Chapter 1

Main Story: Anya's POV

Seven days before our wedding, Eli Loxley disappeared without a trace.

I searched high and low throughout Marrowfield, but he was nowhere to be found.

On the third day, I heard rumors that he'd been spotted in Oakmont.

I booked a red-eye flight that evening. Soon enough, I tracked him down to a private yacht on the river.

As I approached the door, I heard his laughter from within.

"The only reason I pursued Anya was to get back at Carter," he said. "She's only enticing when she's out of reach."

I froze.

Eli's voice was sharp and clear, a stark contrast to the incoherent babbling of someone intoxicated.

A moment later, even harsher words slipped from his lips.

"After sleeping with her, I realized she's nothing special."

The sound of teasing laughter drifted through the door.

"Dr. Loxley, you're truly impressive. I can't believe you managed to win over the ice queen no one else dared to even approach."

Eli seemed to take pleasure in the praise. "Back then, she threw herself at Carter with everything she had. She even abandoned her pride and dignity.

"She might look like a flirt, but in reality, she's ridiculously naive. What a shame," he said nonchalantly.

"A shame? What exactly do you mean?" someone asked.

Eli exhaled a thick puff of smoke. "Well, it's a shame that I was the first man she slept with, but not the first one she loved.

"She says Carter is a thing of the past, but I can't believe a heart that once burned so fiercely for someone else would suddenly be empty. Ten years of feelings don't just vanish.

"If Carter and I didn't have such a long-standing rivalry, I wouldn't have even bothered pretending to be her 'devoted protector.'"

Someone snickered from the side. "After three years in her bed, you're only starting to regret it now?"

Irritation flickered across Eli's face. "It doesn't matter. We've been together all this time, and in the end, I realized I was nothing more than a placeholder. Do you really think I can just accept that?"

With a smirk, someone else added, "I hear she's losing it these past few days. Are you sure you don't feel even the slightest for her?"

Eli let out a low, bitter laugh, smoke curling from his lips. "I plan to remain on this yacht for another week. Anya can march down the aisle by herself. That'll be the perfect payback for everything I sacrificed."

Through the crack in the door, I saw Eli's face. There was no hint of remorse, only cold, twisted satisfaction.

I went still, his words slicing through me like shards of glass.

Carter Worthington was Eli's stepbrother. For as long as Eli had known him, he had always been in Carter's shadow. The only time he'd truly "won" was when he took me from him.

I had believed Eli was my way out of the decade-long obsession I'd carried for Carter.

I had examined my heart, carefully weighing my feelings.

What I felt for Eli wasn't a passing wave of gratitude—it was real love. That was why I had said yes to marrying him.

He once made the night sky over Marrowfield come alive with a dazzling fireworks display.

He spared no expense, buying a private island just to propose to me there.

Drones danced across the sky, their lights coming together to form my name.

He kept up the pretense for three long years.

And for all those years, I believed him completely.

What I had mistaken for devotion was just a carefully crafted game of vengeance.

At 14, I was sent to a foster home in a small town down south.

In that unfamiliar place, I felt lost and uneasy. I kept my head down, too afraid to speak.

It was there that Carter stood up for me, stepping in to stop a group of bullies from picking on me. From that moment on, I fell hopelessly in love with the hero who had saved me.

I pursued him for years. Almost everyone in school knew.

Carter, however, never once acknowledged my feelings.

Throughout high school, Eli was always there, quietly watching over me to ensure I was safe. No matter how late it got, he'd walk me home every single day.

He was the silent knight by my side.

One evening, I asked him, "What if I never end up having feelings for you?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I just want you to be happy."

That one simple sentence shattered the walls I had so carefully built around my heart.

Looking back now, it almost seemed laughable.

I had let go of the past, surrendering to Eli's love with everything I had. I dove headfirst into wedding preparations, consumed by the thought of a future we were supposed to share.

But now, I knew the truth. I was merely a tool in his elaborate scheme for revenge.

Tears streamed down my face. My heart felt as if it had been crushed under a heavy weight. I wanted to run, but my legs refused to move.

The people inside kept laughing and joking, their words steeped in malice.

"The higher you lift her, the harder she'll crash. If you want real revenge, make sure she falls from the very top."

"That's right, Dr. Loxley. Keep pretending nothing's amiss. Go along with her through every detail of the wedding and play your part all the way to the end.

"When the day comes, she'll be left standing at the altar, waiting for a groom who never arrives. The thought alone is thrilling. Anya will surely crumble."

Another wave of laughter echoed through the room, each note sinking like a stone in my stomach.

I held my breath, clinging to the foolish hope that Eli would say something.

I thought he'd object and stand up for me. But instead, all I heard was, "Alright, let's do it."

My mind went blank, drowned out by a deafening roar. My vision blurred, and a dull ringing filled my ears.

Although a smile remained on my lips, my eyes were distant and lifeless.

"Eli, so you're just going to keep pretending, huh?

"Fine. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out the bride's not showing up on the wedding day."