Chapter 208: A good Liar

Avery shifts uneasily in her seat. She wants to focus on the show, but she can't help wondering about Veronica. She scans the faces in the crowd, but she doesn't see Veronica anywhere.

Cannons fire thick smoke into the audience, creating an eerie atmosphere and hiding the crowd. Lights flicker and the models strut across the catwalk. As they walk, their jewelry catches the light. The audience gasps, and cameras flash. By the end of the show, the crowd is buzzing with excitement.

Sophie Johnson steps onto the stage, and thanks to everyone for their support. She explains the concept behind her show and talks at great length about the importance of storytelling. When she tells Avery's story about the vampire, the crowd goes wild. She waves her hand to silence them and smiles at Avery.

"Before I leave you all this evening, I want to thank some very special people," Sophie says. "First of all, I'd like to thank Avery for inspiring me. I'd also like to take a moment to pay tribute to Olivia Peters. She was my greatest friend and a constant inspiration for me. Though she's no longer with us, her vision lives on in my work."

Avery feels her entire body stiffen. Did she just say my mother's name? Avery thinks. Wait, earlier Sophie said I remind her of someone—could she have been thinking of my mother?

"I'd like to honor my dear friend by including her work in my show," Sophie says. "I have a few images of her designs I'd like to share with you tonight." She waves her hands, and a projector lowers from the ceiling. The lights dim, and images appear on the walls behind the runway.

The audience immediately begins to whisper, and Avery can feel the blood rising in her face. The pictures aren't jewelry, but photos of Avery and Andrew together. One photo shows them shopping for lingerie together, and another zooms in one the handcuffs around their wrists. Yet another photo shows her kissing him on the cheek. The images flicker, and change and Avery hide her face in her hands.

"I had no idea Avery and Andrew were an item," someone whispers behind her.

"No wonder Evan is divorcing her," another person says, "She's absolutely shameless."

"Look at that picture!" another voice says. "Is it just me, or does that couple buying lingerie together look like Evan and Leonie?"

Sophie runs off the stage to talk to the technicians, and the projector shuts off. But it's too late: the crowd has already seen the photos, and many people have taken pictures with their phones. Avery sinks lower in her chair, but the paparazzi have spotted her.

"Avery, Avery, are you and Mr. Clifford together?" one reporter asks. "Will we hear wedding bells soon?"

"Can you tell us about your divorce?" another asks.

Avery keeps her hands over her face and shakes her head miserably. The paparazzi crowd around her, and she can see the bright flash of their cameras from between her fingers. She finally looked up when she feels a warm hand on her arm.

"I've got this," Bryan says quietly to her. Then he raises his voice, "That's enough. Stop crowding her. Back off!"

The photographers and reporters ignore Bryan and the crowd closer.

"What's your relationship with Bryan?" one of them asks.

"How many boyfriends do you really have?" taunts another.

"No comment," Avery says, hating how weak her voice sounds.

"Make way, make way," Leonie shouts, pushing her way through the crowd. 

Bryan's face flashes with immediate recognition. "That bitch," he whispers. "Did she do this to you?"

Before Avery can respond, he stretches out his leg tot rip Leonie. She stumbles and drops her purse, and her wallet, makeup, and papers spilled across the floor. The paparazzi grab her things like vultures.

"Oh my god, is this a pregnancy test?" one shouts, "Leonie, are you pregnant?"

"Is it Mr. Howel's child?" asks another.

Leonie smiles sweetly and looks down at her shoes. The crowd explodes, and the cameras flash.

"Leonie, Leonie, how long have you and Evan been together?" a reporter asks.

"Did you get together before or after the divorce?" asks another. 

"How does it feel to be the other woman?" someone asks, thrusting a camera right into Leonie's face.

Leonie glares at the reporter. "I've never been the other woman," she says.

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"So when do you plan to make it official and get married?" someone asks.

"That doesn't depend on me," Leonie says coyly.

Bryan wraps his arms around Avery and tries to shield her from the cameras with his body. He rubs her shoulder, reassuringly.

"That son of a bitch got another woman pregnant?" Bryan asks. "Avery, why didn't you tell me? I'll kill that bastard. You're so nice, how dare he do this to you!"

Avery shakes her head and stares at the floor. Her eyes burn with tears, and she feels very, very small. She doesn't want to give Leonie the satisfaction of seeing her break down, but she can't control her emotions much longer.

"Where is he?" Bryan asks. "Tell me where he is, and I'll fight him. I can't stand that bastard."

Avery blinks desperately, but the tears begin to fall. She tries to brush them away, but more come. She sniffles, and Bryan grabs her tighter.

"Mr. Howel is here," someone shouts.

Avery looks up immediately and sees Evan across the room. He's surrounded by bodyguards who muscle their way through the dense crowd. Bryan lets go of Avery and runs toward Evan.

"Evan! You bastard!" Bryan shouts.

A bodyguard stops Bryan before he can reach Evan. Evan ignores him and pushes his way toward Avery. She looks down, embarrassed to be crying in front of him. He takes strokes her cheek, and she tries to turn away, but he gently lifts her head.

"Do you believe it?" he asks. His eyes are deep and intense. "Answer me, please, do you believe that the child is mine?"

Avery nods silently—she doesn't trust her voice to work.

"Oh, Avery," Evan says, his voice thick with some unrecognizable emotion. "Remember when I told you-you're the only woman I've ever been with. It was true then, and it's still true now. You're the only woman I want."

Avery blinks and looks at Evan. He seems so sincere, but she knows he's lying. She saw him with Leonie that afternoon, and she saw them again last night in the restaurant. He's such a good liar, but I can't let myself fall for it again, she thinks.

"What are you talking about, Evan?" Leonie says. "This child is yours! We had a beautiful afternoon together."

"No, it's not mine," Evan says.

"Of course it is," Leonie says. "You're the only man I've ever been with. I know you wanted me to take the morning-after pill, but I didn't. The baby is yours whether you'll admit it or not."

"No, it's not," Evan says again. He turns to his bodyguards, "Step forward."

A tall man dressed in black steps in front of the others, Avery stares at him in confusion.

He smiles sheepishly and looks at Leonie. "Miss Leonie, it was me who was with you that day," he says.

Avery looks at Evan with disbelief. No, she thinks, that's not possible, she thinks. I saw them together—I heard them. As much as she hates the think about it, the afternoon is permanently engraved in her mind. She closes her eyes and forced herself to remember it.

She opens her eyes in surprise. I never actually saw the man's face, she thinks. Of course, I assumed it was Evan, but maybe it wasn't. She looks at the bodyguard and notices that he's about Evan's height. Their hair color is similar to.

"I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull, but this is your child," Leonie says. "If you don't want to recognize the child, that's fine, but you can't deny that we've been together."

"Actually, I can," Evan says with an indifferent shrug.

He places a protective arm around Avery's waist and pulled her close to him. Too shocked to fight back, she allows him to pull her into his side.

"Do you believe me now?" he whispers into her hair.

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