CHAPTER TWENTY – FORMING A GAME PLAN

Two days before the wedding, Karina found herself pacing the worn floorboards of her childhood bedroom, her mind racing. The revelation of Kayla and Matthew's betrayal had shaken her to the core, but now, a sense of steely determination had taken hold. She had to act, and she had to act fast. The wedding was rapidly approaching, and she couldn't bear the thought of walking down the aisle, of binding herself to a man who saw her as nothing more than a trophy. And Kayla – her closest friend, the one person she had trusted implicitly – had stabbed her in the back in the most intimate of ways. Karina's hands clenched into fists at her sides as the memory of that fateful encounter in the hallway replayed in her mind. The way Matthew had spoken about her, the callous disregard with which he had brushed her aside – it was a betrayal that cut deeper than any physical wound. But she wouldn't let them win. She wouldn't be a pawn in their twisted game any longer. With a newfound determination,