Chapter 1

When the auction house lights flickered on, I saw my boyfriend Victor Howard crush a wine glass in his hand.

Glass shards embedded into his palm, flesh torn and bloody.

I gasped and instinctively stepped forward, wanting to check on his injuries. But he blocked me, pushing me away with a coldness I hadn"t expected.

Following his gaze, I saw a woman in a white dress—her outfit cheap, yet her beauty still undeniable.

She was staring at him, just as blankly as he was at her.

A name surfaced in my mind.

Ashley Black.

Victor"s first love.

The ex-girlfriend who had once stripped him of everything during his lowest point and then disappeared abroad, leaving no trace.

I"d seen their photo once, in a yellowing album.

It was in that moment that I understood why Victor had meticulously chosen a custom-made suit flown in from France, paired it with understated platinum cufflinks, and had his hair styled with precision. He looked more handsome than ever.

He"d never cared much for such things before. Yet today, he"d spent ages before the mirror, checking himself over and over.

I thought he had changed.

Little did I know, he had known all along that he would meet Ashley here.

As the auctioneer announced the seating arrangements, a young man appeared beside Ashley.

I recognized him immediately—a notorious playboy, known for changing women more often than clothes.

Ashley skillfully looped her arm through his, leaning into his chest. That was when Victor grabbed my hand and yanked me into his embrace, holding me tightly.

The glass shards still lodged in his hand cut my skin, and I gasped from the sting.

But Victor didn"t flinch, his grip tightening around my wrist, his eyes darkening as if they were pools of ink.

A passing waiter noticed the blood and quickly brought bandages, asking if I needed medical assistance. Only then did Victor seem to snap back to reality.

When he saw my wrist, bloodied just like his own, a flicker of guilt passed through his eyes.

He gently dressed my wound, his voice soft with an apology.

"Selena, I"m sorry. I wasn"t paying attention. I"ll make it up to you."

I didn"t know how to respond.

Then, an item was displayed on the auction stage—a stunning emerald necklace. Victor immediately bid for it, and when it was brought to him, he placed it around my neck with a flourish.

"I"ve always said I"ll give the best to my loved one," he declared, his tone both arrogant and tinged with sarcasm. "Both now and in the future."

Yet, his gaze never once met mine.

After the auction, I went to the restroom. When I came out, I saw Ashley standing before Victor, her eyes red from crying.

"Victor, I never meant to hurt you. I just..." she began, her voice trembling.

"Enough!" Victor snapped, his anger barely contained.

"Do you think you can erase everything with just a few words after what you did back then? It"s not that easy!"

Then, his eyes flicked to me, standing in the corner, and he immediately grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him.

"I already have a girlfriend," he said, his voice firm, as if to ward off any misunderstandings.

"Please don"t say anything that might confuse Selena."

Ashley"s eyes reddened even more, her tears falling like rain on a fragile flower battered by wind.

"If that"s the case," she said, voice breaking, "I"ll never appear in front of you again!"

She ran off, crying. But as she rushed down the stairs, she twisted her ankle, nearly falling.

Victor, without a moment"s hesitation, flung me aside and rushed to her, catching her in his arms.

His gaze had shifted from anger to something else entirely—a softness, a tenderness I hadn"t expected.

"Ash, are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "I"ll take you to the hospital right away."

With that, he swept her up in his arms and carried her away, leaving me alone at the auction entrance.

When Victor had shoved me aside, the force reopened the wound on my wrist, fresh blood spilling out.

I leaned against the wall, biting my lip to stop myself from crying out.

Chapter 2

As the pain subsided, I could barely stand. But somehow, I managed to push myself upright, the bitter taste of betrayal lingering in the air.

The auction venue was perched on a hillside, and there wasn"t a single taxi in sight.

Helpless, I forced myself to descend the mountain in fifteen-centimeter heels, my long dress trailing behind me.

The cold mountain wind mixed with a fine, relentless rain, sending chills down my spine.

In my moment of distraction, my heel struck a small stone, and I nearly tumbled down the mountainside.

Luckily, I crashed into a large tree, leaving a massive bruise on my lower back.

But my ankle—completely sprained—was a different story.

