Chapter 2

When Olivia and Cedric went downstairs, the driver was already waiting at the door.

As always, Cedric was the perfect gentleman. He helped Olivia open the car door and raised his hand over the frame as she got in, afraid she might bump her head. Only after she was seated did he gently close the door and walk around to get in from the other side.

Olivia's nose stung as she watched him. She still couldn't believe that the man who shared her bed could be harboring such cruel thoughts. Even now, some part of her was still trying to make excuses for him, trying to prove that this was all just a misunderstanding.

But if it really was just a misunderstanding, then what could it be that actually made him say something like that? What misunderstanding could be so serious that he would want her and her father to be utterly humiliated at the engagement party, that he would even want a child he could use to control her?

Olivia fell deep into her thoughts. The more she thought about it, the colder she felt. Chills ran down her spine, and the color drained from her face.

When Cedric got in from the other side, he immediately noticed how dazed and out of it she looked. Her skin was already pale to begin with. In the daylight, it looked even whiter, almost sickly.

His brows knit together, and a flash of concern rose in his eyes. He instinctively reached out, wanting to take her hand. But the moment he moved, Olivia flinched like she'd been startled and jolted.

"Olivia, what's wrong? Do you feel sick?" he asked.

He met her slightly red, misty eyes, and his heart twisted in a way he couldn't explain.

"I…" Her throat tightened. After a slow, deep breath, she shook her head. "I'm fine. Maybe it's just pre-wedding jitters."

As she spoke, she lifted her head to look at him seriously. "Cedric, I've heard that a lot of people change after they get married. Do you think you'll be like that, too? Like everyone online says, people stop cherishing whatever they have once they have it."

Her words took him aback. Then, he pulled her into his arms, sounding half amused and half exasperated as he asked, "What are you even thinking about, silly? How could I possibly be like that?"

He leaned down, gently cupping her face in his hands, meeting her gaze head-on. "Olivia, can't you feel how much I love you? You're my life. Who wouldn't treasure their own life? You need to stop looking at these things online. It's filling your head with nonsense."

As he spoke, his movements grew even softer and more indulgent. "What we have isn't like other people. You're the light in my life and my salvation. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't even be the man I am today. Coming back, finding you again, and being with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

"So trust me. Whether we're married or not, and no matter how many years pass, the way I feel about you won't change. Not at all. Not even a little."

Olivia genuinely wanted to believe Cedric as she looked into his serious, resolute eyes. She desperately hoped every word he said was real.

But…

She pushed down the storm of emotions churning in her chest. After a moment's hesitation, she still couldn't help herself from looking at him and asking, "Then can you tell me now where you went when you suddenly disappeared back then?

"My parents went out of their minds with worry at the time. They filed a missing persons report and searched everywhere, but there wasn't a single lead.

"You have no idea how excited I was when you suddenly showed up in front of me three years ago. If Mom and Dad knew you were alive and well and that you'd become a renowned rising star in Symport, they'd be so happy for you.

"But why won't you let me tell them? Why keep it a secret? Why wait until the engagement party to finally let them know?"

In hindsight, there had always been warning signs. It was just that the filter of first love had been far too strong. So, when Cedric had reappeared in front of her after vanishing for five long years, bathed in glory, she hadn't stood a chance. The awkward, boyish teenager from back then was now firmly seated in a position of power.

Olivia had seen how cold and distant he was with strangers, how untouchable and aloof he could be in public. So when he turned all the tenderness he had on her, confessing that the love he felt for her was the same as it had been in the past, she simply couldn't bring herself to say no.

These past three years, they'd been madly in love and completely inseparable. Yet when she really thought about it, she realized she knew nothing about who he'd been after turning 18.

When Cedric was five, the Jamison family had suffered a devastating blow. Their assets had been swallowed up by a rival, the company had been forced into bankruptcy, and his father, Arthur Jamison, had died in a car accident. Unable to handle one tragedy after another, his mother, Melinda Green, had broken down. Her mind had shattered.

Back then, everyone whispered that Arthur had provoked someone he never should've crossed, and that was why disaster had struck. Almost overnight, people had started avoiding Cedric and Melinda like the plague.

The people who had claimed to be buddies with Arthur had scattered, pretending they'd never known him. Only Olivia's father, Horace, had stepped in to help. After arranging proper care for Melinda, he'd brought Cedric back to the Reed residence to be raised there.

Olivia had only been four at the time. She and Cedric had literally grown up together.

At first, everything had been wonderful. Her parents had treated him well, and she'd adored this "older brother" from the Jamison family. He had doted on her in return. The four of them had been a happy family.

And in the most natural way possible, as she'd come of age and her heart had begun to stir, she'd fallen in love with the boy who'd grown up by her side. He was handsome, gentle, had a sunny disposition, and spoiled her to no end.

Olivia had been secretly counting down the days, planning to confess to him on her 18th birthday. But before that day came, Cedric had suddenly vanished.

For more than two years after that, Horace had called in every favor he could think of and searched for Cedric everywhere, but never once had they found a trace. As time passed, people had started coming by to offer their condolences, gently telling them to be prepared for the worst.

But Olivia had never given up hope. She'd refused to believe something had happened to Cedric; she'd clung to the belief that one day, somehow, she would find him again.

And so, three years ago, when Cedric really did appear in front of her, she'd been so overjoyed and overwhelmed that she'd automatically brushed past every single thing that hadn't quite added up.

Now, she was bringing up the five years he'd gone missing again, genuinely hoping that he could give her a reasonable explanation.

"Why are you asking about that all of a sudden? Didn't we agree not to bring it up?" Cedric's tone was still gentle, but Olivia caught the faint edge of displeasure in it.

In the past, not wanting to upset him, she'd always gone along and avoided mentioning those five years. But now, the more unwilling he was to talk, the more certain she became that something was wrong.

So this time, she didn't let it slide. Instead, she curled her fingers into her palms, clenched her jaw slightly, and forced the words out. "Cedric, we're about to get engaged. Is there anything between us that can't be said? Just think of it as easing my mind, okay? I really wanna know where you were during those five years.

"Why did you leave without a word? Why didn't you contact anyone in the family even once in all that time? What exactly happened to you in those five years?"