Chapter 1

"Fifty million. Leave the country within a week. Stay away from my son forever."

Mrs. Hartwell sat across from Luna Davies, her perfectly maintained face radiating undisguised contempt.

If this had been before, Luna would've fought back with tears in her eyes, protesting, "I'm not with him for the money."

But now, she simply nodded calmly. "Okay."

Mrs. Hartwell was visibly stunned, then let out a cold laugh. "At least you know your PLACE."

She emphasized those last words like a dagger, highlighting the massive gap between Luna's world and her son Cade Hartwell's privileged existence.

Luna kept her eyes down, took the check, and walked away without another word.

By the time she got back to the mansion, darkness had already fallen.

This place was ridiculously huge – so massive she still got lost sometimes.

The only familiar thing was that framed photo on the coffee table. In it, Cade had his arm around her waist, looking down at her with eyes so tender they could melt winter snow.

She traced the photo gently with her finger, suddenly remembering that rainy night three years ago.

That year, she'd found Cade collapsed in an alley, covered in blood, his eyes unfocused and lost.

"Who are you?" she'd asked him.

"I... I don't remember," he'd mumbled, shaking his head as rain and blood dripped from his hair.

Just like that, she'd brought this memory-lost stranger home.

Her tiny 300-square-foot studio apartment, barely big enough for two people.

Peeling wallpaper, leaky pipes, needing three blankets just to stay warm in winter.

But in that cramped, broke-ass place, the purest kind of love had somehow bloomed.

They clung to each other for survival, and from that day on, they were each other's entire universe.

He'd wait outside her building for three hours just to walk her home after late shifts.

He'd stay up all night rubbing her stomach when her period cramps hit like a freight train.

He'd secretly work five different jobs just to buy her that expensive necklace she'd looked at three times but never bought for herself.

The only thing that wore her out was how he wanted her every single night.

When she'd blush and beg for mercy, he'd nibble her ear and whisper, "Baby, I love you too much to stop."

During their most passionate year, he'd even dragged her to a tattoo parlor to get her name inked on his collarbone.

When the tattoo artist asked if he was worried about the pain, he'd just smiled at her and said, "Pain's good – that way I'll never forget the person I love most."

She thought they'd be happy like that forever.

Until his memory came back.

That's when she discovered he wasn't some homeless guy at all, but the heir to the Hartwell fortune – a financial empire prince who controlled half the investment world. He'd only ended up on the streets because rivals had orchestrated his car accident and caused a memory loss.

After reclaiming his identity, Cade moved Luna into a 20,000-square-foot mansion where even the bathrooms were ten times bigger than her old place.

But from then on, he'd become a completely different person.

Now he wore designer suits she couldn't even pronounce, watches worth more than most people's houses, closed billion-dollar deals, and barely came home anymore.

She kept lying to herself that he was just busy.

Until that day when entertainment headlines exploded with photos of him and Isabelle Sterling, the Sterling family heiress.

In the pictures, he was opening her car door in his tailored suit, both of them sharing a smile that felt like a knife to Luna's chest.

The comments were all about how "perfect they looked together" and "what a power couple."

That night, she sat by the window staring at the moon until dawn, finally accepting the brutal truth.

The Cade who'd brave snowstorms to pick her up from work, who'd haul bricks to buy her jewelry, who'd tattooed her name on his body – that man had died the day his memory returned.

This Hartwell heir and her? They weren't just from different worlds – they were from different universes.

He was soaring in the clouds while she was drowning in mud.

Like the moon never touching dust, someone like him was destined for someone equally brilliant.

So, why keep humiliating herself?

Better to let go.

Free him, and free herself too.

That night, the mansion felt as empty as always – Cade still didn't come home.

Instead of waiting up until 3 AM like usual, Luna went to bed early. First thing in the morning, she headed to the visa office.

She paid for expedited processing – passport and visa would be ready within the week.

When she left the office around noon, Luna ducked into a random restaurant.

