Chapter 2

Two months had passed.

Adeline's flower shop sat on a busy street corner, dwarfed by looming skyscrapers. Inside, an array of fresh, vibrant blooms were neatly displayed, their intoxicating fragrance filling the air. Yet, beneath the beauty and freshness of the flowers lay a profound grief buried deep within Adeline's heart. This shop was the sole legacy of her father, the place where they had shared laughter and conversation every single day.

Adeline sat alone, lost in thought, her face pale. She had no appetite for anything, not even to fill her empty stomach. It was as if she had no purpose left, save for leaving this world behind. She had even walked away from her career after her father's passing.

"Adeline!" a woman's voice called out.

Adeline looked up with weary eyes to greet her.

"Oh, Sophie. What brings you here so early? Are you here to replace the flowers for your mother?" Adeline asked the woman, who was a frequent customer.

"Yes, that too. But actually, a delivery was sent to my house by mistake. I think this is meant for you."

"Hm? For me?" Adeline accepted the envelope—a pitch-black card that felt heavy and looked incredibly elegant. It was a wedding invitation from Julian.

"Who is getting married?"

Adeline's breath hitched; she was rendered speechless by what she saw.

"How could he replace me so quickly?"

At that moment, the sky above the shop turned gray, as if reflecting Adeline's sorrow. A soft breeze blew, carrying the distant roar of the city. It had only been two months since Julian called off their wedding, and he had already chosen a replacement.

"Sophie, wait a moment, please. I need to make a call. Go ahead and pick out your flowers," Adeline said, reaching for the phone in her pocket. She stepped away, waiting for the call to be answered.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me, Julian."

"Adeline?"

Adeline didn't answer immediately; her anger flared upon realizing that Julian had already deleted her contact number.

"Have you received the invitation? I'm getting married..."

"I have... Are you serious about marrying Raya? What is the meaning of this? She is my cousin! You know how close we are. And why didn't Raya tell me about this?" Adeline asked in disbelief. The name printed on the invitation was that of her distant cousin, Raya. They were quite close, having attended the same university. Julian knew this well; they had all met frequently.

"Even so, do you think you have the right to dictate who I marry?"

"Julian, the point is she is my cousin! If you married any other woman, perhaps I could understand. But this—"

"Is it wrong? She is a woman, and I am a man. We are both single and consenting adults. Whether she is your cousin or your sister, it is no longer any of your business, is it? Stop being selfish, Adeline. It's kind enough of her to allow you to attend the wedding. It means she still respects you."

Adeline went silent. The call ended abruptly before she could say another word. Of all the women in the world, why Raya? Was it intentional? Or...

Adeline dared not guess. It was a terrifying thought if the two of them had been involved before Julian broke off their engagement.

I once humbled myself before him, knelt and begged for a chance. And yet... he is marrying Raya?

Adeline's hands shook. She never imagined her former fiancé would discard her so cruelly. This brought a fresh, excruciating pain to her heart, piling upon the grief of losing her father.

Adeline stood before the grand building that was to be the venue for Julian and Raya's wedding. It was the very same hall she had once dreamed of for her own big day.

People were busy bustling in and out, decorating the space as magnificently as possible; Mrs. Eleanor would surely settle for nothing but the best for her golden boy.

Julian was now working in his brother's firm as a General Manager. He hadn't been able to stand on his own two feet yet, as Adeline had heard his brother didn't quite trust his business acumen.

However, that didn't change the fact that Julian was destined to sit on his own throne of success one day.

"I thought it was all a lie, Julian. But this..." Adeline clutched her chest, the air growing tighter as she saw the names of the bride and groom being put on display.

She pulled her phone from her bag and dialed Raya's number. She hadn't been able to see either of them because they had been avoiding her since the invitations were sent out.

"Yes, who is this?"

"Raya, can we meet? Where are you now?" Adeline demanded.

"Adeline?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm using a new number because you blocked my old one. Tell me where you are. Let's meet at our usual café."

"I can't today. I still have to—"

"Prepare for a beautiful wedding, right? I can see the decorations going up at the venue. You must be so busy that you can't even face me," Adeline interrupted as Raya tried to decline.

"Adeline, are you there?"

"Yes. I just wanted to see for myself. To see how far you two would go to betray me."

Silence fell instantly. Raya said nothing, though the call remained active.

