Chapter 1

The second time, Whitney Thompson was in the hospital, where she ran into Colton Jones and Janice Moore, the college student who was there for a prenatal checkup.

Colton's eyes were bloodshot as he spilled his guts. "Whitney, I was overseas on business half a month ago when I got into a wreck. Janice pulled me from the wreckage, saving my life, even though the car could've blown up any second.

"Later, we found out she was pregnant. My grandmother threatened to take her own life if I refused to keep the child. "

He wrapped Whitney up in a desperate hug, his voice shaking like a leaf. "Please don't leave me. I swear, once the baby's born, I'll send her packing, and the kid will be dropped off at the family estate. They'll be out of your hair for good."

She took his word for it.

The third time, they were at an auction, both eyeing her late mother's treasured sapphire necklace.

That necklace was Whitney's mother's pride and joy, the only thing she had left of her.

However, Colton was relentless, upping the ante with each bid until he finally went all out, gifting the necklace to Janice.

Whitney stormed the auction room, demanding answers. Colton just rubbed his temples, worn out. "She's been down in the dumps with baby blues and set her heart on this necklace. Can you cut her some slack, Whitney?"

That was when Whitney cracked a smile, though it was one that brought tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What if I won't?"

He frowned and replied, "Come on, Whitney, cut it out. Janice is due any day now, and once the baby's here, we can get back to normal."

Whitney stared at him, her heart shattered. "Back to normal?"

What was their normal? Was it when he only had eyes for her? Was it when he would drive through a tempest for hours just to get her a slice of strawberry cake?

'Does he even remember those days?' she questioned silently.

"Mr. Jones..."

Janice's gasp echoed from behind. Clutching her stomach, she slumped against the wall, her face ghostly pale. "My ankle... It hurts so much..."

Colton's face went white as a sheet. In a heartbeat, he shoved Whitney aside and scooped Janice up in his arms.

Whitney felt the jolt as his shoulder slammed into her, sending her stumbling back into a table. A sharp pain shot through her side, and a cold sweat broke out across her back.

"Colton!"

Whitney's voice trembled as she called after him.

He did not even glance back as he carried Janice away, leaving Whitney with nothing but the sight of his retreating back.

Standing alone, her laughter turned to tears, streaming down her face. With Janice's life in his hands and their child between them, Colton was bound to her forever.

'How could things ever go back to the way they were?' she wondered, heart heavy.

She pulled herself up, dabbing away the blood trickling down her forehead as she climbed into the car.

"Mrs. Jones, shall we head back to the villa?" the driver asked gently.

She shut her eyes and replied, "No. Take me to the law firm."

Two hours later, Whitney arrived at the hospital, divorce papers in hand.

The bodyguard at the VIP ward's entrance could not hide his discomfort as he saw her, his eyes darting away.

Whitney watched from the end of the hallway. Colton had taken over the entire floor for Janice. Doctors and nurses were at their beck and call, and he was a constant presence by her bedside, reacting to every furrow of her brow as if the world were ending.

Janice's voice was a soft whine as she whispered, "I'm craving tiramisu from that Westbridge shop..."

Colton did not hesitate. He grabbed his keys and headed out. "Hold on, I'll be right back."

In the shadows, Whitney's heart felt torn to shreds.

It was only after he disappeared that she pushed open the ward door.

Janice's eyes welled up the moment she saw her. "Ms. Thompson, are you here to confront me? I'm so sorry, it wasn't intentional. I just fell in love with that necklace..."

Tears threatened to spill as Janice's voice broke. "Even though Mr. Jones took it from you to give to me, it was only to ensure I'd have a smooth delivery, to get back to the way things were with you. He's been by my side, but it's you he's been thinking about all along. I'm aware of that."

Whitney had no patience for her polished performance. "We're alone here, so drop the act. Colton paid you 7.5 million dollars to walk away, yet here you are, back in his life, pregnant, no less. I know exactly what you're after."

Janice's tears froze on her cheeks.

Whitney extended a divorce agreement toward Janice and continued, "I'm done playing these games. Colton won't sign this if I give it to him myself, so you'll have to get him to sign it without realizing what it is."

Janice's lip quivered, "You've got it all wrong, I never intended to break you two apart..."

"This is your only shot," Whitney cut her off, her tone firm.

"Make your decision."

Janice gazed at the document for an eternity before finally accepting it.

"Thank you, Ms. Thompson, for letting us be a family of three."

A family of three.

The words pierced Whitney's chest like a blunt knife, her breath shaky with the sharp sting of pain.

"Well then, I wish you, a family of three, all the happiness in the world."

Back at the villa, Whitney pulled out a cardboard box, ready to pack away the remnants of her life with Colton. They had a lifetime of memories, too many to count.

The first item she placed inside the box was a photo album.

Flipping to the first page of the album, there they were at five years old. Colton, in a tiny suit, stood by Whitney with a serious little face, yet his hand was sneakily clutching the edge of her dress.

Colton's mom, Fiona Harris, had laughed, recalling how he had refused to pose for a solo picture that day, adamant about being photographed with Whitney.

It was his first display of wanting her all to himself.

The second item was a high school uniform button.

On graduation day, while other girls giggled and chased after the boys for their shirt buttons as souvenirs, she stayed put in her seat. Before the end of school, she found his button waiting on her desk, accompanied by a note.

[You're only taking mine.]

By then, he had already mastered playing the role of the Jones family heir, warding off any other guy who dared come close.

The third item was a diamond ring.

The moment Whitney was legally old enough to marry, Colton wasted no time.

He popped the question on a skyscraper's massive screen downtown, with rose petals raining down from a helicopter.

The ring sparkled with a cool brilliance as he placed it on her finger, his gaze warm with affection. "Whitney, from here on out, I'm all yours."

...

Had Janice not come into the picture, Whitney would have believed they were destined for a lifetime together.

With a self-deprecating chuckle, she boxed up those memories and tossed them into the trash.

The commotion downstairs woke her the next morning.

Stepping out, she saw servants hauling in one luxury after another. Hermes, Cartier, Chanel.

Janice stood in the foyer, feigning modesty. "Mr. Jones, this is too much. I never wanted any of this..."

Colton's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Just accept them. A happy heart makes for an easy birth."

His words hung in the air as his gaze landed on Whitney.

He froze for a moment, then quickly said, "Whitney, I'm sorry. I only picked up a gift for Janice this time. Tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you next time."

Before she could even respond, Janice's gentle voice interjected, "Mr. Jones, I've already got the perfect gift for Mrs. Jones."

With that, Janice approached Whitney and handed her an envelope.

Whitney opened it to find a divorce agreement, complete with a signature as bold and extravagant as the ones he used to pen in his love letters to her.