For ten years, she had been his most cherished treasure. No matter how indifferent he seemed, the ache buried in his heart ran deeper than he’d ever admit.
When Weston caught the redness in Brittany’s eyes, frustration surged through him.
He wanted to reach out, to say something, anything. Still, before he could move, Theresa clutched his sleeve, shaking her head in silent warning.
But the hurt in Brittany’s expression was like a dagger twisting in his chest. This time, Weston didn’t let Theresa stop him.
He followed Brittany upstairs, only to be met with a locked attic door.
Just as he raised his hand to knock, he froze.
Her voice carried through the wooden barrier, soft, trembling, raw.
She had loved him in secret for years. The only person she had ever given her heart to.
Yet, time and time again, he had been the one to hurt her the most.
Lying on her bed, curled up in quiet anguish, she flipped through her diary, pages filled with memories of him. Of them. Every fleeting moment, every small kindness, every stolen glance.
A love was unspoken. A wound never healed.
And now, all he could do was stand on the other side of the door.
Tear stains, unnoticed and forgotten, bled into the ink, smudging the words she once held so dearly.
She was hurt. And then, she laughed.
A quiet, breathless sound, as if the weight of it all had finally crushed her.
“Don’t worry, brother. I won’t cling to you anymore. I won’t like you anymore.”
Her whispered vow slipped past the door, landing straight in Weston’s ears like a dagger.
He should have felt relieved.
This was what he had wanted, to make her let go.
For as long as he could remember, she had been the most precious thing in his life. His little sister. His responsibility. But the moment she confessed she loved him, something inside him recoiled.
It was wrong. Impossible. Unthinkable.
She was eight years younger than him. How could he ever see her that way?
He refused to lead her down a path she could never take. And more than anything—he simply didn’t love her like that.
But now, standing outside her door, listening to the raw, broken pieces of her heart spill into the silence, he felt no relief at all.
It would pass.
She would grow up.
One day, she would understand that everything he had done was for her own good.
So why did it feel like he had just lost something he could never get back?
The charity gala was a spectacle of wealth and prestige, shimmering under the glow of crystal chandeliers. For Brittany, it was her first time stepping into a world so grand, where every smile hid a secret, and every handshake sealed a deal.
Weston’s company had only recently secured its place among the elite. A few years ago, they wouldn’t have even made the guest list. Now, he was an honored figure among them.
The red carpet gleamed beneath the dazzling lights. Weston stood tall in a tailored black suit, his presence commanding, his sharp features unreadable. Beside him, Theresa, draped in a striking red gown, looked every bit the perfect match.
Like a bride beside her groom.
Brittany trailed behind them, her gaze fixed on Weston’s back, committing it to memory, one of the last chances she’d have to do so.
A reporter’s voice cut through the hum of conversation. “Mr. Beverleigh, we’ve heard wonderful news about you and Miss Walker. When’s the wedding?”
Weston’s reply was steady. “We’re already making preparations.”
Theresa smiled, lifting her hand to display the diamond ring on her finger. The crowd erupted in cheers, cameras flashing like a sky full of stars.
“Miss Walker, you left a high-paying career as a psychologist to pursue songwriting, and your music has touched so many. Everyone’s curious: what’s the story behind your romance?”
For the first time that evening, Weston’s movements faltered.
Almost instinctively, his gaze swept through the sea of elegantly dressed guests, searching for Brittany.
But she was gone.
"Mr. Beverleigh? Mr. Beverleigh?"
The reporter’s repeated calls snapped him back to the present.
He exhaled lightly, forcing a small smile. "It's nothing special. For Theresa and me, it was love at first sight."
For the first time in a long while, the man known for his cold indifference softened. A rare warmth flickered in his gaze as he looked at Theresa, his expression almost tender.
"That song belongs to the past now. Because I love her, I would never let her endure a one-sided love alone. From now on, I’ll be the one taking the lead. I will make sure Theresa becomes the happiest woman in the world."
