Chapter 1

"What's wrong, Isabella? Weren't you the one who insisted on waiting for him for three years? What happened?"

"Dad." The moment I opened my mouth, tears streamed down my face.

Even though I didn't say a word, my father seemed to sense my emotions through the phone. After a long pause, he spoke gently.

"My precious girl, don't cry. You're the little princess of the Moretti family. No one gets to make you cry. Dad's coming to take you home."

After hanging up, I gently placed a hand over my stomach.

"Baby, from now on, it's just the two of us. We don't need that bad daddy anymore."

My mind drifted back to three years ago. When Adrian accepted that S-Rank emergency mission, he made me a promise before he left.

"When I come back, "I'll marry you."

Just that one sentence was enough. I believed him. And I waited for three years.

During those three years, I heard countless rumors. People said Adrian had probably died during the mission. Others said he'd run away long ago and was never coming back.

I ignored every rumor. All I did was count the days, waiting for him to come back and marry me.

The conversation between Adrian and his lieutenant kept replaying in my mind. It felt as though thousands of needles had pierced my heart. The pain spread through my entire body, leaving me unable to breathe.

Adrian had cheated on me three years ago. The three-year mission had been nothing more than a lie. All so he could stay with another woman and their child.

The thought was enough to make my legs give out beneath me. I collapsed onto the floor.

During those three years, because of the nature of his work and the confidentiality of his missions, I was never allowed to contact him first. I could only wait for him to contact me. Sometimes after a few days. Sometimes after several weeks.

Whenever I didn't hear from him, I lay awake at night worrying. I was terrified of getting news about him. And even more terrified of hearing nothing at all.

Through countless nights of crying myself to sleep, the memories of our five years together were the only thing that kept me going. Until he finally completed his mission and came back to me.

Just as I sat there, completely lost, Adrian walked into the bedroom. The moment he saw me sitting on the floor, his expression changed.

"Isabella, the floor's cold. Why are you sitting down there? Are you not feeling well?"