Chapter 3

A month earlier, the headhunter had already made me an offer.

It was my birthday. Kane had reserved the entire building for me, and we watched the sunset from the top-floor restaurant with its panoramic view.

But a call from Zelinda ruined all of it.

"Zelinda's old injuries are acting up," Kane said as he hung up. "She's in terrible pain all over. We need to get to the hospital."

Kane tried to hurry me out, but I pulled my hand away.

"I'm not going."

Kane frowned. "She's your sister. How can you be so heartless?"

I looked him in the eye. "Zelinda has Mom and Dad taking care of her. She'll be fine. It's my birthday. Can't you just stay with me?

"Just this once."

Kane's breath caught. For a moment, he seemed torn. But in the end he only said, "Zelinda's crying. She needs me right now."

He left alone. Ten minutes later, he texted me, "Wait for me. I'll be back soon."

Would he?

I didn't know.

During those three years, too many moments meant for just the two of us had been interrupted.

On Valentine's Day, Zelinda had car trouble, and Kane left me to go help her.

On our anniversary, Zelinda had a stomachache, and Kane spent the whole day with her.

Every time, I was the one who got left behind.

I told myself to stop hoping, but I stayed at the table until the candles burned out and dinner went cold.

He still didn't come back.

I took out my phone and saw a message Zelinda had sent me an hour earlier.

"Sis, I'm so sorry I ruined your birthday, but what could I do? Kane can't stand to see me hurting."

Beneath the message was a photo.

In it, Kane was hurrying from the car into the hospital with Zelinda in his arms.

My eyes stung. I opened the offer from the headhunter and knew it was time for me to leave.

But just as I was about to accept, Kane came rushing back, disheveled and out of breath.

He held a single violet, my favorite flower, and looked both tender and guilty.

"Sorry, honey. It's so late. Only one florist was still open.

"Happy birthday."

It was already past midnight, but that belated "Happy birthday" was still enough to soften me.

I chose to stay.

Only now did I realize I'd made the wrong choice. Luckily, it wasn't too late.

I went to the bridal shop. With no wedding to prepare for, I no longer needed the dress.

But the staff told me the dress had already been picked up.

I froze. "Who picked it up?"

"Mr. Orsini. Didn't he tell you?"

Speechless, I called Kane. "Why did you pick up the wedding dress?"

Kane spoke as if it were obvious. "Zelinda wanted to do a bridal photo shoot on the island."

I gripped my phone. "But that's my wedding dress. I designed it myself."

Kane paused, then said quietly, "It's still yours. Zelinda's just borrowing it. I'll bring it back."

"That's not the point."

It was absurd. I could hear Zelinda laughing on the other end.

She called out to Kane, "The dress is so tight I can't bend over. Will you put my shoes on for me?"

Kane answered, "Okay," in his gentlest voice.

I closed my eyes and said quietly, "You don't need to bring it back. I'm letting her have the dress."

For the first time, I hung up on him.

Kane didn't even have to tell me to let her have it.

I didn't wait for his answer either.