Chapter 4

Ivy's POV

"Miss De Luca, are you sure you want to cancel your marriage license application?"

My hand trembled slightly as I held the form.

The clerk could see I was hurting and gave my shoulder a gentle pat.

"Why don't you take some more time to think it over?

"Besides, even to withdraw an application, the groom normally has to come in too. Where is he?"

I gave a bitter smile.

"Dead. I'll sign it myself."

Hearing that, the clerk didn't try to change my mind. She sighed, stamped the form, and slid it over to me.

I'd just picked up the pen to sign when a message popped up on my phone.

"Ivy, get to Central Square, now! Reese is about to propose!"

I agonized over it for a long time, but in the end, I went.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I saw an endless stretch of pink balloons and roses in every color.

"Wow, this is so romantic."

"Is someone proposing?"

"Has to be. She's so lucky!"

Gasps of admiration rippled through the passersby.

But when I looked up, the name on the giant screen wasn't mine.

It was Layla Romano.

I froze where I stood.

"Isn't that Ivy?"

Standing up on the platform, Layla spotted me. She was in a couture wedding gown, smiling sweetly at me with a taunting glint in her eyes.

Reese followed her gaze to me.

His eyes met mine, red and swollen.

Reese instinctively took half a step forward, but Layla swayed and nearly toppled off the edge of the steps.

All of Reese's attention snapped back to her, and he caught her firmly around the waist.

"Careful!"

Layla sank softly against his chest, her eyes welling up, and spoke in a gentle voice.

"Ivy's here to stop you, isn't she?"

She drew a soft breath, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"We agreed that once today's ceremony was over, I'd let you go for good and step aside for you and Ivy. Can't she even give me this much?"

Then she leaned into his arms and cried quietly.

Murmurs spread through the crowd, and every eye turned to me.

With his arm around Layla, Reese patted her back to soothe her, then looked up in my direction, his face darkening.

"Ivy, I already told you I'd give you the wedding of the century. What more do you want?

"This proposal is to make things up to Layla. All she wants is a proposal. After today, she'll leave. Stop making a scene."

With that, Reese turned to the officiant without another glance at me, his expression flat.

"Ignore her. Let's continue."

He took out a huge blood-red diamond ring, went down on one knee on the rose-covered platform, and faced Layla.

The dazzling ring slid slowly onto Layla's ring finger.

In that moment, the last shred of hope I'd been clinging to shattered completely.

I didn't stay. Amid the cheers and applause, I silently turned and pushed my way out through the crowd.

Out of the corner of his eye, Reese caught sight of my back as I walked away.

As he watched me get farther and farther away until I disappeared into the crowd at the edge of the square, an inexplicable panic rose in his chest, even a fear he couldn't put into words. His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly.

Layla glanced discreetly in the direction I'd gone, then turned to Reese, all concern.

"Reese, what's wrong? Ivy seems upset. Why don't you go calm her down first? We can pause the ceremony.

"I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

Layla looked up at him, her eyes full of tenderness.

The unease Reese had felt instantly turned to anger.

"Let her sulk."

His face hard, Reese turned to his bodyguards.

"Keep the scene under control. I won't allow anything else to go wrong with this proposal."

* * *

Before I left, I gave Reese one last big gift.

I put my miscarriage records in an envelope and left it in the most conspicuous spot in his study.

When I unlocked my phone, the latest push notification was about the grand proposal at Central Square.

Just then, a message popped up.

"Principessa, the private jet has arrived."

I put my phone away and let out a breath.

Carrying my luggage, I boarded the private jet without looking back.

After all, nothing here would ever have anything to do with me again.