as I looked around the room.

"Still looking." He seemed tired.

"Should I help?" I offered some help as I took off my denim jacket.

"If you have spare moments, please." He looked relieved. "It is a big grey envelope." He gave me the idea of the envelope.

We both started searching the room enthusiastically. I started my search in those cabinets while Alan was looking into those desk drawers.

"He didn't tell you where he kept that envelope?" I asked as I put back down a brown file in the wooden cabinet.

"I asked but he doesn't remember," He answered as he was trying to open the last bottom drawer of that big desk. "Why is the drawer even close? Where is the key?"

"I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders casually. "I had never been in this room before." I lazily walked towards the desk.

"Let's look at other places," Alan finally gave up and got up to the other cabinet beside the door.

Suddenly something caught my attention, the photo frame which was decorated on the table.

If I was not wrong, it was that photo frame I gave Ron on his birthday. A small smile instantly formed when I saw that he put our wedding pic on it. I delicately picked up the photo frame and caressed my fingers on it lovingly.

I didn't know he still had that photo frame. I meant, It was nothing like those expensive ones he liked to decorate on the wall. Did he like that photo frame that much?

My bubbles of thought popped up when Alan grunted with frustration and tossed a black file back in the cabinet. That photo frame dropped from my hand when I hastily tried to put it back on the table. It hardly hit the carpeted floor and bounced up a little and scattered on the floor as it's parts loosened and detached from each other.

"Oh Shit!" I cursed under my breath and quickly squatted down to gather all parts together. Ron would definitely get upset if he saw that. I speedily gathered the wooden frame, cover glass, mat board, backboard and..... a key.

My brows slowly entangled with each other as I stared at that key.

Why was there a key hidden inside of the photo frame?! Suddenly a brilliant thought came into my mind. I glanced at the locked drawer which was locked.

Was that the key to that drawer?

I thought a little then Inserted the key in the keyhole. I gave it a little push And it slid open. I looked into it. There were some thick files, a silver tablet, a blackberry mobile and a little device, something that looked like a camera. My body still when I noticed the letters on the first file.

Because the first file has my name on it.

I blinked a few times.

Why did that file have my name on it?

"Found it!" I was startled when Allan suddenly exclaimed happily.

"Great!" I said out loud.

I curiously looked at that file for one more time and closed the drawer. I locked the drawer again and got up. I put back those scattered parts together and placed the photo frame on the table. I placed the key beside the photo frame and walked towards Allan.

Allan was looking at a document in his hand with a concentrated look on his face. I stood beside him and read the first two words of the first sentence in that document.

"Hotel Bedford." I mumbled the name. "Isn't this hotel located in Loch Lomond?"

"Yes." Allan looked up at me eagerly. "Have you ever been there before?"

"Oh no." I chuckled and waved my hand. "Last Christmas Ron arranged a vacation plan for Oli along with me and Rose in Scotland." I shook my head when I remembered that. "But somehow I slipped from Ron's mind and he forgot to inform Jess about me. So, Jess booked hotel rooms without including me. They had a trip there without me." I played with the green crystal paper weight on the table. "They didn't want to be without me though. I forced them to go." I quickly added.

Allan arched his brows and looked back at those papers. "That's strange." he mumbled.

"Why? What happened?" I asked him not to understand his words.

"We own this hotel," Alan said as he organised those documents. "There shouldn't be any problem with the room booking because we have a personal suit. Anybody can stay there as long as we give permission." Alan put those documents back in the envelope. "It's a two room suite, shouldn't be a problem for three people." Alan smiled. "I am sorry, your trip was spoiled."

"It's fine." I laughed. "And also she forgot to book a flight ticket for me. So, even though we talked to the hotel manager, it was impossible for me to go there after all without a flight ticket."

"In that case Ron should let you guys use our private jet." Alan raised his brows. "Those both reasons were so silly. Ron should pay more attention to his actions."

"Really, it's fine." I waved off to ease his awkwardness and leaned on that small study table. "He just knew me for a few months at that time, of course I wouldn't make any impression on him. I didn't mind at all."

We were interrupted when suddenly Allan's phone started to ring. He took out his phone from the inner pocket of his heavy navy blue suit to answer the call.

"Oh." He looked at me. "I have to catch a flight." He answered the call.

