Chapter 1

I stepped back subtly, keeping my expression calm, and tilted the wine glass in my hand.

"Grayson," I asked with a faint smile, "are you proposing to the wrong person? Isn't your proposal supposed to be for Tanya?"

"I knew you were still jealous of Tanya." Grayson Caldwell's expression shifted slightly at my words. "It's been three years. You still haven't gotten over it? How many times have I told you…"

"You only see Tanya as a sister. There's nothing between you two," I finished the sentence for him, my voice steady.

There was no other reason—I had heard this line a hundred times before.

Every time Grayson left me, his official girlfriend, for this so-called "sister," he would say the exact same thing.

He paused, caught off guard by my words, then softened his tone.

"Three years ago… I wasn't in a good state. Didn't I explain it to you? Tanya was seriously ill. She needed someone to care for her, and I was afraid our marriage would upset her.

"Who knew that the very next day, you'd throw a tantrum and leave without a word, making me wait three long years?

"But thankfully, today, you came back for me.

"This time, marry me and stay. Be my wife, officially, in the Caldwell family."

He spoke with such certainty that it almost made me laugh.

"When did I ever say I came back for you?" I replied. "I will not marry you."

Grayson froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes before giving way to a look of stubborn certainty—he clearly didn't believe me.

"You're still angry, aren't you?" He stood, reaching for my hand, but I lightly pulled away.

My friends quickly stepped in, trying to reason with me.

"Alexa, just forgive him. He had his reasons back then."

"Yeah, these past years, Grayson has been looking for you. When he heard you were coming back, he prepared this proposal as a surprise."

Buoyed by their support, Grayson smiled with that determined look and lifted the ring toward my hand.

I let a cold smile tug at my lips and, in one swift motion, slammed the ring onto the floor.

It bounced and rolled away, but my gaze landed on the red roses in his hand.

"Grayson," I said, mercilessly piercing through his pretense, "I like white roses. Red roses… those were always for Tanya."

The words barely left my lips before the room fell silent. The entire private room froze.

Then, a familiar voice called from behind me.

"Alexa, please forgive Grayson!"

Tanya stepped forward, picking up the ring, tears welling in her eyes as she turned to Grayson.

"It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you two wouldn't have missed out on so many years. If I had known it would come to this… I might as well have died back then."

She coughed, panic overtaking her, her pale face growing even paler.

Grayson immediately stopped thinking about confronting me and rushed to support her, worry etched on his face.

"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to stay home and rest?"

Watching their closeness, I let out a quiet sigh.

Had I known this drama would unfold at today's welcome party, I wouldn't have come at all.

I nodded to the others in the room. "I just got back from abroad and need to adjust to the time difference. I'll leave first and rest. We can meet again another time."

As I turned to leave, Grayson tried to stop me, but I ignored him, pushing open the door to the private room and walking out without a hint of hesitation.