Chapter 1

A year earlier, I had accompanied Zane on a site inspection in the mountains when a landslide struck.

The moment I saw a massive boulder about to come down on him, I threw myself forward and shoved him out of the way with all my strength.

The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the panic in his eyes.

I remained unconscious for three days. Both my legs were fractured, and debris had torn up my back so badly that I needed three surgeries and more than a dozen metal screws. I came dangerously close to being left permanently disabled.

On the day I was discharged, Zane stood outside my hospital room with a plain band clenched in his hand. His voice was calm when he proposed, almost as though he were discussing something ordinary.

"Tessa Stone, you saved my life, so I have to marry you. From now on, I'll fulfill my responsibilities as your husband and take good care of you."

At the time, I was naive enough to believe that once we were married, I would eventually be able to melt his cold heart. I never even noticed the indifference in his eyes.

Instead, I was overjoyed, convinced that after ten long years of waiting, my love was finally being requited.

Then Yvette Quinn appeared.

There were only ten days left until the wedding when I stood in the hallway of the architecture firm's administrative building, holding a freshly printed application form.

Daniel Grant, the department head, looked surprised to see me.

I slid the form across his desk. "Mr. Grant, is there still an opening for the remote development assignment? I'd like to add my name to the list."

Daniel stared at me. "Aren't you and our chief engineer getting married soon?"

I managed a faint smile. "I've thought it through. Please add me to the list."

Daniel fell silent. After a moment, he shook his head helplessly, and the look in his eyes held a trace of pity.

In the end, he sighed and signed the approval form.

"The final list will be announced next week, and the team leaves in early August. Tessa... think it over carefully. If you change your mind, come see me anytime."

"Thank you, Mr. Grant."

I left the administrative building with the signed approval form in hand. Just as I reached the bottom of the steps, I heard the sound of an approaching engine.

Zane's black company car slowly pulled up in front of the building. The passenger door opened first, and Yvette stepped out in an ivory dress, her long hair catching the sunlight with a soft sheen.

She walked around to the other side and naturally slipped her arm through Zane's as he got out of the car.

He didn't pull away.

I remembered the time my fever had climbed to nearly 104 degrees, and I had begged Zane to take me to the hospital. On the way there, I became so dizzy that I reached for him to steady myself, but the moment I touched him, he shoved me away.

I collapsed to the ground, and it wasn't until I woke up later that I learned what had happened.

After pushing me away, Zane had simply left, leaving a coworker who happened to pass by to take me to the hospital.

Everyone said that after chasing him for ten years, I had finally gotten the ending I wanted. But only I knew that all those years had earned me nothing but his distance and indifference.

Zane had never been a cold or humorless man. He simply had no love to spare for me.

He let Yvette eat chips at his desk, drink from his mug, and even mess up the sketches he treasured most without ever losing his temper. Afterward, he would simply have me sort everything out and put it all back in order.