Chapter 2

Inside a private booth at the café, Maya was already waiting, flanked by a young man and a woman.

"Nora!" Maya stood up the second she saw me, pulling me into a chair. She introduced them, "This is Leo, our chief tech lead. He's a wizard with streaming protocols."

"And this is Zoe, our live producer. Quick on her feet." Turning to them, she added, "This is my best friend, Nora."

Maya gripped my hands, worry clouding her eyes.

"Nora, have you really thought this through?

"The whispers, the online gossip... people might point fingers at you for a long time."

I met her gaze without flinching.

"Maya, the second I realized the truth, there was no turning back."

"I'm not the one who should be ashamed. The cheaters should. As for the gossip..." I smirked coldly. "As long as I come out thriving, wealthy, and happier than ever, their words can't touch me."

Maya squeezed my fingers tightly.

I turned to the laptop screen. Maya's team had already started blasting teaser clips across several huge relationship accounts with millions of followers:

"Tonight at 8 PM, tune in to @NoraUnfiltered for an unforgettable 'Anniversary Surprise'!"

"Romantic confession? Or a complete nightmare? Stay tuned!"

"Marriage is a gamble—dare to look at the cards? Going live tonight to reveal the other side of a 'perfect husband.'"

"She thought she married her soulmate... until she uncovered a horrifying secret on their anniversary."

The buzz was instantaneous. The comment section exploded with curiosity.

"An anniversary surprise stream? Sounds juicy!"

"Is this a scripted PR stunt?"

"Grabbing my popcorn. I love some good tea."

"If this turns out to be some cheesy romantic proposal, I'm unfollowing immediately!"

The algorithm was doing its magic.

Watching the analytics graph spike, Maya turned to me. "The hype is real. With this traction, our live viewer count will break records the second you turn it on."

"Nora, what's your next move?"

"I need him on camera admitting to tonight's date, and I need clear footage of him with Chloe," I said.

"His phone is packed with filth, but I can't touch it right now."

"Tonight, I'm making him expose himself."

Maya frowned. "Are you going to tail him? If you drive your own car, he'll spot you. Taking an Uber isn't safe or fast enough."

"I'm already ahead of you," I replied calmly. "Ryan's car has a hidden GPS tracker. I installed it years ago for safety, and he's long forgotten it exists."

"I can track his coordinates in real-time."

"Plus, I rented a generic silver sedan. Completely unremarkable."

"I'll stake out his office building early."

With every detail ironed out, we parted ways.

I picked up the rental, slid behind the wheel, and clicked my seatbelt into place.

I steered the car toward Ryan's office complex.

Finding a street parking spot with a clear view of the garage exit, I waited.

I opened SnapChat and tapped into Ryan's chat window.

"Happy anniversary, babe! I booked our dinner for seven tonight at our usual spot."

The message sat there like a stone cast into the deep ocean. No reply.

I flipped to the creator dashboard of the streaming platform.

The pre-stream buzz was skyrocketing; the hashtag had already cracked the top ten trending topics in our city.

Some trolls started calling it a scripted publicity stunt.

Maya's moderators immediately steered the conversation:

"Scripted or not, we'll find out tonight. If it's real, stay strong, sister!"

"Camping out here for the receipts. Men have been reckless lately."

"If this is real, cancel this scumbag into oblivion!"

At 1:00 PM, Ryan finally messaged back.

Just two words: "Very busy."

I screenshot it. Saved.

At 3:00 PM, another text popped up:

"Stuck with a VIP client tonight. Won't make it. Eat by yourself, don't wait up."

I crafted my reply to sound deliberately naive, disappointed yet understanding:

"Oh... okay. Work comes first. Just come home early once you're done, I'll be waiting."

He sent back a dry: "K."

At 4:30 PM, the red dot on my GPS app finally stirred.

I started the engine and trailed him at a safe distance.

Eventually, his black Mercedes pulled into the gates of The Grandview Penthouses.

It was an ultra-luxury gated complex with 24/7 security guards. My rental couldn't follow inside.

I parked across the street, positioning the car with a clear view of the main gate.

I sent a voice note to Maya, my voice chillingly steady:

"He's inside. I can't get in, so I'm camping at the entrance. Start the stream's public countdown."

Maya replied within seconds: "Got it. Gear checked? How are your nerves?"

"Equipment is perfect. I'm fine." I watched the armed guards stand at attention. "Security is ridiculously tight. He probably plans to spend the night here."

"I'll either have to find a way in, or catch him on his way out."

"Stay safe! Do not force your way in!" Maya warned.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

By 6:30 PM, the GPS tracker hadn't moved an inch.

On the streaming dashboard, Leo had the RTMP stream ready to fire. Maya messaged me:

"The pre-show room is packed. Over fifty thousand people are waiting. We can go live anytime. Say the word."

"Not yet," I typed back. "Wait until he walks out, or until I get a solid angle. I need ironclad receipts."