Prologue

Nicole Janeʼs POV

Even though it was already late at night, the surroundings were still bright because of the flashing lights, and the loud music that was currently being played and could be heard from every corner of the mansion. There are even some people who are shouting and laughing as if thereʼs no tomorrow, which irritated my ears even more.

My debut party had a fairy tale theme. I was actually against it because I preferred a gothic theme instead. But my parents wonʼt give in to my plea. As their only child and daughter, they insist that I should look like a princess on this night. That everything around me should look magical.

But what I really hate tonight is the fact that they have invited my classmates to come over. Even though they knew that I wasnʼt friends with any of them. I can barely talk to any one of them. Unless itʼs school-related. Besides, they also had invited some guests that I didnʼt know personally.

Fortunately, they somehow allowed me to remove eighteen roses from the program. I didnʼt feel like dancing with anyone anyway.

Iʼm currently drinking by the pool. Since Iʼm already eighteen, Iʼm already allowed to drink whatever I want. Iʼd rather grumble here than be a hypocrite and socialize with them on the dance floor.

“Happy birthday!”

I was stunned when someone suddenly spoke from behind. Slowly, I looked at the newcomer.

I frowned when I saw a tall man with gray eyes. If Iʼm not mistaken, heʼs one of my parentsʼ friends.

“Thank you,” I said casually.

He was about to speak when suddenly, my parents approached with a sophisticated woman.

“Hey, there you are! Weʼve been looking for you!” the sophisticated woman said to the man who greeted me earlier before she gazed in my direction.

“Hi! Happy birthday! Itʼs been a while, and youʼve grown into such a beautiful young lady already.”

I raised an eyebrow. She spoke as if she knew me very well.

“Sweetie, we just have something to discuss. Entertain your visitors, okay?” Mom ordered.

I frowned. “You have nothing to worry about, Mom. They can manage themselves just fine.”

Mom gave me a stern look. So, I stood up lazily and rolled my eyes with my back facing them.

My gaze followed them discreetly. Even though today is my birthday, it looked like my parents still had a business agenda mixed in.

But another thing I noticed about my parentsʼ friends was the color of their skin. They were too pale.

I just shook my head and took another drink from the tray that the waiter was carrying, then drank it straight.

When the glass was already empty, I couldnʼt help but look up at the sky. In particular, at the moon. I didnʼt know why, but it seemed to have a hypnotic effect.

“Nicole! What are you doing here? Come on! Let's party!”

I blinked and was about to object when someone suddenly pulled me towards the dance floor. However, I knew that the only reason my classmates were here was to flex their business and their parents to my parents to become their business partners.

But I just let it go. Theyʼre not the only ones capable of putting on a mask. After all, this is my day. Thatʼs why I did nothing but have fun this night. Until I was completely drunk and my surroundings were slowly swallowed by darkness.

***

I quickly covered my right arm over my eyes when they opened because of the rays of the sun that suddenly came into view.

But I winced when my head suddenly hurt. So I waited a few minutes before slowly getting up and leaving the room. One of our maids was standing right in front of the door, causing me to step back in shock when I opened it.

“You startled me, Riza! What are you doing here?” I couldnʼt stop my voice from rising.

She bowed slightly. “Good morning, Ms. Nicole. Iʼm sorry. I was just about to knock to wake you up and ask you if I should bring your breakfast here,” she said politely, with a slight tinge of fear in her voice.

I yawned. “No need. Iʼll just go to the dining room,” I answered gently.

“All right. I will prepare your breakfast right away.” She walked away first.

It seemed that the sleepiness I was feeling flew out of the window when I suddenly remembered something. When a maid comes to my room to wake me up, my parents are sure to be here. Whenever theyʼre not around, the maids do not disturb my sleep because that is what I strongly instructed them to do.

I just shrugged and reluctantly continued walking while my eyes were still half-closed. When I got to the stairs, I descended slowly because I might fall. If Iʼm not mistaken, it was already dawn when I fell asleep because of my debut party last night.

But I was stunned when I heard Mom and Dadʼs serious conversation in the living room. I also massaged my temples as numbing pains shot through them. I still felt disoriented from last night.

The party was smooth and successful, even though I passed out due to drunkenness. But even so, I still canʼt help but wonder where my parents met their invited friends last night.

There seems to be something different about them. Their skin looked pale, and they were so emotionless.

Actually, some of them look surprisingly familiar. I just donʼt remember where or if I ever really saw them before.

I shook my head at the thought. My head is definitely still in turmoil right now.

“After four long years, Iʼm glad to know that he will be back already,” Dad said.

My eyebrows raised because of what I heard. Who is the person that they are referring to who has returned here? As far as I know, we donʼt have any relatives in other countries. All of them were already here.

Well, thatʼs what I knew.

“Yeah. I still couldnʼt believe it when they told us about it. We need to make a move already, most especially now that everything is happening according to plan,” Mom said cheerfully.

Plan? What plan? What the hell are my parents talking about? The curiosity is killing me!

“It may be hard for the two of them at first. But Nicole will surely like him. Iʼm sure of that,” Dad said confidently.

Wait, why was my name suddenly dragged into their conversation?

I couldnʼt stand it anymore and quickly made my way to the living room. Dad was the first one to see me because he was facing my direction. His eyes widened in shock. Mom stared at him in confusion. Thatʼs why she also turned to where I was standing.

They both stood up upon seeing me, their mouths hanging open.

What is going on with the two of them? Could this be the effect of their frequent stays in other countries?

I crossed my arms for them. “Who is the guy that you say is coming back, and I will like?”

I looked at both of them. There was still a hint of shock on their faces when they saw me. They looked like criminals who had been caught in the act.

A few seconds passed before they finally recovered. A wide smile then formed on my momʼs lips that made me shiver. Because there seemed to be something different in the way she smiled at me.

I gulped. I had a strong feeling that I was not going to like whatever the answer to my question was.

Our situation was reversed in an instant. It felt like I was the one in the hot seat this time.

Dad suddenly became serious, then looked straight into my eyes.

“Itʼs your fiancé. Heʼs coming back.”

My jaw dropped at what he said.

When I was still young, I had already heard stories about my future fiancé. That Iʼm going to meet him once I turn 18.

Though I didnʼt take it seriously and chose to ignore it instead. I thought that maybe it was just a joke and there was no taint of truth about it.

But now that my parents are the ones confirming it, I can no longer ignore it.

I gasped as the realization hit me. I just turned 18 yesterday! So, it means...

“What? No way!”