Chapter 2

"Work, of course."

Felix looked at me coldly, as if my calm question had caught him off guard.

Gracie frowned and reached for my hand.

"Eunice, how could you think that? Lix is your boyfriend. Why would he lie to you? Besides, if he doesn't work, where will your pocket money come from?"

Her hand casually brushed the ruby pendant at her throat, making it sparkle beneath the restaurant lights.

Felix had given it to her for her birthday earlier that year.

I ignored the little show and turned to Felix. "Then I'll come to the office with you tomorrow."

He said nothing.

"Great! When you're both done, the three of us can have dinner together," Gracie said, clapping her hands.

Then she paused, frowning thoughtfully.

"Though I don't know if we'll be able to get a table this late."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it." Felix dropped another shrimp onto her plate.

I said nothing.

Apparently, that was enough for them to take it as a yes.

Colored lights lit up the giant Christmas tree as night settled over the city.

Rodeo Drive glittered like a fairy tale, packed with holiday tour buses, laughter, and twinkling lights.

By the time dinner ended, it was fully dark.

Gracie tugged at the hem of Felix's coat and shifted coyly from foot to foot.

"Lix, I don't feel safe taking an Uber by myself this late. I'm scared."

He patted her head gently.

"I'll take you home." Then he looked at me. "You can walk. The exercise will be good for you."

I almost laughed.

I hadn't always been this weak.

When his company was just starting out, there had been one business dinner after another. I couldn't stand watching people pressure him to drink, so I took every glass they handed him. Eventually, I drank so much that I ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

He had stayed at my bedside all night.

His eyes red, he had held my hand and promised, "I'll treat you well from now on."

The memory faded, leaving me back in the cold. "It's even more dangerous for me to walk alone at night. Why can't you drive me home?"

Everyone immediately jumped to Gracie's defense.

"Eunice, you're being unreasonable. Gracie scares easily. Give her a break."

Gracie blinked at me with a wounded look.

"I only asked Felix because I'm afraid of the dark. I'm sorry, Eunice."

She was apologizing, but I could hear the smugness in every word.

Felix stepped in front of her protectively and snapped at me.

“She’s just jealous. You have nothing to apologize for.”

"Felix."

I called after them as they headed for the Maybach.

I never called him that.

I used to call him by the same nickname Gracie used. Lix.

But whenever I did, he would frown and tell me he hated it.

So I started calling him Lixi instead.

Back then, I never questioned why Gracie was still allowed to call him Lix.

Now I understood. He hadn't hated the nickname. He'd hated hearing it from me.

That privilege belonged to Gracie alone.

Felix turned back, his voice suddenly softening.

"Wait here. I'll come back for you after I drop Gracie off, all right?"

For a moment, my vision blurred.

How many times had I believed promises like that?

The first time, he had promised to go to church and have an angel pendant blessed for me.

Then Gracie had tugged on his sleeve and sweet-talked him into giving it to her instead.

The second time, I had called him late at night with severe stomach pain. Gracie had answered his phone.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep, so I asked Lix to stay with me."

The next day, he hadn't even come to the hospital. He'd sent his assistant with nothing but a bowl of plain oatmeal.

The third time, he had promised to take me to my favorite art exhibition. We were right at the entrance when Gracie called, and he left without a second thought.

He took the invitation with him, leaving me stranded outside.

"Miss, we can't let you in without an invitation." The security guard had looked me up and down with open contempt.

Later that day, Gracie posted a photo on Instagram of herself and Felix having fun at an amusement park.

There had been so many broken promises that I'd stopped counting.

"There's no need."

My throat tightened as I forced out the words.

For once, he tried to reassure me. "Stop making a fuss. I'll be back soon."

His voice faded into the noise around me.

He knew exactly how fragile my health was, yet he was still willing to leave me waiting in the snow.

Maybe he thought I'd always be there waiting for him. Maybe he thought I had nowhere else to go.

"Eunice, please think it over. This really is an amazing opportunity."

A message popped up on my phone from Enora Walsh, my college friend in London.

Felix had once held both my hands and begged, "Eunice, don't leave Los Angeles. Stay with me."

Back then, the warmth of his hands had felt almost scorching.

I stared at Enora's message. I had three days left to give her my answer.