The moment she pushed through the door, she froze.

At a window table, Cade was gently wiping the corner of Isabelle's mouth with a napkin.

That look in his eyes – tender enough to melt arctic ice – was identical to how he used to kiss her in their tiny apartment.

Luna stood there feeling like an invisible hand was crushing her heart.

She turned to leave but accidentally knocked over a plant by the entrance.

Cade looked up at the noise, saw Luna, and all warmth instantly drained from his eyes.

He walked over slowly, his voice low and cutting. "Are you stalking me now?"

Before she could answer, he continued coldly, "I already explained those gossip photos – it's just business. How long are you gonna keep acting crazy?"

Luna opened her mouth to explain, but her throat felt stuffed with cotton.

Mrs. Hartwell's words from yesterday echoed in her head: "Cade and Isabelle's engagement has been arranged by both families for years. He's genuinely fond of her too..."

Business. The kind that involved arranged marriages, apparently.

"Cade, don't be so harsh." Isabelle glided over with a smile, playing peacemaker. "Running into each other is fate, right? Why don't you join us, Luna?"

Before Luna could refuse, Isabelle was already pulling her to their table.

Luna felt like a puppet being positioned in the chair directly across from Cade's ice-cold expression.

"What would you like, Luna?" Isabelle pushed the menu toward her. "Their French cuisine here is absolutely authentic."

Luna stared at the menu full of French she couldn't read, embarrassment flooding through her.

"I'm not hungry," she said, pushing it back.

"At least have some soup." Isabelle ladled a bowl of seafood bisque and placed it in front of her. "It's incredibly fresh."

Luna stared at the shrimp floating in the soup, her stomach cramping.

She was severely allergic to shellfish.

Just as she was about to politely decline, Cade's phone rang.

He stepped away to take the call, his silhouette sharp and imposing.

She'd seen that suit in magazines – it cost more than her entire old neighborhood.

"Go ahead, try it," Isabelle suddenly lowered her voice. "Given your... background, you probably don't get to taste such expensive food very often."

Luna's head snapped up, meeting Isabelle's smiling eyes.

"You don't actually think that little fling with Cade means you can marry into our world, do you?" Her manicured finger tapped the rim of her glass. "If he hadn't lost his memory, someone from your class wouldn't even qualify to clean his shoes."

Luna clenched the napkin in her lap, the fabric bunching in her fist.

She might be poor, but she didn't have to take this kind of disrespect. "Miss Sterling, we barely know each other. You have no right to—"

"Oh my God!"

Mid-sentence, Isabelle suddenly shrieked and knocked over the seafood soup. Scalding liquid splashed across her hand and all over Luna's arms.

Cade rushed back at the sound, immediately grabbing Isabelle's hand. "What happened?"

"It's nothing..." Isabelle's eyes were brimming with tears. "I know Luna's upset about seeing us together. As your girlfriend, I guess her jealousy is... understandable..."

Cade immediately turned to Luna, his expression thunderous. "Seriously? I've explained this a thousand times. You're really gonna pull this shit?"

"I didn't do anything. She knocked it over herself—"

"Enough!" He cut her off. "I saw what happened with my own eyes. When did you become so fucking unreasonable?"

With that, Cade swept Isabelle into his arms and stormed out without a backward glance.

As Isabelle nestled against his shoulder, she slowly turned back to flash Luna a triumphant smile.

Luna stood there alone, trembling as she held up her scalded hand.

Blisters were already forming, the pain like thousands of needles piercing her skin.

But all Cade had seen was the tiny patch of pink on Isabelle's hand.

He'd left so quickly, so decisively, without sparing her even a glance.

But clearly, her Cade used to cherish her above everything else.

Three years ago when she'd burned herself cooking, his eyes had gone red with panic. He'd run to the pharmacy in the middle of the night, coming back to gently apply medicine while asking, "Does it hurt, baby? Does it hurt?"

Back then, his eyes held only her.

But now, Cade couldn't see her at all.

