Chapter 2

At dawn, as Eva slowly opened her eyes, Leo was already pressing a kiss to her temple. It was tender, yet possessive.

He murmured, "Eva, I ruined our anniversary last night. Let me make it up to you today, alright?"

She opened her mouth to decline, but the words never made it out. Leo was already giving orders.

The security team was instructed to prepare the car. The maid rushed to prepare breakfast. Eva's dress, coat, shoes, and even matching jewelry had all been laid out with obsessive precision.

Leo took her to a private estate owned by the Sereno family. It was a castle-like retreat deep in the countryside—one he had built for her, brick by brick. It was her personal wonderland.

Today, he had arranged a fairytale anniversary, planned down to the last extravagant detail.

Deep within the estate grounds, the private amusement park looked like something out of a dream beneath the sunlight. A vintage carousel turned slowly beside a horse-drawn carriage, a Euria-style hedge maze stretched in the distance, and a soft-pink Ferris wheel towered above it all.

Leo didn't care how extravagant or childish it all seemed. If Eva so much as hinted at wanting something, he would give it to her, no matter the cost.

Eva barely wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, and he immediately handed her an opened bottle of Fillico—the limited-edition kind priced at over 1,300 dollars.

She lingered for a moment in front of a vintage marionette. Minutes later, he had someone buy out the entire design studio behind it.

He held her hand tightly, his palm warm and unyielding.

She tried to pull away, but he gripped her hand harder. "Eva, if you disappear again… I won't be able to find you next time."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said softly.

But deep down, she knew. This time, where she was going, he would never find her.

The estate wasn't open to the public, but exclusive guests were invited from time to time. As Eva and Leo walked past a rose-covered wall, a couple nearby recognized them.

"Oh my god, that's Leo, the CEO of Sereno Group! The finance legend! And his wife, Eva." The young woman whispered excitedly to her boyfriend, then rushed forward with a shy smile.

"Mrs. Sereno, could we take a photo with you two?"

Eva gave a faint nod, and the camera shutter clicked.

"You two are honestly perfect together. I hope you're happy forever," the young woman said shyly.

Leo smiled and nodded, ever the flawless figure in public—charming, composed, untouchable.

At lunch, he sat beside Eva, but he glanced at his phone more often than at his plate. Eva watched him, her expression unreadable.

Leo noticed her stare and immediately looked up, flashing a casual smile. "Eva, something came up with the family business. Just give me a minute, alright?"

But in the faint reflection on the glass wall behind him, Eva caught a glimpse of his phone screen—Cleo, perfectly made up, was live streaming.

She stood confidently at the grand front gates of the estate—the very same private estate Leo had brought Eva to that morning.

Wearing a fitted white dress that hugged her curves, Cleo beamed at the camera with bold delight.

"Hey, guys, check it out! This whole estate? My boyfriend gave it to me. If you wanna come and snap some pics, just drop my name at the gate!"

Eva couldn't take it anymore. She quietly unlocked her phone and slipped into Cleo's livestream.

Cleo wasn't just another influencer. She was a "special talent" signed personally by Leo.

The media had long speculated that she had a sugar daddy backing her, and some even suspected she was Leo's lover. But no one had ever found solid proof.

Until now. Grinning at the camera, Cleo held up an official property deed and said sweetly, "Look at this. It's here in black and white—this entire estate's amusement park is mine. Isn't that the most romantic thing ever?"

The livestream exploded with comments.

"No way that's real! That place is worth tens of millions. You think you're that special?"

"No way. Is she leeching off Leo's name like that?"

"This has to be a declaration of war, right?"

Then, Cleo flipped the document to the title page, holding it steady for the camera. Her name was printed clearly on the property deed.

The comments blew up again.

"It's legit."

"He gave her an estate? This isn't just love; it's obsession."

"Who does Leo truly love? For Eva, press 1. For Cleo, press 2!"

Thousands of "1"s flooded the screen. To the public, Leo's devotion to Eva was unquestionable.

But then, a sudden burst of special effects lit up the chat, and thousands of virtual helicopters streaked across the screen.

One user, under the name SangueFreddo, dropped an avalanche of expensive gifts before sending a single message. "I love Cleo."

Cleo laughed, looking proud and triumphant. "Did you see that? He said he loves me more."

Eva's fingers trembled as she gripped her phone. That username… She knew it too well.

It was Leo's first private account, one he had created years ago. The password had always been her birthday.

And now, everything made sense.

It wasn't a misunderstanding. It wasn't jealousy or insecurity. It was truth—clear, cruel, undeniable truth.

Leo sat across from her at that very moment, a tender, indulgent smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was the kind of smile that used to heal Eva. But now, it tore her apart.