Chapter 1

By the time the deal was signed, I had everything I’d ever wanted—except her.

“Sir, the emails have been sent,” Kace said, voice bright with relief.

“Good.”

I leaned back in my chair, staring through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Another contract won. Another victory that felt strangely empty.

“Just like the others,” I muttered. We’d won countless deals in just two years.

You’re doing well, son. I’m proud of you.

Dad’s words echoed in my head. Years of sleepless nights, board meetings, and billion-dollar risks were finally paying off—or at least, they should have felt that way.

My phone buzzed.

The Unicorns. My high school graduation group.

I scrolled through the feed—beach vacations, wedding rings, baby photos. Everyone seemed to be living. Meanwhile, I was buried in deadlines and champagne meetings that never felt like celebrations.

My stomach twisted. The office suddenly felt smaller. I tugged at my tie, reached for the water bottle, and tried to swallow the unease crawling up my throat.

“Sir, are you okay?” Kace burst into my office; the transparent glass walls made it impossible to hide.

“Uh… I’m just stuck on something,” I said quickly, still puzzled.

“Okay. I’m sorry for bursting in like that.”

“It’s fine.”

“I just wanted to be sure you were alright,” she added, turning to leave.

“Oh—before I forget,” she said, glancing back. “You had a call from someone who claims to be an old friend. He said to congratulate you on the new contract.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” I forced a chuckle, still trying to collect myself. “Send me his details; I’ll speak with him privately.”

A few minutes later, she returned with the information. I saved the number and opened W******p.

Could it be true? Who’s getting married this time? Lisa? Or one of the other two girls from school?

Thoughts crowded my mind as I waited for the caller to come online. Finally, his status changed. I typed quickly:

Me: Hello.
Me: You came to my office earlier to see me—can I know who you are?

A new message popped up almost immediately.

Raph: Yes, this is Raph—your guy from Crestwood.
Me: OMG, Raph! Long time! Hope you’re doing great.
Raph: I’m excellent, bro. Have a nice day.

I smiled faintly. Raph and I had been good friends back in school. It was unfortunate I’d lost contact with him. He’d been through so much—losing his mother to cancer and his grandmother to a fire during his final year—but he’d risen above it all. Now, he was a chief construction engineer at a top firm. His resilience had always inspired me.

“Sir?” Kace called again.

“Your friend Noah wants to see you,” she said, her voice full of excitement.

“Send him in,” I said, my mood lifting slightly.

Noah walked in, beaming. “Is that my bro—the next multi-billionaire every girl in town is dying for?”

I laughed. “Yeah, they better back off. This is just the beginning.”

Kace reappeared. “Sir, the head of manufacturing would like a word.”

“Let him in,” I said, still talking to Noah.

“Guess what, Noah? I just chatted with Raph—he’s doing great.”

“Oh man, cheers to him! That guy was my inspiration back then,” Noah said, his voice full of admiration.

The head of manufacturing entered, holding a file. “Sir, the team has developed a new process to meet market demand. It’ll help us avoid the issues we faced on the last contract.”

“Excellent,” I said, flipping through the document.

“This is brilliant work,” I added. “I’ll discuss it with the board as soon as possible.”

Then my phone buzzed again.

Raph: Saw the announcement—proud of you, man.
Raph: By the way… guess who’s getting married this weekend?
Me: Who?
Raph: Lila.

My breath caught.

Lila.

The girl who’d promised me forever—before forever got complicated.