Chapter 1

The moment I came downstairs, I saw Daisy nestled tightly in Soren's arms, beaming with happiness.

"Vivian, what took you so long? Did the news that Soren and I are getting married knock you speechless?"

The sight of them pressed so close together stung my eyes. I clasped my hands behind my back, crumpling the lab report in my fist, and forced a stiff smile. "Yeah."

I lifted my gaze to Soren. "I really didn't see that coming."

Soren's icy composure faltered. Forgetting Daisy beside him, he took a step toward me, but she caught his hand and threaded her fingers through his.

"I knew you'd react this way. When he proposed, I was so thrilled I nearly fainted."

Dizziness swept over me. My knees nearly gave out, and pain stabbed through my chest until I could barely breathe. I couldn't face them another second. I turned and ran back to my room.

I shut the door and leaned against it, slowly sliding to the floor. I stared at the result on the lab report as my tears finally broke free and splashed across the page.

Soren was getting married, but the bride wasn't me. Then what had our seven years together meant? What had that night of passion meant?

I remembered every promise he'd made, every time he'd sworn he would marry me and make me his wife. I couldn't hold back anymore. I crumpled on the floor and sobbed until my chest hurt.

Just then, a message lit up my phone. It was from Soren.

"Vivian, give me a chance to explain. But don't blame Daisy. It's not her fault."

I stared at the screen, unable to believe those words had come from Soren. I was the one who'd been hurt, yet the person he was defending was Daisy.

I ripped the lab report to pieces and hurled them into the trash.

Then I replied to a message my father had sent days ago. "Dad, I'll be there as soon as I can."

My father, head of the Wellman crime family, had spent years expanding his territory. Now he planned to put me in charge of all his casinos in Las Vegas.

But Soren had promised to marry me, and I'd wanted to wait until everything was settled before telling my father, as a surprise.

It looked like there was nothing left to wait for.

The moment I sent the reply, Daisy pushed open the door. Seeing me slumped on the floor, she didn't help me up. Instead, she crouched down and looked me in the eye. "Vivian, I know all about you and Soren."

"What?" I stared at her in disbelief. "You knew?"

I thought I'd kept it well hidden.

Daisy was the daughter of the Colliers' longtime housekeeper. She, Soren, and I had grown up together.

As the Colliers' only son, Soren was the presumed heir to the family business.

Ever since we were kids, the adults had loved teasing us, pairing Soren and me together. And over time, we'd gone from butting heads to falling in love.

Daisy had been there for all of it. I'd kept the relationship a secret, never expecting her to find out.

What shocked me even more was that she'd known everything, and she was still marrying him.

The betrayal cut straight through me. Trembling from head to toe, I slowly stood. "If you knew, then why would you still..."