"Yes, Parker." I assumed it's his driver and bodyguard. "I found the documents. I am coming down. Just give me a second." he cut the call. And checked the time on his phone.

When I looked at his phone screen accidentally, something just caught my attention. There was a picture of a pretty lady on his phone screen. And it wasn't Lucy. But that was not what caught my attention. It was the familiar necklace that the pretty lady in the picture was wearing.

It was the same necklace I was wearing at that moment, which Ron gave me......

.....last Christmas.

"She is my mom." Allan spoke up, noticing my stare on his phone. "Isabella." He caressed his fingers on the phone screen affectionately. "Isn't she beautiful."

"Oh sorry." I quickly apologised. "I didn't intend to."

"It's fine." Allan smiled. "Ron should show you our family album."

"I will ask him to show me." I smiled as I nodded my head. "I didn't see her at the wedding." I looked at him. "Or did I miss her?"

"She passed away four years ago," Allan said, still looking at the phone screen.

"I am sorry." I whispered softly.

"It's fine." he put his phone back inside of his suit. "Ron was very close with mom. She gave him her favourite necklace which my father gave her when he asked her out for a date." My hand automatically went up to my neck. "Yes, that one." He pointed at my neck with his chin. "She told him To give it to someone he loves. And I think he did find someone." He smiled gently.

I smiled shyly.

"Okay Liza, I have to go now." Alan leaned a little and kissed my cheek. "See you later."

"See you later." I smiled tenderly as I also started to walk with him.

I see him off to the elevator.

"Dinner is ready." Stacy informed me. "Would you like to eat now?" She asked.

I thought a little. Ron would be home in a few hours. "I would like to wait for Ron." I smiled at her assuredly. "I think you should go home now. I think I can manage everything."

"It's fine," Stacy quickly said. "I can stay until mr. Ryan...."

"Oh come on." I declined her words. "We will be alright. Just go home."

"But..." She was still hesitating.

"Go." I told her with a little firm tone. She smiled and nodded her head.

"See you tomorrow, Mrs. Ryan." She smiled as she picked up her purse and coat from the table just beside the elevator door.

"See you later." I was waiting for the elevator door to close. After Stacy left I had nothing much to do other than waiting for Ron. So I opened the fridge and took out a strawberry box. I opened that giant plasma TV in the living room and leisurely searched for some random movie to watch.

I was watching the movie 'Knives out' absentmindedly and recalled my conversation with Brant. I just didn't understand one thing. Why did they call Brant? What possible way to use Brant in that whole matter?

Arrrghhh...

I frustratingly brushed my hair with my fingers and tugged a little to erase the dull headache which started to rise in my brain. I pressed my neck lightly and cracked my head to both sides to ease my neck pain. My fingers stuck with the necklace on my neck. I tugged the necklace slightly with my fingers and saw the pendant. It was indeed gorgeous.

A gratified smile slowly formed on my lips when I recall Allan's words. Ron was so cute. He actually gave me his beloved grandma's necklace and silly me I almost lost it....

Suddenly something struck me like lightning. I got up hastily as my head started to pound like it was going to burst.

That necklace Ron gave me when he was actually dating Rose. Why did he give it to me? He should give it to Rose, not me.

Oh god!

NO NO NO!!!!!

What was I thinking?!

That couldn't be possible!

But......

My brain stopped working completely. I just sit there with a blank mind. I looked at the way to Ron's study room. Before I could process what I was thinking I started to walk towards it.

That key was still placed on the desk, beside the photo frame. I walked slowly to the desk and picked it up. I glanced at the bottom drawer of the desk anxiously and kneeled in front of it.

Why was there a file with my name on it?

Why was it locked?

And why did Ron hide the key in our wedding photo frame?

"Stop it Liza." My inner self scolded me. "You are just being paranoid after today's meeting with Brant. There's nothing for you to find. There must be important files and documents in there."

Fine.

But I wanted to see it with my own eyes. For once.

I clutched the necklace in my neck.

Please god, prove me wrong. That's all I wanted to know that I was wrong.

I took a deep breath and inserted the key in the key hole.

Click.

The key unlocked the locked drawer with a click sound. I took another deep breath and yanked open the drawer.

**********
Author's Note:

Oh no, oh no, oh no......

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