By the time I reached the bottom of the mountain, I was nearly frozen to the bone. The pain from my ankle was unbearable, yet I could only pull off my high heels and continue my descent, my bare feet stabbing into sharp stones like a thousand needles.

It wasn"t long before I broke down, tears mixing with the rain, my makeup ruined, my spirit shattered.

Even the taxi driver hesitated to open the door when he saw me, as if he feared encountering some kind of supernatural being in the dead of night.

Victor hadn"t returned a single one of my calls.

I don"t know how I made it home. I just remember collapsing onto the sofa the moment I finally sat down.

In the dark, I drifted into a dream.

Flames raged around my parents, with only the sound of crackling fire and desperate screams filling the air.

Among the ashes, Victor stood firm, offering his hand to pull me out.

And just like that, I realized—he was the only one left in my world.

When I woke, I was no longer on the sofa.

Victor had carried me to bed, tucked me in, and given me medicine. Now, he was gently wiping the sweat from my forehead, his eyes full of guilt.

"Selena, I"m sorry. My phone ran out of battery, and I couldn"t answer your calls," he murmured. "Please don"t be angry with me, okay?"

He looked like he hadn"t slept, still wearing the same shirt from the auction, his chin adorned with a layer of blue stubble. His tired eyes filled with concern as he carefully tended to me.

The fever that had racked my body throughout the night left me dazed and weak.

The Victor who had turned his back on me that night seemed to merge with the one now tending to me with such tenderness—and yet, he felt like two completely different people.

I couldn"t tell, nor did I have the strength to try.

Seeing my silence, Victor gently held me, stroking my hair.

"Selena, I"m sorry. What happened last night was my fault. I"ll make it up to you."

The fever left me barely able to hold my head up, but I couldn"t ignore the bright red lipstick mark on his shirt collar.

I recognized it instantly. It was the shade Ashley had worn last night.

My heart clenched, and a tremor ran through me. Each breath felt like a steel blade slicing through my chest.

Victor, completely oblivious, gazed into the distance, his eyes haunted with pain.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and heavy.

"So, Selena… let"s get engaged."

The news of our engagement quickly made the headlines.

A young, self-made CEO and an orphaned girl—each detail ignited curiosity among the public.

But for Victor, that wasn"t enough.

He spent a fortune buying trending topics, instructing his assistant to reach out to media outlets for exclusive interviews. He seemed determined to ensure our engagement was spread across every news outlet in the smallest detail.

That afternoon, reporters arrived in waves at our home.

Despite my leg still in a cast, I was forced to change into elaborate gowns, cold, beautiful heels, and the emerald necklace Victor had lavishly bought at the auction.

I had to face the cameras, forcing a smile even as I felt completely drained.

Victor, on the other hand, was a picture of triumph, talking endlessly to the reporters about his unwavering love.

"I love Selena," he declared. "I will give her nothing but the best."

"I"m unreserved with my loved ones," he continued, a proud smile on his face.

"It was like this in the past, and it will be like this in the future."

When the reporters turned to me, all I could do was smile and nod. I couldn"t find the words.

I had tried to discuss the engagement with Victor before.

After losing my parents, I felt so insecure, and I feared that marriage might complicate his career. I had carefully suggested: "If marriage might cause too many complications, maybe we could just stay engaged for now?"

But Victor had only rubbed his forehead wearily and sighed.

"Selena, I"m exhausted right now. I don"t have the energy to deal with these trivial matters. Please understand."

"When I have time, I"ll make it up to you," he"d promised.

I never imagined that, at such a critical time in his company"s review before going public, Victor would suddenly find so much time to promote our engagement to the media.

Chapter 3

During the photo shoot, my eyes flicked to Victor"s phone, and I saw a string of missed calls and unread messages from an unsaved, unfamiliar number.

With a surge of anxiety, I quietly searched the number on social media. As expected, I found an account—its name was simply "Ashley."

At first, I intended to close the app, but in my panic, my finger accidentally pressed "Add."

Before I could react, the request was immediately accepted, and a message popped up.

"Do you believe I"ll make sure your engagement ceremony never happens?"

The missed calls on Victor"s phone kept piling up, but his expression remained proud, unwavering.

Everything seemed to stay this way until the eve of the engagement ceremony.

Then, unexpectedly, Ashley stopped calling and messaging altogether.

