Nathan's POV
Three days before our wedding, my fiancée sold the house we had been preparing for three years.
Because of that, her circle of girlfriends went into an uproar.
“You’ve lost your mind, haven’t you? Just because Daniel wanted that new Ferrari, you sold the house? Does Nathan even know? Where are you two going to live after the wedding then?”
“Exactly! That place was all Nathan’s work inside and out. He poured his heart into it!”
Yet, Cassandra Grant simply downed a drink, her face calm and careless. “He loves me that much. Remember, he nearly lost half his life once when he stepped in front of a knife for me. You think he cares about one house?”
Smirking, she even added, “Besides, isn’t he always saying, ‘Wherever you are is home’? Well, this is the perfect time to see if he really means it.”
Little did they know, I was standing right outside the private room, holding a thermos of soup I had made for her. Without a word, I turned and walked away.
On the wedding morning, her calls came like a curse that wouldn’t stop ringing.
“Nathan! Where the hell are you? My whole family is waiting for you!” she berated as soon as I picked up her call.
But I only stared out the window at the familiar streets passing by and answered, “I already signed the papers. I’m home now.”
——
That house, which was supposedly our wedding home, had been my life’s work for three years, from the very first interior sketch to the last touch of paint.
But for Daniel Lawson’s one casual sigh of ‘I really want that car,’ Cassandra quickly and mindlessly turned my years of effort into cash and bought him a Ferrari.
I had stood outside the bar that night, my hands shaking, my chest aching so bad I could hardly breathe.
Her friend, Rachel Walsh, couldn’t hold back anymore. “Cassandra, seriously, you’ve got to at least tell Nathan. Selling a house ain’t like selling peanuts. When he comes back and finds it gone, won’t he go crazy?”
But Cassandra just waved her hand dismissively, annoyed. “Enough already. Nathan, Nathan, is that all you people know how to say? What, can't I make use of his hard work? Worst case, we could just rent another place.”
“But it’s not the same!” Rachel pressed. “This was your wedding home. It means something. Doing this, honestly, cuts deep.”
Persistent, Cassandra rolled her eyes. “If he finds out, it’ll just turn into another fight, questions, nagging, headaches. I don’t have the time for that. And really, what’s the big deal? That scar on his body? He got it for me. Do you think a guy who loves me that much would ever walk away over one stupid house? Please.”
A few of her friends began teasing.
“I get it, I get it. Cassandra’s just doing it all for Daniel. Honestly, who wouldn’t fall head over heels for a male model like him?”
“Ha! Didn’t we all bet back in the day that Cassandra would end up with Daniel? Beauty and talent. Perfect match!”
For a moment, Cassandra’s smile faltered. “Cut it out, will you? If Nathan ever hears this, it’ll just blow up in my face. I’m begging you. Drop it.”
That only made them laugh harder.
“Alright, alright, we’ll stop. Still, Cassandra, you’ve really got Nathan wrapped around your little finger.”
Just then, her phone lit up on the table. The screen showed: Daniel.
The room fell into silence, her friends exchanging sly glances.
“Well, speak of the devil,” someone muttered.
Cassandra didn’t deny it. Instead, a slow smile curled her lips as she answered.
On the other end, Daniel’s voice was warm, tender. “Cassandra, did you really buy me that ‘800-horsepower beast’? I heard that model of Ferrari is going for around half a million!”
Proudly, she replied, “Mhm. I already paid it. They’ll deliver it to you next week.”
“That’s… that’s way too much. You shouldn’t have spent so much on me,” he replied in a low voice.
But she laughed lightly and said, “It’s just half a million. As long as you’re happy, nothing’s too expensive.”
He sighed in pure satisfaction. “Only you, Cassandra, treat me better than anyone else. When I get that car, the very first ride is yours.”
Her eyes crinkled with delight as she excitedly replied, “I’ll be waiting.”
The moment the call ended, her friends swarmed her again.
“Half a million for a car? Cassandra, are you seriously letting Daniel drive off in that and announce it to the world? What about Nathan? Does he know?”
