CHAPTER 3 â THE FIANCĂE WHO LIED
CHAPTER 3 â THE FIANCĂE WHO LIED
The truth had a strange way of changing everything.
A person could spend years believing they knew someone.
Then one sentence could destroy the entire picture.
For Evan Mercer, that sentence was:
"Ask Leah why she never told you her real last name."
He replayed Sabrina's words all night.
Not because he trusted her.
He didn't.
But because even a liar could sometimes point toward the truth.
And one question kept returning.
Why did Sabrina know something about Leah that he didn't?
The next morning, Evan went to the hospital.
Leah was sitting by the window.
Her shoulder was supported by a medical brace.
She looked exhausted.
But when she saw him, the first thing she asked was not about herself.
"How is Ellie?"
Evan stopped.
Even now.
After everything.
Her first thought was still their daughter.
"She's with my sister."
Leah nodded.
"Good."
A silence followed.
Then Evan spoke.
"Sabrina said something."
Leah's expression changed slightly.
"What?"
"She said you never told me your real last name."
The color drained from Leah's face.
And Evan noticed.
That tiny reaction.
The one people had when someone touched a wound they tried to hide.
"Leah."
She looked away.
"There's something you need to know."
Before Leah could continue, the hospital room door opened.
A man walked in.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Expensive suit.
Evan recognized him immediately.
His father.
Richard Mercer.
The man who had controlled every important decision in Evan's life.
Richard looked at Leah.
Then at Evan.
Then at Ellie standing behind Evan's sister outside the room.
His expression changed.
Only for a second.
But Evan saw it.
Fear.
Not surprise.
Fear.
"What are you doing here?" Evan asked.
Richard ignored him.
His eyes stayed on Leah.
"You should have stayed gone."
The sentence made the entire room freeze.
Evan slowly turned.
"What did you say?"
Richard immediately corrected himself.
"I mean..."
But it was too late.
The damage was done.
Evan stepped closer.
"You knew."
Richard said nothing.
"You knew about Ellie."
Still silence.
"You knew Leah was pregnant."
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Evan."
"No."
His voice became colder.
"I want the truth."
Richard looked at Leah.
"You should have told him."
Leah laughed quietly.
A broken laugh.
"Like you would have allowed that?"
Evan looked between them.
"What is going on?"
Neither answered.
Then Richard finally spoke.
"Leah Carter is not who you think she is."
Evan felt his stomach tighten.
"Stop saying that."
Richard looked at him.
"Her family destroyed ours."
Silence.
"What?"
"Her father ruined a deal that cost this family millions."
Evan stared.
"That's why you hated her?"
Richard didn't deny it.
"You don't understand the history."
"No."
Evan shook his head.
"I understand perfectly."
"You punished a woman because of something her family did?"
Richard's face hardened.
"She was never supposed to be part of your life."
That sentence confirmed everything.
This was never about love.
Never about protection.
It was about control.
After Richard left, Evan turned to Leah.
"Your last name."
She closed her eyes.
"My name is Leah Carter."
Evan waited.
Nothing happened.
Because somehow, that answer felt less shocking than everything else.
"The Carter family?"
She nodded.
"The same Carter family your father has spent years fighting."
Leah explained.
Her family had once been one of the most influential families in the city.
But after a business conflict, everything collapsed.
Her father lost everything.
Her mother disappeared.
And Leah grew up learning one rule:
Never trust powerful people.
Especially the Mercers.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
Leah looked at him.
"Because when I met you, I wasn't Leah Carter."
A pause.
"I was just Leah."
She smiled sadly.
"And for the first time, someone loved me without knowing my family name."
Evan looked away.
Because he understood.
He loved Leah.
Not the Carter family.
Not money.
Not status.
Just her.
That evening, Evan confronted Sabrina.
She was packing her things.
"You knew about Leah."
Sabrina didn't turn around.
"Yes."
"You knew who she was."
"Yes."
"You knew Ellie was my daughter."
Another pause.
"Yes."
Three answers.
Three betrayals.
Evan stared at her.
"How could you do this?"
Sabrina slowly faced him.
"Because I loved you."
He almost laughed.
"No."
Her eyes narrowed.
"You don't get to say that."
"Why?"
"Because love doesn't destroy people."
Silence.
"Love doesn't steal four years from a father and daughter."
Sabrina's expression hardened.
"You think Leah is innocent?"
"She made mistakes."
"So did I."
"No."
Evan shook his head.
"What you did was a choice."
For the first time, Sabrina lost control.
"You want the truth?"
She stepped closer.
"I didn't just know about Ellie."
Evan looked at her.
"What else?"
"I knew Leah was going to tell you."
"When?"
"Four years ago."
A pause.
"And I stopped her."
The room became silent.
"How?"
Sabrina smiled faintly.
"I convinced her you didn't want her."
Evan's hands tightened.
"You destroyed my family."
"No."
Sabrina whispered.
"I saved you from a woman who would have ruined your life."
Evan looked at her with disbelief.
"You actually believe that?"
Sabrina didn't answer.
Because she did.
And that was what terrified him most.
The next day, Evan received a call from his lawyer.
"Mr. Mercer, you need to come in."
"Why?"
A pause.
"We found something."
"What?"
"The reason Sabrina knew so much."
Evan felt cold.
"Tell me."
The lawyer lowered his voice.
"Sabrina wasn't investigating Leah."
"Then what was she doing?"
"She was preparing to take control of the Mercer company."
Evan froze.
"What?"
"She has been moving assets."
"How long?"
The answer was almost a whisper.
"Three years."
Evan hung up.
Three years.
The same amount of time Sabrina had been in his life.
The same amount of time she had been pretending to love him.
That night, Evan returned home.
But Sabrina was gone.
Only one thing remained on the table.
A letter.
He opened it.
Inside was one sentence.
"If you want to know who really destroyed your family, ask your father what happened the night Leah disappeared."
Evan stared at the words.
Because suddenly he understood.
Sabrina had lied.
But she had not created every lie.
Someone had taught her.
Someone had started this.
May you like
And that someone was much closer than he ever imagined.
END OF CHAPTER 3
