Chapter 1

“Mr. Lucas York, do you take Ms. Fiona Shaw to be your wife? Do you promise to care for her, accept her, and stand by her through every season of life, whether in good times or bad, in sickness and in health?”

“I do.”

Lucas stood in a sharp black suit, his tie perfectly straight. A faint, gentle smile softened his strong features.

His eyes were deep and steady, giving him an air of calm maturity.

“Ms. Fiona Shaw, do you take Mr. Lucas York to be your husband?”

Lucas looked at the woman across from him, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest.

He had never been this nervous in his life.

After eight long years together, today was finally the day he and Fiona were getting married.

Fiona wore a white custom wedding gown. Her long hair was swept up at the back of her head, revealing a cool, stunning face that looked almost untouched by the world.

She lifted her eyes slightly, her gaze pale and calm.

“I…”

Before she could finish, the tightly shut doors of the banquet hall were suddenly shoved open.

Fiona instinctively looked toward the entrance.

The person who rushed in was Elsa Declan, Zac Carter’s agent.

A sharp sense of unease surged through Lucas.

He quickly looked at the officiant, signaling for him to continue.

“Ms. Fiona Shaw, do you take…”

The officiant’s voice was cut off by Elsa.

Her voice was urgent. “Ms. Shaw, please go see Zac! He got into a car accident on his way here. He’s already been taken to the hospital!”

Fiona’s pupils shrank.

Lucas reached out to stop her and pleaded in a low voice, “Don’t go. At least wait until the wedding is over. Please.”

But it was too late.

“The wedding is canceled.”

The cold words fell from Fiona’s lips.

She dropped the bouquet in her hand and ran toward the door.

Within seconds, her figure disappeared completely from the entrance.

Lucas froze where he stood.

It felt as if someone had slammed a fist into his heart. The pain was so sharp he could barely breathe.

The once joyful wedding hall fell into a dead silence.

The phone in his suit pocket vibrated.

It was a text from Zac.

“Fiona would rather run from her own wedding for me. I’m the one she loves, Lucas. Give up already.”

A stiff smile tugged at Lucas’s lips.

He could almost picture the smug look on Zac’s face when he sent that message.

Zac Carter was the man Fiona always put first.

Whenever something happened to him, all it took was one phone call, and Fiona would drop everything and run straight to him.

On Lucas’s birthday, Zac had called, and Fiona had rushed to the set to keep him company while he filmed.

Lucas had waited in an empty house until three in the morning, but he never got a single “happy birthday” from her.

On their seventh anniversary, Fiona had gone overseas with Zac.

Lucas had looked at the happy photos they posted online and quietly eaten the candlelit dinner that had already gone cold.

Even at their engagement party, Fiona had missed the entire event because of Zac, leaving Lucas alone to face the strange looks from all their guests.

He had been by Fiona’s side for more than ten years.

He had loved her, protected her, given everything he had, and stayed quietly behind her as the man who supported her.

But none of it could compare to Zac.

Even today, on a day as important as their wedding, Fiona had still abandoned him for Zac without a moment’s hesitation.

Lucas’s eyes reddened. His deep gaze was filled with pain.

He closed his eyes and took a long breath.

After that sharp pain in his chest passed, a wave of release swept over him.

The truth was, he should have woken up a long time ago.

Fiona’s coldness and indifference had worn down his love again and again.

If she had simply said the words “I do” today, he might have found the strength to keep going.

But she hadn’t.

After eight years, this relationship had finally reached the end.

When Lucas opened his eyes again, they were clear.

He turned to face the guests.

He didn’t cry. He didn’t make a scene.

There was even a faint smile on his face.

“Thank you all for coming to my wedding today. I’m sorry you had to go through this, but I’d also like to ask everyone here to be my witness. From this day on, Fiona Shaw and I are over. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”

The room erupted.

Lucas was the one breaking up with Fiona?

Were they hearing things?

Everyone in their circle knew how much Lucas loved Fiona. For her, he had nearly thrown away his dignity.

