Chapter 1

I turned around and grabbed a glass of champagne, only to realize that Charles Anderson and Susie Campbell were nowhere to be found.

Neither of them seemed to have noticed whether I had even made it inside with them.

I scanned the room, but couldn't see them anywhere. So, I set my glass down and headed straight home.

The moment I stepped inside, the housekeeper gave me a surprised look. "Ms. David? Why are you back so soon? Shouldn't you be at your engagement party right now?

"And... didn't Don Anderson drive you back?"

I didn't say a word. Instead, I shoved every single invitation into the trash can.

Charles and I had been together for five years. However, because he was always busy running his family’s arms business, we barely went on three dates a month, let alone found the time to plan a wedding.

My parents had been pressing us multiple times this year. Having no other choice, we decided to hold an engagement party first.

I figured getting engaged was a good step forward. So, before we left for the party, I put my foot down and reminded him that today was strictly about us. Our priority was to hand out the wedding invitations.

Both he and Susie reached out almost simultaneously to ruffle my hair, laughing. "Of course you come first. You're the star of the show today."

Everything seemed normal on the way to the venue.

However, somewhere along the ride, someone mentioned that there would be major figures attending today's party. Just like that, the two of them launched into a conversation about the international drug trade.

I sat in the corner, not saying a single word.

I couldn't even remember when we actually arrived.

After taking a shower, I walked out of my room, intending to discuss the dinner menu with the butler. But before I could speak, he rushed over with an anxious look on his face. "Ms. David, I heard that a shooting broke out at the Campbell family's docks. It's absolute chaos over there."

The docks belonged to Susie's family, and she happened to be the one managing them.

My instinct was to pull out my phone and warn Charles.

But a text from him popped up first.

[Something came up at Susie's docks. She and I are heading over to handle it.]

[Head home on your own in a bit. Be careful on the road.]

I stared blankly at the screen, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

It turned out that they hadn't realized I wasn't even at the party.

I didn't bother replying. I threw my phone onto the bed and left it in the room.

After dinner, I sat on the lounge chair next to the lemon tree, just as I usually did, enjoying the cool breeze.

That was when Charles arrived.

He brought along chocolates from my favorite artisanal shop. Originally, Charles had bought that shop just to launder money, but after I fell in love with the chocolatier's recipes, he turned it into a legitimate local business.

This time, I didn't even bat an eye. I no longer jumped into his arms to dote on him like I used to.

He casually opened the box and held a piece to my lips. "I went out of my way to get this for you."

I took a deep breath, a wave of bitterness washing over me.

I knew I shouldn't take it. Yet the clearer my mind grew, the more painful the heartache became.

Charles and I were childhood sweethearts. I had fallen for him the moment I was old enough to understand love. So when we officially got together, I proudly announced it to everyone.

All I got in return was ridicule and mockery. Everyone said it would never work out between us.

After all, the gap between us was simply too wide.

Charles was always number one. Whether it was horseback riding or fencing, he was always the brightest star in the room. Meanwhile, I couldn't even play the piano well and was constantly teased by our classmates.

Back then, I cried tears of frustration, having no idea how to stand up for myself. It was Susie who stepped up and chased them all away.

Compared to the two of them, I was far behind. That was why I always craved Charles' and Susie's encouragement.

Even though I didn't want to keep chasing after them anymore, all it took was a little coaxing from Charles for all my resentment to slowly dissolve.

Seeing me open my mouth for the chocolate, he popped it in, then tossed the box aside.

He sat down beside me and let out a long sigh.

It was rare for us to be alone like this without anyone interrupting.

The night breeze blew coolly around us. After a long silence, Charles spoke up, his voice low. "Selena."

I turned my head to look at him.

"Could you stop being so unreasonable from now on?"

I froze, my brows pulling into a slight frown. "What do you mean?"