Diego extended his hand, the sheer force of his presence silencing everyone around.
Sienna Reed lowered her head and quickly walked to stand behind Diego.
Diego looked up, his eyes filled with contempt as he scanned the reporters, as if surveying a pack of mongrels.
"Miss Reed is a special guest I invited. My wife needed to rest today and was unable to attend. I apologize for the misunderstanding—it was my oversight. I hope you can forgive me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters and guests who had been murmuring all started to smooth things over.
Anyone with eyes could see that Diego Prescott was not a man to be trifled with.
Opposing him was professional suicide.
The live stream had ended, but Diego's final words still echoed in my mind.
I didn't need to rest. I could have attended that event.
Diego just wouldn't allow it.
For all these years, very few people had ever truly seen me. I never attended those social events, and my father never forced me to.
I sighed, sitting on the balcony, lost in thought.
In my youth, I was fiercely proud and sharp as a tack.
Right after graduation, I won a major international architecture award and started my own studio. Everyone thought a young girl like me wouldn't get far in the world of architecture and advised me to give up, but I was defiant.
The more they doubted me, the more determined I was to succeed.
In just a few months, my projects became industry landmarks, and major companies were vying to collaborate with us.
As a result, the Vance Group solidified its position in the architecture world, becoming one of the industry giants.
Everything was going smoothly.
Until Diego returned from Stanford with Sienna Reed on his arm.
For her, Diego began pushing away all the women in his life, including me.
I started to feel anxious.
Growing up, I was always by Diego's side. In his world, it was as if no other girl existed besides me.
Let alone someone who could capture his interest.
No matter who it was, he always maintained a cold, distant demeanor.
During graduation season that year, my parents were abroad for a project inspection. The lights of the Columbia University library burned brightly, a tense atmosphere permeating the entire campus.
I holed myself up in the library for days on end.
As the deadline for my thesis submission loomed, I heard Diego's voice and thought I was imagining things.
"Nora."
I looked up and saw Diego standing by the bookshelf. He looked travel-worn, but his eyes were bright.
"Nora, I'm here to help you."
His bangs partially covered his eyes, and under the soft library light, his deep, dark eyes held a rare tranquility.
His pleasant voice washed over me as he stayed with me in the library for three days and three nights, helping me finish my graduation project.
In that moment, my heart skipped a beat.
So, this was it. This was what falling in love felt like.
I had always thought I was special to him. Sienna Reed’s arrival shattered that delusion. I’d been living in a fantasy all these years.
