Chapter 1

By six, Amelia had whipped up a six-dish dinner with soup—Chad Felton's favorites, of course.

By seven, she'd prepped his bath, complete with rose petals and candles.

By eight, his slippers were perfectly lined up by the door.

At nine, Chad finally strolled in. Amelia stepped up, taking his suit jacket. "Eat first or bathe?" she asked, setting the slippers in front of him and hanging the jacket.

"Bathe," he muttered, eyes glued to his phone.

Thirty minutes later, he came out in his robe, towel in hand. Amelia passed him his pajamas without a word and rushed to reheat the dinner she'd kept waiting.

Chad, used to her quiet service, barely looked her way. In a good mood tonight, he stayed fixated on his phone, a faint smile playing on his lips as he typed.

Amelia's eyes flicked to his screen, catching the name 'Irina.' Her expression wavered for a split second, but she quickly looked away and kept moving.

Her own phone buzzed. It was Miranda. With a sigh, she picked up.

"Amelia, are you really divorcing Chad?"

She stared out the window, where a single night-blooming flower glowed softly under the lamplight. After a pause, she answered, "You've always known why I stayed. That contract's done now. Irina's back, divorced, and Chad... he doesn't need me anymore."

Miranda let out a heavy sigh, her voice laced with regret. "You've been through so much these past years. I hoped your dedication would win his heart, but... never mind. With Irina back, I guess I don't have to worry about him anymore. Five years ago, you gave up studying abroad for Chad. If you're still interested, I can help set it up again."

Amelia's gaze stayed on the flower as it fully bloomed, her thoughts quiet. Five years of her life—gone. It was time to move on.

"Thanks," she said. "Please make the arrangements. I'm ready to leave."

By the time the call ended, the flower outside had already started to wilt—briefly beautiful, now fading fast. Just like her five years with Chad.

Her family had struggled financially, but the Feltons' support had given her the chance to stay in school and excel, eventually earning the school's only foreign exchange scholarship.

Grateful, she'd gone to the Felton estate to thank them in person—a gesture most would've skipped. Miranda had planned to politely dismiss her, but after a long, thoughtful look, she'd said something that changed everything.

"If you really want to repay us, I have a favor to ask."

From Miranda, Amelia learned the tangled story of Chad and Irina.

Chad was the golden boy, Irina the golden girl—both from prestigious families, childhood friends who grew up side by side. Everyone knew Chad adored her. But when Irina said she wanted a love that grew slowly and deeply, he chose to quietly support her from afar.

After college, Chad decided it was finally time to confess. But before he could, Irina introduced her new boyfriend and announced she was leaving Kaldora with him.

Stunned, Chad raced to the airport that night, only to crash his car on the way. By the time he woke up after surgery, Irina was already married abroad.

The once-proud Chad fell apart, shutting himself away and drowning in alcohol. Miranda, desperate to pull him out of his spiral, saw an opportunity when Amelia showed up to express her gratitude. She asked Amelia for a favor: help Chad move on.

In exchange for the Feltons' continued support, Amelia gave up her chance to study abroad and signed a five-year contract with Miranda.

At a formal event, Amelia staged a meeting with Chad, acting as though she'd fallen for him at first sight. She pursued him openly, earning a reputation as the woman hopelessly in love with Chad.

Over time, Chad grew used to having her around, but his heart stayed cold.

One night, during a yacht party with his closest friends, they made a bet: whoever's date could retrieve a ring tossed into the sea would win rights to a prized piece of land in Averville.

Chad, exhausted after days of failed negotiations, saw his chance. While the others balked at the stormy waves, Amelia didn't hesitate—she dove straight in.

For the first time, Chad lost his cool. When they pulled Amelia from the water, he wrapped her in his arms, his voice shaking. "Amelia, let's get married. I'll try to love you."

Only later did she find out his sudden proposal wasn't about her—it was triggered by a social media post. Irina had shared a picture of herself and her husband under the northern lights that same night.

Still, Amelia stuck to her role, determined to see the contract through. She cooked his favorite meals, ran the house like clockwork, and even spent six months planning a trip to a mountaintop where they could watch shooting stars—fulfilling his unfulfilled childhood birthday wish.

He never showed up. Chad had been with Irina that night.

By then, Irina's marriage was falling apart, and Chad began flying out weekly to deliver secret gifts to cheer her up—never once telling her they were from him.

When Irina moved back to Kaldora, Chad couldn't stay away. Racing to see her, he drove recklessly and crashed his car.

Amelia stayed by his side through three sleepless days, only to hear him call Irina's name over and over—999 times in his unconscious state.

That was the moment she knew she'd never be able to replace Irina in his heart.

Now, with the contract ending and Irina divorced and back in Kaldora, Chad had everything he wanted.

It was time for Amelia to walk away.

From here, they could both start over.