As I passed the study, I heard the unmistakable sound of vases shattering—Victor was angry.

I entered the room, and he quickly masked his fury, hastily kicking the shards of glass aside.

"Selena," he said with forced calm, "tomorrow is our engagement ceremony. I"m just nervous."

He smiled, but it didn"t reach his eyes. "Go rest, I"ll be there soon."

That night, I couldn"t sleep. Ashley"s message lingered in my mind like a haunting refrain...

"Do you believe I"ll make sure your engagement ceremony never happens?"

Victor didn"t return to the bedroom.

The next day, at the engagement ceremony, Victor seemed distant, distracted. He barely reacted to the well-wishes of friends and family, which was a stark contrast to the eager, excited groom everyone had seen in recent media coverage.

Victor"s friends, who had known him for years, didn"t show any displeasure, but there was an uncomfortable undercurrent in their gazes as they looked at me. It felt like the entire world knew the engagement wasn"t truly for me.

Then, suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted:

"Looks like there"s a fire in Jade Bay!"

I recognized Ashley"s location from her social media posts—she lived in Jade Bay.

Victor"s reaction was immediate and wild. He grabbed the guest by the collar, his eyes burning with fury.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

The guest, trembling, pulled up a video on their phone.

"Jade Bay," the guest said, voice shaking.

The video wasn"t clear, but I saw a fleeting white figure standing at a railing—delicate, fragile, almost ghostly. The image felt like something out of a nightmare.

"I heard all the other residents were evacuated," the guest continued, "but there"s one woman still trapped in the fire..."

Before they could finish, Victor bolted from the hall like a man possessed.

The engagement ceremony descended into chaos.

I didn"t think twice. I followed him.

In the car, Victor remained silent, dialing a strange number over and over again.

One call. Two calls. Three calls.

Finally, on the seventy-eighth call, someone answered.

Victor nearly dropped the phone in his haste, his voice breaking:

"Ashley! Where are you? Why haven"t you been answering? Are you trying to kill me?"

I had never seen Victor lose control like this, and my heart tightened with fear.

The background noise was chaotic—objects crashing, muffled screams—and then Ashley"s voice, ethereal and distant:

"Victor, I can"t forget you. But you"re marrying someone else. I can"t watch you be with another woman."

"I can"t... I can"t do it. Just let me die in the fire. It won"t hurt so much."

The sound of a beam crashing to the ground echoed in the background.

"No, no!" Victor"s voice was hoarse, filled with desperation. "Ashley, please. Don"t do this. I beg you."

"I"ve never forgotten you. Even this engagement was just to provoke you for leaving without a word."

"Please, you know that if you appear, I would abandon everything to be with you."

I could feel the heat of the fire, the smoke choking me, the unbearable weight of what had happened to my parents flooding back.

Without thinking, I ran into the flames, desperate to save him.

But just a few steps in, a beam crashed down, knocking me off my feet.

Pain exploded through my body, but I couldn"t stand up. I could only call out, praying the rescue team would hear me.

The smoke filled my lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

Then, someone rushed toward me, strong arms cradling me gently.

The person was asking about my condition, but I couldn"t speak. My voice was hoarse, my vision blurring.

Before I lost consciousness, I heard someone shout:

"She"s seriously injured. Get her to the hospital—now!"

When I woke up in the hospital, I learned that Victor had managed to rescue Ashley from the fire.

The news flooded the internet, turning their love story into something of a legend.

"Ten Years of True Love"

"Love Revealed in Danger"

"Only Death Can Separate Them."

The comments were overwhelmingly positive, praising their bond. The rest were filled with curses, labeling me as the "third party" trying to tear them apart.

Even the nurses, while changing my medication, would sometimes exchange knowing glances and whisper.

"Did you hear? Victor ran from the engagement ceremony to save someone from the fire."

"They say the position of Mrs. Howard is about to change."

"That"s Selena"s own fault. How dare she try to interfere?"

"She"s delusional. The two women are in the same hospital—one floor apart—and Victor"s only been to Ashley"s room."

"I heard he brought in the best doctors for Ashley, stayed by her side 24/7—he"s been more attentive than he"s ever been with Selena!"

"If only I could meet a man like Victor..."

I closed my eyes, pretending I didn"t hear, letting the voices fade into the distance.