My Beloved Has Risen from Death's Embrace novel Chapter 16

Matt lowered his head, and Miranda, feeling the hint in his touch, slowly closed her eyes and leaned in closer.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Matt's mind wandered unexpectedly. Xan had not contacted him all day, which was unusual, and she hadn't come home yet. Where could she be?

The brief pause made the atmosphere awkward. Losing the mood, Matt let go of Miranda, who quickly straightened up. "Sorry, Matt, I got a little carried away there."

Her voice was soft, and her fingers nervously dug into her palm. He had seemed so lost in the moment—why did he pull away? She had worked so hard to seduce him, even made the first move, and still, she couldn't compete with Xan's place in his heart?

"It's alright, it's a bit chilly out here; maybe we should head inside to the living room?" Matt suggested.

Just as Xanthea was about to capture the moment on her phone, she saw them part. How unfortunate. She frowned and moved closer, catching snippets of their conversation.

"Maybe not," Miranda said, looking down and biting her lip. "Once Xan gets back, you won't have time for me."

"Why would you think that?"

"I asked you out because I've been really stressed about the finals of The Masked Singer, and talking to you always helps. You said last night you'd come to the show to support me, was that true?"

"Of course, I've never backed out of a promise to you."

Xanthea listened attentively, though feeling disgusted about it, and ended up picking out the essential details.

The Masked Singer? That rang a bell.

Miranda had dropped out of Kingswood Academy two years ago and, through family connections, entered the entertainment industry. Despite her lack of formal training and surviving on the fringes of fame, a lucky break on The Masked Singer propelled her to stardom with her performance of "Whispers in the Dark"—a song Xanthea had helped her craft.

But her memory wasn’t from that. It was the scandalous photos captured at the Platinum Hotel after the finals, showing Matt and Miranda in a compromising position. The details had been so clear, and even the room number was visible in the tabloids. Matt had brushed it off with a simple excuse—'Miranda had twisted her ankle, and he was just helping her'—an explanation so flimsy that it was laughable.

Now, it was clear they had planned to meet up after the show, and their affair was hidden under the guise of comfort and support.

Xanthea's thoughts turned dark with a vengeful idea.

October 6th was the day she and Matt were supposed to have gotten engaged in another life. What if on that day, she exposed Matt and Miranda's scandalous affair on the big screen at their engagement party? For Matt, who prized his image above all else, it would be a humiliation worse than death.