Chapter 2

Luna went home alone.

Back at the mansion, she dug through the first aid kit in the living room, disinfecting, medicating, and bandaging her burns by herself.

The wounds throbbed with tiny, sharp pains, like thousands of ants gnawing at her skin.

As she turned to head upstairs, she caught sight of the grand piano sitting in the corner of the living room.

Cade had bought it after recovering his memory, claiming he wanted to teach her how to play.

But all this time later, a thick layer of dust had settled on the lid.

Just like their relationship – buried under neglect.

Her eyes welled up as she hurried to her room to pack.

Clothes, documents, bank cards... she sorted through everything slowly, each movement feeling like a goodbye to her former self.

Halfway through packing, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

Cade stood in the doorway, suit jacket draped over his arm, tie loosened.

Seeing her open suitcase, he frowned. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Packing," Luna replied calmly, continuing to fold clothes without looking up.

Cade stepped closer, carrying the faint scent of perfume – the same fragrance Isabelle had worn today.

He grabbed her wrist hard enough to make her wince.

"So because I had lunch with Isabelle today, you're gonna throw a tantrum and run away? You hurt her, and she didn't even make a big deal about it, but here you are throwing a fit?"

Luna looked up at him, seeing the clear irritation in his eyes.

"Isabelle's family and mine go way back. She just got back to the country, and her parents want me to look out for her. Can't you just be reasonable for once?"

Reasonable?

The word stabbed into her heart like a blade. Luna gripped the shirt in her hands tighter, the fabric bunching in her fist.

She was already being reasonable by preparing to leave. What more did he want?

"Say something!" Cade suddenly raised his voice.

Luna turned away silently and continued packing.

Her silence completely set him off.

"Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this up."

He stormed out, slamming the door so hard it made her chest tremble.

The next morning, when Luna came downstairs, she found Isabelle sitting in the living room, chatting and laughing with Cade.

Today she wore a white dress, her makeup flawless, looking both pure and elegant.

Seeing Luna, she immediately stood up with a sweet, innocent smile. "Luna! You're awake! My parents are insisting Cade take me to today's auction. Please don't read anything into it, okay?"

Luna glanced at Cade, who was adjusting his cufflinks without sparing her even a glance.

"I'm not reading into anything," she said quietly. "Whatever you two do is none of my business."

Cade's hands paused, his frown deepening.

Just as he was about to speak, Isabelle jumped in. "Why don't you come with us, Luna? It's not like you have anything else going on."

Before Luna could refuse, Isabelle was already linking their arms.

And just like that, she found herself dragged into the car.

The auction house glittered with lights and swarmed with elite guests.

Cade sat in the front row, his long fingers casually raising his paddle as one piece of jewelry and luxury watch after another fell to his bids, which he then handed over to Isabelle beside him.

Isabelle smiled gracefully, occasionally leaning close to whisper in his ear, their intimacy painfully obvious.

"Cade, shouldn't you buy something for Luna too?" she suggested with fake thoughtfulness.

Cade's tone was flat. "No need. She's not used to these kinds of things."

At his words, Isabelle's lips curved slightly upward, and from an angle Cade couldn't see, she shot Luna a victor's smile.

Luna lowered her eyes, her fingertips lightly tracing the auction catalog, her heart turning to ice.

Not used to them, or not worthy of them?

In his eyes, she'd probably always be that Cinderella who crawled out of the slums. Even standing beside him now, she'd never deserve these luxuries in her bones.

But it didn't matter. Soon enough, there wouldn't be anything between them anyway.

Luna sat quietly in the corner, watching Cade spend thousands on Isabelle, watching their shameless intimacy, as if she were just an irrelevant observer.

Until the final item was brought out—

A jade bracelet.

Her breath caught, her fingers unconsciously clenching.

That was her grandmother's heirloom!

Three years ago, Cade had taken construction jobs to buy her a birthday present, eventually falling from scaffolding and nearly dying.

