“Adrian, are you alright?”

Deviana’s voice sounded faint on the other end of the phone. That night, Adrian sat in the living room of his apartment with a weary face, his shirt still wrinkled after the humiliating hotel incident. The dim light cast his long shadow across the wall, deepening the somber atmosphere.

He lifted his head, as if not believing the voice he had just heard. “Deviana… you… called me?”

“Yes,” Deviana replied softly. “I saw the news. Everyone is in an uproar on social media. But I know—that wasn’t you. I know you were set up.”

Adrian fell silent for a few seconds, his heart trembling. He had...