PROLOGUE - LANDON

I cannot stop myself from smiling so widely. Even without looking at myself in the mirror, I already know that I am grinning from ear to ear as excitement fills my heart, my brain, and just my entire body. To say that I am buzzing with excitement would be an understatement even.

I looked at Fredo, my driver of nine years, through the rearview mirror and asked him while still smiling, “She's going to say ‘yes,’ right?“

Fredo took a glance at me through the rearview mirror as well, meeting my eyes, then smiled before he took his attention back on the road and said, “Of course, she will.”

“You don't think that I am being too fast? We've only been dating for a year.“

“You mean to ask, don’t I have the same opinion as your family?“ Fredo shook his head. “I beg to differ with them. I believe that the length of the relationship does not matter when it comes to marriage. I mean, I've seen a lot of people who have been in relationships for years but still did not get married and broke up in the end. I've also known people who only dated for a short while and then got married right away and still lived together happily. So you see, it does not really matter. What I believe matters when it comes to deciding to get married is that you love each other, understand each other, and accept one another wholeheartedly. So if you are so sure of one another, then don't hold back and stop listening to unwanted opinions! Go and get married!“

I laughed at the enthusiasm in Fredo's voice. This is why I like him better than any other members in my family. Fredo knows me well, much better than my own parents. He also cares about me more than my own parents. And unlike my own family, he listens to me, understands me, and lets me have my own opinion. I feel at peace and free when I'm with him, totally different from how I feel suffocated and imprisoned when I am with my own family.

Also, Fredo seems to be the only person in this world that truly supports my relationship with my girlfriend, Lianne.

Unlike Fredo, my family does not like Lianne. And it's simply because she is not the kind of woman they want for me. Lianne is the total opposite of the person they want me to be with. Lianne is not an alpha but instead is a recessive omega. She also did not come from a rich and powerful family, and instead, she is an orphan and lived in an orphanage in the lawless city of Corvalis. She also did not have an education degree, as she already started working as soon as she was old enough to leave the orphanage.

Lianne is the complete opposite of their ideal woman for me. That is why, despite Lianne having the kindest soul and being the most hardworking person I have ever known, they still do not like her.

But I do not care. Just like what Fredo said, as long as we love, understand, and accept one another, then we should go and get married. And fuck anyone who would oppose us.

But technically, we are still not about to get married. I am just on my way to propose to Lianne. But I am very sure, though, that she would eagerly accept my proposal.

Lianne loves me. I felt it; she always makes me feel it. There was never a day that she didn't tell me how much she loves me and that she will endure anything as long as we're together. If there's one thing I know will never be a lie, it's that Lianne loves me more than anything. And she proved it even more when she allowed me to finally mark her and make her my mate last week. It was surreal—a dream come true. I never thought I would have a chance to be mated with a person I truly love after everything my family had taught me, but then I met Lianne, and she made my impossible a possible. Which was why I did not think twice anymore and decided to propose to her. If it wasn't for the ring that I had asked to be custom-made, I would have already proposed to Lianne the morning after we bonded.

But now that I already have the ring, I won't waste any more time. I will finally propose even with my parents' disapproval.

“We're here,” Fredo announced.

I was too excited and too giddy that I did not even realize we had already reached my home, where Lianne now lives. After we became mates, I immediately asked her to live with me. She hesitated and rejected the idea at first, but after a long discussion with her, she finally agreed. Hopefully, it will be the same with my proposal. I hope she agrees to marry me too.

“Wish me luck, Fredo.“

“I already prepared my congratulatory words,” I heard Fredo say as I got out of the car.

I made my way inside my house. Every step I take is so light, it feels like I am jumping and floating.

God, I can't wait to see the surprised reaction on her face, as well as to hear her say “yes.“

I am now in the living room, but Lianne is not here. So I thought she was in her favorite part of our house, which is the kitchen. She loves cooking, after all. But she is not there as well. She's not in the dining room either, and not in the music room. I also went to the library, which is her second favorite part of the house, but she's not in there either. I even went to the pool area, but I still did not see her. Then I decided to check the guest room. And when I did not see her there, I finally went to the master's bedroom—our bedroom—and checked the bathroom and the closet, but just like in any other part of our house, Lianne is not here either.

I looked around the bedroom. I was already feeling nervous a while ago, but the kind of nervousness I am feeling right now is different. It is the kind of nervousness that is making me worry.

I tried to calm myself and told myself that maybe she just went out to buy something. Or maybe she just went to the public library, where she works. It is her rest day today, but knowing Lianne, she probably still went there to help Lucas, her best friend, who is also a fellow omega. But no matter how much I try to convince myself to believe in those excuses and reasons that I made myself, I still can't be at peace. Something inside me, my gut, is telling me that something's wrong.

So I took my phone out of the pocket of my pants and dialed Lianne's number. I couldn't help but pace around as I waited for Lianne to pick up my call.

My first call is left unattended. So I tried calling Lucas next. But he told me that Lianne is not in their workplace. This time, my nervousness has doubled.

Just where is she? Did something bad happen to her? I hope not.

When my call with Lucas ended, I called Lianne again. I called her repeatedly. I kept doing it, hoping the next call would finally be answered. But it did not happen. Still, I don't want to give up. Not until I saw something on the bedside table.

Without ending the call, I walked closer to the bedside table to see clearly what was in there.

It is a piece of paper. A note, to be specific.

I picked it up and read what is written in there. And the moment my brain is done processing what I read in the note, I feel like my heart just fell, and I am left in shock and bewilderment. I got speechless.

There are only two words written on the note with Lianne's name on the bottom, but these two words are more than enough for me to realize and understand why Lianne is not at home and are more than enough to break my heart into tiny little pieces.

“I'm sorry.“

- Lianne