To pay for his surgery, she'd been forced to sell the only thing her grandmother had left her – that bracelet.

Later, when she'd finally saved enough money to buy it back, it had already been sold to someone else.

She'd searched every antique shop in the city but never saw it again.

And now, here it was, appearing before her without warning.

Luna's heart leaped, and she almost instinctively raised her paddle.

"One million."

Isabelle looked back at her in surprise, then smiled lightly and raised her own paddle. "Three million."

"Four million!"

"Five million!"

...

After several rounds of bidding between them, Cade frowned, his gaze sweeping between Luna and Isabelle.

Finally, he raised his hand slightly, signaling the sky's-the-limit bid.

The highest price of the entire evening.

The auctioneer's gavel fell. "Congratulations, Mr. Hartwell!"

As the room erupted, he turned to Isabelle. "Since you like it so much, it's yours."

Hearing that, Luna's bidding paddle clattered to the floor.

Chapter 3

She stared in shock as the staff member respectfully handed the bracelet to Isabelle, who smiled and reached out to take it. Just as her fingertips touched the edge of the box, she suddenly gasped—

"Oops!"

Crack!

The jade bracelet slipped from the box and crashed hard onto the marble floor, breaking into two pieces.

In that instant, Luna's breathing nearly stopped, her ears filled only with the sharp sound of shattering.

Her mind went blank as she instinctively rushed forward, pushing Isabelle aside and trembling as she reached for the broken pieces on the floor.

Cade's face turned ice-cold as he steadied the stumbling Isabelle. When he looked at Luna again, his voice was low and harsh. "Luna, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Luna looked up with red-rimmed eyes, her voice shaking. "What's wrong with me? This was my grandmother's heirloom! Didn't you promise me once that if we ever saw it again, you'd buy it back for me?"

"But now you don't even remember, do you?"

Cade froze for a moment, as if recalling something, but quickly his expression turned cold again.

"That was ages ago – how the hell would I still remember?" His tone was icy, tinged with anger. "Besides, Isabelle didn't do it on purpose. How could you just shove her like that?"

Isabelle's eyes welled up with tears as she tugged at his sleeve pitifully. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault..."

Cade frowned slightly, reaching up to wipe away her tears, his voice gentle. "It's not your fault."

Then he shot Luna a cold glance, his tone brooking no argument. "I'll have someone fix the bracelet. Stop making a scene."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Isabelle's shoulders and walked away with the two broken pieces, never looking back.

Luna stood there watching their retreating figures, feeling like someone had carved a chunk out of her heart, the pain nearly suffocating.

By the time the auction ended, it was raining outside.

Luna stood at the venue entrance, watching Cade's black Maybach drive away with Isabelle inside.

The venue was in a remote area, and after waiting thirty minutes without catching a cab, she had no choice but to walk home in the rain.

By the time she got home, her feet were numb with pain.

When she took off her heels, the blisters had burst and stuck to her stockings, making her hiss with pain.

She collapsed on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Suddenly she remembered that rainy night years ago when Cade had carried her on his back for three kilometers to the hospital.

Back then he was so broke he couldn't even afford a taxi, but he stubbornly refused to let her walk a single step.

"Hold on, sweetheart. We're almost there."

His back had been so warm, and even with rain falling on her, it felt sweet.

And now? He drove million-dollar luxury cars but wouldn't wait five minutes for her.

After applying medicine to her feet, she buried herself under the covers and fell into an exhausted sleep.

She didn't dare think about recent events – whenever she did, waves of bitter grievance and pain would crash over her.

No one knew that she'd never wanted Cade Hartwell, the privileged heir.

She only wanted the Cade who'd squeezed into that tiny, crappy apartment with her, who'd call her "sweetheart" with that soft laugh.

But that man was "dead" – he'd never come back.

She closed her eyes and let the tears flow freely.

The next afternoon, she was woken by the sound of the door opening.

Cade stood beside the bed in an impeccable suit.

"There's a family dinner tonight. You're coming with me."