Chapter 1

Elena Emerton was a gorgeous doctor known for being cool, distant, and levelheaded. She is also the woman every man secretly longed for.

Still, one look at the dark, closed-off Kyle Fenton, and she was hooked.

Kyle, CEO of Fenton Corp, had lost his entire family six years ago. On the day of his engagement, his fiancée Allison Smyth's drunk father started a fire that killed them all.

After that, Kyle and Allison became sworn enemies. Kyle shut everyone out, and nobody dared get close.

Everyone figured Elena never stood a chance.

Then Kyle proved them wrong.

For three years, the cold, untouchable CEO had eyes for her and her alone.

Until their wedding day.

Right as they were about to exchange rings, a woman rushed Kyle with a knife.

Elena moved on instinct, throwing herself in front of him.

The blade sank into her chest, and she crumpled into Kyle's arms.

As the woman was dragged away, she screamed, "Kyle Fenton, we're not done! How dare you get married?"

That was when Elena recognized her.

Allison. Kyle's sworn enemy for the past six years.

Before anyone could react, Allison broke free and held the knife to her throat.

"Kyle, I'm tired. Let's end this."

Kyle's eyes went wide.

He dropped Elena and rushed to Allison, catching the blade with his bare hand.

Elena hit the floor hard.

Blood spread across her white wedding dress.

Kyle held Allison tight, terrified she'd hurt herself.

When Allison passed out, he scooped her up and rushed right past Elena.

Not once did he look back.

Elena suddenly laughed, blood slipping from the corner of her mouth.

'So that's why Kyle chose me.'

The second she saw Allison's face—so much like her own—it all clicked.

'I was just her replacement.'

Right before everything went black, she heard the guests panic.

"The bride won't stop bleeding! Call an ambulance! Hurry!"

...

Three hours of emergency surgery later, Elena finally woke up.

Kyle stood beside her bed and handed her a document.

"Sign it."

A statement asking the prosecutor for leniency and confirming that Elena would not cooperate with the investigation.

Elena almost laughed. The knife had missed her heart by less than half a millimeter. She was still in critical condition, and her husband's first words were about protecting the woman who'd nearly killed her.

"Kyle," she rasped, "did you choose me because I look like her? Were you only good to me because I was her replacement?"

Kyle said nothing.

That was answer enough.

His silence hurt worse than words.

So all those times he'd walked away from deals worth over $10 million to stay up rubbing her stomach when she had cramps, cleared his schedule to take her to Norway to see the northern lights, brought her food during late-night shifts, and waited outside the hospital every morning...

None of it had really been for her.

It was because she looked like Allison.

"Allison and I have too much bad blood between us. We can never be together.

"So you'll be my only wife."

Kyle paused.

"But I won't let her go to prison. Sign it. Don't make this harder for me."

The last bit of hope inside Elena died.

Her heart shattered.

She'd only be his wife because Allison was the one woman he could never have. Not because he loved her.

Elena looked at the thick bandages wrapped around his hand—the injury he'd gotten grabbing the blade for Allison.

"She tried to kill you. I almost died saving you, and you still want me to sign this?"

Kyle looked away.

"I never asked you to save me."

Elena froze. Her eyes burned, and a rough laugh slipped out.

She laughed at three years of stupid hope. At herself for walking straight into the fire. At the love she'd believed in, only to find out it was all a lie.

"I should've stayed out of it."

Three years ago, a friend had asked her to treat Kyle at the Fenton estate.

The first time she saw him, he was injured but still buried in work. He was gorgeous, distant, and completely alone.

One look, and she was done for.

Everyone thought she'd lost it. Cool, rational Elena was willingly walking into the fire.

Then she did something even she couldn't believe.

She told Kyle how she felt.

She expected him to shut her down.

Instead, the famously cold Kyle smiled.

"I should be the one asking. Elena Emerton, will you be my girlfriend?"

From then on, Kyle showed his softer side only to her.

Everyone was shocked she'd actually won his heart. Even Elena had believed she was his one exception.

Turns out, that love had never been hers.

'Fine. I don't want Kyle anymore.'

Elena looked at him with a coldness he'd never seen before. "I'll sign it.

"But you're signing the divorce papers too."