Now that he was talking about breaking up, it had to be because Fiona had run out on the wedding and he was just trying to save face.

The guests all thought they had figured it out.

Lucas ignored the crowd and strode out of the banquet hall.

“You finally got the chance to marry into the Shaw family and rise to the top overnight. Are you sure you want to walk away?”

Lucas’s steps paused slightly.

Xena Shaw stepped out from behind a pillar, her face full of gloating.

A trace of disgust flashed through Lucas’s eyes.

The Shaw family had no sons. For the sake of the family business, Mr. Shaw had decided long ago that Fiona would marry a man who would take her family name and stay with the Shaws.

In the end, he had chosen Lucas, an orphan with no parents, and brought him into the Shaw family to raise as Fiona’s future husband.

Xena had been attached to her older sister Fiona since childhood. Lucas’s arrival had made her feel deeply threatened, so she treated him like a thorn in her side.

Over the years, she had used her status as his future sister-in-law to bully him behind closed doors more times than he could count.

Lucas’s expression hardened. Without even looking at her, he walked past her.

Xena flew into a rage. “Girls, stop him!”

The friends who always hung around her immediately blocked Lucas’s path.

Xena crossed her arms and looked at him with undisguised malice.

“Lucas, you planned for this for so many years, but Fiona still ran out on the wedding. How does that feel?”

Her friends burst into laughter, their faces carrying the same mocking smiles as hers.

Lucas didn’t even lift an eyebrow.

He had heard this kind of ridicule countless times before. He was already used to it.

In the past, he had endured it all for Fiona’s sake.

But now, he didn’t want to endure it anymore.

He looked up and met Xena’s gaze with a faint, cold smile.

“Last month, your fiancé abandoned you at your engagement party for another woman. If anyone knows how I feel, shouldn’t it be you?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Xena’s expression turned dark.

Her friends’ laughter stopped cold.

Last month had been Xena’s engagement party. But her fiancé had insisted on calling off the engagement for some young actress, and the whole thing had even made entertainment headlines. Xena had been humiliated in front of everyone.

With nowhere else to vent her anger, she had taken it out on Lucas even more harshly.

Back then, Lucas had silently put up with it.

But now, he had already broken up with Fiona.

So what was Xena to him anymore?

Nothing.

Lucas had struck Xena right where it hurt. Humiliation twisted into rage, and she raised her hand high.

“You’re nothing but a dog our Shaw family took in! How dare you talk back to me? You’re asking for it!”

But this time, her slap didn’t land the way it always had before.

“Ah!”

Lucas grabbed her wrist hard before her hand could come down, and Xena screamed.

“Lucas, let go of Xena!”

Her friends rushed forward, ready to teach him a lesson.

Lucas shoved Xena away with a flick of his hand.

She stumbled backward and crashed into her friends. The whole group collapsed to the floor in an embarrassing heap, looking completely pathetic.

Xena lifted her face and stared at Lucas in disbelief.

“You actually dared to lay a hand on me? Fiona won’t let you get away with this!”

Lucas gave a low, mocking laugh. There wasn’t the slightest trace of fear on his face.

“So what if she finds out? I put up with you before because of Fiona. But now Fiona and I are over. If you insist on throwing yourself at me and asking for trouble, don’t blame me for being rude.”

His words were sharp and full of hostility. He was nothing like the silent, long-suffering Lucas she remembered.

For a moment, Xena was stunned speechless.

One of her friends was so angry that she raised her phone and warned him, “Lucas, I recorded everything just now. I have proof that you hit Xena. Apologize to her right now, and maybe we’ll still put in a good word for you with Fiona.”

Lucas frowned and looked at Xena.

Xena thought he was scared.

She sneered. “You’re just a lowly live-in son-in-law who never belonged in our family. If you don’t want me telling Fiona, get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness.”

Lucas let out a cold laugh, his eyes hard with final resolve.

“Apologize to you? Never.

“Starting today, I’m leaving the Shaw family with nothing. I swear I will never marry Fiona Shaw. Not in this lifetime. Not ever. And if I do, I deserve whatever hell comes for me.”