CHAPTER TWENTY TWO – SAVED FROM THE ARRANGEMENT

The words hung in the air, the weight of their implication sending a fresh wave of murmurs through the crowd. Karina watched as the Hogan family's carefully constructed facade began to crumble, their expressions shifting from shock to outrage. Matthew, his face contorted with rage, stepped forward, his finger jabbing towards Karina. "You lying bitch!" he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "How dare you humiliate me like this?" Karina's gaze remained unwavering, her expression one of utter disdain. "How dare I?" she echoed, her voice soft but laced with steel. "How dare you, Matthew Hogan, betray me in the most despicable of ways. And how dare you, Kayla, claim to be my friend while stabbing me in the back." Kayla, her face streaked with tears, rose from the floor, her hands outstretched in a gesture of supplication. "Karina, please, you have to understand," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. We never meant to hurt you." Karina's lips curled int