Chapter 1

Vincent's POV

I didn't return to the country for my ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Sterling. When Goldcrest's local news was extensively covering her engagement, I received a call from Dad.

"I've received information about one of your mother's keepsakes recently," he said.

That was why I bought a plane ticket and took an overnight flight back to the country.

It was pouring when the plane landed in Southwind. I dragged my luggage behind me as I made my way to the underground parking garage, quickly spotting the license plate of the car Dad had sent to pick me up.

My breath hitched in my throat when I pulled the car door open.

Vanessa was sitting in the backseat in a tailored dress. She still gave off an air of aloofness and sophistication, just like five years ago.

I instinctively assumed that I had gotten the wrong car and was just about to close the door when she spoke up.

"This is the right car," she said indifferently. "I came to pick up Dorian. Mr. Finch asked me to pick you up as well since we're going the same way."

I was briefly stunned when I heard the name that slipped past her lips. Dorian Finch was Dad's illegitimate son. He was only six months younger than me.

As I looked at Vanessa's indifferent side profile, I belatedly realized that her fiancé and Dorian were one and the same.

Vanessa arched her brow when she noticed my reaction. Her voice was colored with blatant mockery as she sneered. "You immediately rushed back after news of my engagement was released. It's so obvious you're panicking, and yet you're still pretending you don't know who I'm marrying.

"Aren't you tired of putting up an act, Vincent?"

I slipped into the front passenger seat and buckled up, pausing when I heard her words.

"I came back to the country to take care of some business. I didn't come back for you," I explained.

Vanessa reacted as if she had heard a joke. She scoffed. "At least put in some effort if you want to make up an excuse."

"I'm telling the truth. Besides, I'm already—"

A man's voice from a short distance away interrupted me before I could tell her I was married with a child.

"Give me a hand, Vanessa. My luggage bags are so heavy."

Vanessa slipped out of the car. Through the rearview mirror, I watched her take Dorian's luggage from him, then throw herself into his arms as if she had done it a thousand times.

Dorian was smiling as he told her something. He quickly averted his gaze when he swept his eyes across the car and made eye contact with me through the mirror.

He pretended to only notice me after making a show of planting a kiss on Vanessa after they got back into the car. His voice was colored with pleasant surprise as he said, "Dad told me that you were coming back, Vince. I didn't believe him at first. I can't believe that he was actually telling the truth!

"You've lost so much weight. I almost didn't recognize you. Did you have a hard time living abroad all these years? Why don't you stay this time since you're already back? Coincidentally, Vanessa and I are getting married soon. You should attend our engagement party…"

Dorian's voice became smaller and smaller as the color suddenly drained from his face. "Vince… Don't tell me that you came back to crash the engagement party?"

I was speechless.

I was just about to speak when Vanessa beat me to it. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone get in the way of our engagement."

She then reached out and gently squeezed Dorian's hand.

Dorian still looked miserable. "But everyone says that Vince is your first love. Do I have to stand on the sidelines now that he's back in the country?"

"My first love? That's all fake. Don't overthink things. You're the only one in my heart."

Vanessa shot me a discreet look as she spoke, but I had already closed my eyes to rest. My body ached from the flight that had lasted over ten hours. The atmosphere around Dorian and Vanessa also didn't give me a chance to join their conversation.

I figured that I might as well rest if that was the case.

The air in the car seemed to freeze for a moment. Vanessa's voice was cold and stiff when she barked her order to the driver.

"Start the car."

As the car drove through the rain, I listened to raindrops tapping against the window. My consciousness was finally slipping away when Dorian suddenly called out to me and snapped me back to wakefulness.

"The designer just called, Vince," he said. "She says that Vanessa's wedding dress is ready. We're going for a fitting now. Do you want to tag along?"

I peeled my eyes open. The exhaustion in my eyes still hadn't faded yet. "No. I want to go back to the Finch residence first."

A look of understanding flickered across Vanessa's face when she heard my words, though Dorian was the one who voiced her thoughts for her.

"Are you unwilling to go because you don't want to see Vanessa standing next to me in a wedding dress, Vince?"

The two of them seemed absolutely certain I had returned to the country for Vanessa. I felt a headache coming on as I massaged my temples.

"I came back to the country because I have some business to attend to. It has nothing to do with your engagement," I explained again.

The next second, the car screeched to a stop next to the curb.