"Adeline, I never meant to betray you."

"You didn't mean to?" Adeline scoffed.

"I didn't expect it either. Julian's mother came to my house to propose. You know... I already knew her, and—"

"And you accepted, despite knowing about Julian and me? Don't try to deny it, Raya. If you knew... you should have told me if you had any shred of respect for me as family."

"Stop judging me, Adeline. I blocked your number because I felt guilty... I felt bad, but I was powerless to refuse. My parents had already agreed. I'm asking you to understand my position. I am truly sorry, from the bottom of my heart."

"Keep those words for yourself. I am disappointed in you, Raya." Adeline cut the call.

Her tears began to flow again, her hands trembling with unvented emotion. She wanted to scream, to be angry, but their wedding was already upon them.

Moments later, Adeline collapsed, losing consciousness. Passersby immediately rushed to her aid, providing first aid.

When she came to, Adeline was met with the sterile scent of medicine in a room filled with other patients. The surrounding noise slowly became clear, and she realized a man was sitting in the chair beside her bed.

"Mr. Axel?" Adeline gasped, startled. She recognized him instantly as Axel Sterling, Julian's elder brother.

"Don't move so suddenly."

His voice was calm. Adeline felt a wave of awkwardness and tried to steady herself. She didn't understand—why was Axel here? As far as she remembered, she hadn't seen him at the wedding venue.

"Did you bring me here?" she asked the thirty-five-year-old man. She felt stiff; although she knew him, they had never really spoken. Axel was always a cold, stoic figure whenever they crossed paths.

"No. I just happened to see you here."

Adeline nodded slowly. A moment later, she noticed a bandage wrapped around the man's arm.

"You're hurt, Mr. Axel. Are you a patient here too?" she asked, but received no answer from the tall man. "Then... why are you here? Were you waiting for me to wake up?"

Adeline hugged herself slightly; her temperature was still high, and she was shivering. An IV was already in her hand. She realized she was at her absolute breaking point.

"Do you know Julian is getting married?"

Adeline nodded weakly. "Yes..."

"Is that why you were at the venue? The people who brought you in said you collapsed after standing there for two hours."

Adeline fell silent. She realized she had been acting like a madwoman, driven by the relentless tragedies that had struck her. They had battered her mental state until she had lost herself in the darkness.

"It's because I didn't know where else to go... I just wanted clarity, but they avoided me," Adeline said, bowing her head as fresh tears fell. "It's only been two months since our wedding was cancelled. My father's grave is still fresh, yet he's already found someone else... Do his feelings shift that quickly? Is a woman deemed barren really that easy to throw away? I don't understand. I'm lost."

For the first time, Adeline wept openly in front of someone else, especially Axel. She wiped her eyes repeatedly, but it was a futile effort.

Axel remained silent, sitting upright and simply watching her. She looked disheveled, her hair a mess, her sobs loud enough for others to hear.

"What woman wants to be told she's barren? I don't think anyone would choose this. I didn't want this. Tell me, Mr. Axel, am I at fault just because I haven't been able to provide an heir? Even if the chances are slim, the doctor said I could still conceive. But Julian wouldn't accept that and suddenly called off our wedding. Now, hearing about their marriage feels like—" Adeline couldn't finish the sentence.

She had cried too much. She wanted this to be her last tear. But she was still searching for a way to control the pain.

"If you were to marry me, would you?"

The question was entirely unexpected. Adeline was so shocked her tears almost stopped. Looking at Axel's stoic face and sudden proposal, she was completely bewildered.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. Axel remained silent for a few moments. Adeline thought he might be joking or simply testing her.

"I have a bit of a situation, and it seems we could be of mutual benefit to one another. You can face Julian or Raya as often as you like after marrying me."

"W—what?" Adeline still couldn't believe it.

"Are you refusing?"

"N—no, it's just... it's so sudden. I don't understand. What kind of problem would make you want to marry me?"

Axel sighed softly. "That is my concern; you don't need to know the details. We will sign an agreement. I only ask that you be my wife for one year, and I will pay you one billion for it."

Adeline's eyes widened. It wasn't the sum of money that stunned her, but the opportunity Axel was offering. If she married this man, she would inevitably see Julian and Raya more often, wouldn't she? Whatever surprises awaited her, this was a perfect chance to avenge her heartache.

"Well? Are you willing?" Axel asked once more.