"I told you. I'm Barbie's guest."
"Guests don't usually stalk the groom like he's the last slice of pizza at a frat party."
Her mouth opens. Closes. Opens again. "That's a terrible metaphor."
"It's accurate."
"I'm just being friendly."
"You're just being obvious." I straighten, moving into the room. "Blake's not a good guy, Jane. Whatever you think is going to happen if you get him alone—"
"I know exactly what kind of guy he is." Her voice has an edge now. "That's why I'm here."
I still. Study her face—the stubborn set of her jaw, the shadows under her eyes.
"Explain."
She looks away, chewing her bottom lip like she's trying to decide how much to tell me.
"The bridesmaids think he's cheating. They hired me to get proof."
The words land like a body check I should've seen coming but didn't.
"They hired you," I repeat slowly.
"Yes."
"To seduce Blake."
"To get evidence. Photos. Video. A recorded confession. Something Natalie can't ignore." She lifts her chin. "They tried agencies. No one would touch it because Blake's family is too powerful. So they found me."
"And you said yes."
"I said yes."
"Why?"
"Because they're paying me fifty thousand dollars, and I need the money."
The honesty of it is almost worse than the deception. No pretense. No justification. Just cold financial calculation.
The raw honesty punches through my defenses. "For?"
"My sister's nursing tuition." The words spill out—the debt, the desperation, the fear of failing the one person who depends on her. "So lecture me all you want, but I'm doing this."
Every assumption I made about her shifts and reforms.
Not a gold-digger going after Blake directly.
A professional. Someone hired to do a job.
"So you're a what? Honeypot? Corporate spy?"
"I run an off-the-books problem-solving service." She crosses her arms defensively. "Lost pets. Stolen property. Background checks. Mostly boring stuff. This is—this was supposed to be a quick job. Flirt with the groom, get him to slip up, collect proof, get paid."
"And then what? Ruin the wedding? Humiliate Natalie publicly?"
"Save her from marrying a cheater." Her voice rises. "They're her best friends. They're trying to protect her from making a horrible mistake."
