Julian Sterling buried his face in the hollow of my neck, his body trembling. Hot tears soaked into my skin.
"She's getting married," he choked out.
I sat there like a dutiful wife, soothing a husband who was grieving another woman. My hand moved mechanically through the hair at his nape while my other arm held him close.
"It's okay," I whispered, the words tasting like ash. "You still have me."
He let out a muffled sound, keeping his head low. The heat of his tears betrayed his devastation, yet his voice remained stubbornly hard.
"Bella, don't be stupid. It's just a wedding. I'm not sad at all."
I didn't reply. I simply rested my chin on top of his head, offering silent company to a man whose heart was breaking for someone else.
Rumor had it the Stephens family had spared no expense for the wedding of the century. Driven by masochistic curiosity, I opened the livestream on my phone. I wanted to see what had reduced the formidable Julian Sterling to tears.
My finger tapped the screen.
The venue was empty. Not a soul in sight.
A headline was already climbing the trending searches: Harbor City's Lord Nine Abandons Bride for Mystery First Love.
My gaze darted between the chaotic news feed and the man weeping in my arms. Ethan Stephens had left Elisa at the altar.
The next second, the weight on my shoulder vanished. Julian lifted his head. His eyes were red-rimmed but burned with sudden intensity.
"Are you willing to marry me?"
The question hung in the air. This was the status I had waited seven years for. It had finally fallen from the sky, landing right in my lap.
But looking at him now, I found I didn't want it anymore.
Before I could answer, a ringtone sliced through the tension. Julian answered on speakerphone without hesitation.
"Julian... it hurts."
Three words. That was all it took to hook his soul. He bolted from the couch with such frantic urgency that he didn't even notice where he stepped.
His shoe crushed down on my hand—the same hand I had burned simmering soup for him.
He didn't look back.
As the door slammed, the bandage loosened. Blood seeped through the gauze, flowing from my fingertips into my palm in a thin, continuous stream. It reminded me of the love I had tried so hard to keep.
The tighter I held on, the faster it slipped away.
My heart had gone numb long ago. I calmly retrieved the first aid kit and redressed the wound. As I worked, I did a mental tally of my assets.
I was short one million dollars.
Once I secured that—the termination fee Julian owed me for seven years of service—I could finally afford my exit.
I understood the destructive power of a "white moonlight"—the one that got away. Elisa's fiancé hadn't married her because of his obsession with his first love. And Julian? I had seen the look in his eyes when he spoke of her. I knew how this story ended.
I should have prepared my escape route sooner.
I took a deep breath, determined to salvage whatever dignity I had left. Even if Elisa eventually accepted me as a sister-wife or whatever arrangement they concocted, I couldn't accept that version of myself.
I began to pack.
In this sprawling villa, my existence was reduced to half a suitcase. I couldn't even fill it. As a canary kept in a gilded cage, I knew the rules: gifts from the master were to be returned. To avoid future entanglements, I left behind everything he had bought me, including the watch I had gifted him.
When the room was stripped of my presence, I sat down and drafted a termination agreement.
I sent a text: Where are you? We need to talk.
Julian's reply was swift—likely a reflex to brush me off—but then he sent a follow-up voice note, his tone hushed. He told me to come to the hospital.
Ever the thoughtful partner, I bought a fruit basket on the way.
When I arrived at the ward, Julian was sitting by the bedside, peeling an apple. His movements were clumsy; I noticed several bandages on his fingers, likely cuts from the paring knife.
"The child you miscarried was mine," Julian said, his voice low and urgent. "What I mean is... if he won't marry you, pick someone else. Pick me."
He brought a slice of apple to Elisa's lips with painstaking care. His eyes held no lust, only a desperate, humble plea.
Watching them, I felt a sudden surge of relief. I was lucky. I knew my place.
I lowered my gaze and smoothed the creases of the agreement in my hand. Just get the signature. There's nothing to be afraid of, Bella. You are about to start a new life.
Elisa spotted me first. She offered a weak wave.
I forced my legs to move. But before I could set the fruit basket down, my grip failed. The basket hit the floor, apples rolling across the sterile tiles.
Julian frowned. He turned to me, his eyes cold and sharp as blades—projecting all the humiliation of being rejected by Elisa directly onto me.
"I arranged for male models to entertain you," he snapped. "Can you stop clinging to me for five minutes?"
