Chapter One

“Congratulations, Mrs. Hale!”

Lucia smiled as one of the investors raised his glass toward her.

“Thank you, Mr. Argent,” she replied smoothly. “But the honor really belongs to my husband.”

“Oh, she’s being modest,” his wife said with a laugh. “We all know you’re the real brains behind this fashion brand.”

Lucia only smiled politely.

Tonight had been perfect down to the last detail. She had personally organized the elegant celebration for Hale Fashion’s fifth anniversary and their upcoming IPO announcement. Every guest in the room had been carefully chosen by her — investors, suppliers, business partners, and a handful of close friends.

But despite the crowd, her attention kept drifting toward one person.

Logan.

Her husband stood across the room in a perfectly tailored black suit, looking unfairly handsome as always. Just one look at him still made something soften inside her.

Six years together, and she still loved him like crazy.

A sharp pain suddenly stabbed through her chest.

Lucia’s smile faltered for the briefest second, but she ignored it again. The pain had been coming and going for days now. Stress, probably.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Argent,” she said graciously. “But like I said earlier, the real credit goes to Logan. Hale Fashion wouldn’t exist without him.”

Several people exchanged amused looks. None of them looked like they believed her but she didn’t care. What nobody understood was that everything she had built, she had built for Logan. She had sacrificed her scholarship to study fashion business abroad just to stay behind and help him chase his dream.

And she had never regretted it.

Logan finally made his way toward her, carrying a drink in one hand. He slipped an arm around her waist naturally, like he always did.

“Don’t listen to her, guys,” he said easily. “I’m just a handsome face. She’s the real genius here.”

A few people laughed. Lucia leaned against him, breathing in his familiar scent. God, she loved this man. Even after all these years.Even after the quiet heartbreak they carried behind closed doors.

Logan’s diagnosis early in their marriage had taken away their chances of having children, but she had never once blamed him for it. Never once loved him less.

“You know damn well I’d be lost without you,” he whispered against her ear. His warm breath sent a shiver down her spine.

Lucia laughed softly. “Then maybe you should show me exactly how grateful you are later tonight.”

“Careful, Mrs. Hale,” Logan murmured, pulling her closer. “Keep talking like that and I might drag you upstairs right now.”

“Ugh. You two are ruining the party.”

Lucia turned immediately at the familiar voice behind them.

“Mari?”

Marielle Reed grinned before pulling Lucia into a tight hug. “I wanted to surprise you properly,” she laughed. “But when I heard about the party, I couldn’t stay away.”

Lucia stared at her in shock for a second before hugging her back tightly. Marielle had been her best friend since the orphanage. They had grown up together, survived high school together, even gone through college side by side.

Then life had changed. Lucia met Logan around the same time she won her scholarship abroad. In the end, she stayed behind instead. For Logan. For love. For the future they wanted to build together. And somehow, Marielle had remained part of that future too.

“It’s so good to see you,” Lucia said honestly. “When did you get back?”

“Two days ago.”

“It’s nice seeing you again, Mari,” Logan added warmly.

Marielle smiled at him before her expression dimmed slightly. “Honestly… things haven’t really been great.” She rubbed her arm awkwardly. “I’ve been trying to find an apartment since I got back, but everything’s ridiculously expensive right now.”

“Well, you can stay with us,” Logan said immediately. “The penthouse is too big anyway.”

Lucia nodded at once. “Of course you’re staying with us,” she agreed, squeezing Marielle’s hands. “At least until you figure things out.”

Marielle’s eyes softened instantly. “Thank you, Luci,” she whispered. “You’ve always been too good to me.”

Someone suddenly tapped a fork against a glass.

“Time for the special announcement!”

Lucia inhaled slowly. That was her cue.

Five years of sacrifice, sleepless nights, stress, ambition, and hard work. And tonight was supposed to be the beginning of something bigger.

“You’ve got this,” Logan said, kissing her cheek gently.

“Here.” Marielle handed her another glass with a teasing smile. “Liquid courage.”

Lucia laughed softly, took a sip, and walked toward the front of the room. The conversations slowly died down as all eyes turned toward her.

“Five years ago,” Lucia began, “I married the most ambitious man I had ever met. Together, we built Hale Fashion from almost nothing into—”

A violent pain suddenly tore through her stomach, slowly traveling through her entire body. She barely noticed when the champagne glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.

“Lucia?” Logan’s voice sounded distant.

The last thing she saw was his worried face rushing toward her before everything went black.

—--

When Lucia opened her eyes, the bright white lights of a hospital room stung her vision. Her head throbbed with a headache, and her body felt incredibly heavy.

She tried to sit up, but a gentle hand stopped her.

“Easy, Mrs. Hale,” a nurse said kindly. “You fainted at your event. You’ve been out for a few hours.”

Lucia blinked in confusion. “Where’s my husband?”

Right then, the door opened. Logan hurried in with a phone pressed to his ear. The moment he saw her awake, he ended the call without hesitation.

“Lucia!” He rushed to her bedside and took her hand. “Thank God you’re awake. You had me so worried, baby.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly.

“What happened?” she asked weakly, still feeling dizzy.

Logan brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You collapsed while giving your speech.”

Before she could say anything else, the door opened again and a doctor walked in, holding a clipboard.

He smiled as he looked at her. “Good evening, Mrs. Hale. I’m Dr. Howard. How are you feeling now?”

Lucia tried to sit up straight. “A little better. What happened to me? I know I’ve been stressed lately, but not to the point of fainting.”

The doctor glanced at Logan, who gave a small nod. Then he looked at Lucia with a serious expression.

“I’m afraid it’s more than that. We ran some tests while you were unconscious.” He paused. “Mrs. Hale, I’m very sorry to tell you this.”

Her stomach dropped. “What is it?”

“You have Stage IV ovarian cancer. It has spread significantly. With treatment, we may be able to give you some more time, but…”

“How long do I have left?” she cut in, her voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor sighed. “Realistically…you have less than a year.”