Chapter 1

The moment Tania Russell spoke, her throat tightened and tears came rushing back.

There was a brief silence on the phone before she heard the sound of papers rustling. "I'll have someone look into it right away. Call me anytime you need to," came the reply.

After she hung up, Tania turned and walked straight into a warm hug.

Samuel Ferguson stood there in a bath towel, his damp hair dripping onto her neck, making her feel a mix of warmth and wetness. "Who were you talking to? Why are you hiding from me so late?" he asked.

He leaned in and kissed the mole by her eye, his callused fingertips tracing her waist. He knew exactly where to touch to spark her desire.

Tania tried to pull away, but Samuel mistook her slight resistance for playing hard to get.

He became rougher, his breath growing heavy.

"Not satisfied yet?"

Tania turned her head to avoid his kiss, her eyes accidentally catching a glimpse of the bedside.

Samuel's phone was still on, and the sound of a news report drifted out.

"Internet sensation and brilliant student Lucy Canfield will be back home in three days. Reports say Ms. Canfield has been offered a job at Kingston University's Rare Disease Research Institute, making her the youngest researcher ever..."

Samuel's pace quickened as the report went on:

"After five years abroad, Lucy plans to focus on her studies. She wants to dedicate her life to curing rare diseases..."

Then Lucy's sweet voice came through clearly: "I'm not planning on dating or getting married for the next ten years. I want to focus on treating rare diseases. It's more meaningful to help those who are suffering."

In the middle of that noise, Samuel suddenly stopped moving.

He was leaning close, his chin on her shoulder, when he said in a low voice, "Lulu!"

Tania froze, but she saw her phone light up from the corner of her eye.

It was a text from Elias Russell, just one short line.

[Samuel's got an ex-girlfriend named Lucy.]

Samuel's phone, which he had left on purpose by the bed, showed a picture of Lucy.

The lady in the picture had bright, happy eyes and looked a lot like Tania, even the tiny mole by her eye was in the same place. It was as if Lucy was staring right at Tania, the "stand-in," through the screen.

Tania shut her eyes, and tears ran down the sides of her face.

Samuel stayed close to her until the middle of the night before finally falling into a deep sleep, his hand still resting firmly on her waist.

As she listened to his even breathing, Tania's hands shook as she texted Elias back:

[Bro, the new medicine will be done in a month and, after that, I'm going to leave Samuel.]

The Ferguson family had spent billions of dollars for a team of scientists to make this medicine. It was the only thing that could cure a sickness that ran in Samuel's family and keep him alive past thirty.

She was the key to making it.

For three years, she kept secrets from him. She chose not to study abroad. Instead, she became the head of a research institute, and she did not even tell him about her own family's wealth as the Russell family's daughter.

Because he once said, "I won't make it past thirty," she happily stayed hidden as "Mrs. Ferguson" and stuck by him for three years.

Elias texted back right away: [In a month, I'll come to the Fergusons' to get you.]

As dawn lit up the sky, Tania watched Samuel sleeping and remembered the first time they met at Kingston University four years ago.

Back then, she was in her final year of university, assisting him with speeches.

He was all dressed up in a fancy suit, talking away on stage, looking every bit the rich kid and as distant and fancy as the moon.

However, the moment their eyes met, it was like the ice in his gaze just melted away, and he started pursuing her like crazy.

She kept saying no, until that lab accident.

When the equipment blew up, he ran through the crowd to shield her, taking the hit.

As the shards sliced his arm, he was in pain but still joked with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm not going to live past thirty, so it's a good deal to trade my life for your life."

That's what made her give in.

However, she now realized that the "real feelings" in those words might never have been for her.