Chapter 1

Calista Wolfe stood on the deck of the cruise ship, letting the sea breeze ruffle her hair. Not in her wildest dreams did she expect to run into Benjamin Thorpe here.

A group of kids, laughing and chasing each other, used the two, frozen in surprise, as temporary shields.

It had only been three years, but it felt like a lifetime.

She'd vanished without a trace, changed her name, and escaped to Clayland, never once thinking their paths would cross again.

After all, Clayland was the last place on earth he'd ever want to be.

The kids bumped into them, and Benjamin, ever the gentleman, reached out in a controlled gesture to steady Calista as she lost her balance.

Calista smiled, but Benjamin's hand lingered on her arm, unwilling to let go.

"Calista, say the word, and I'll marry you right now," Benjamin said.

"Benjamin, I'm getting married next month," Calista replied.

She pulled her hand away, tucking her wind-tousled hair behind her ear. Benjamin's unfocused gaze sharpened, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Married? To the guy you've been supporting at home all this time?" Benjamin scoffed.

"Did he ever tell you? He's loaded, way richer than you think. You're pulling all-nighters, slaving away on your designs, but your monthly paycheck isn't even close to the interest he racks up in a month..." Benjamin's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"Calista, he's never been straight with you," Benjamin added.

Benjamin handed her his phone, showing her a marriage certificate on the screen.

A newlywed couple, dressed to the nines, stood against a red backdrop, their faces practically beaming with joy.

The guy had a mole at the corner of his eye, just like Tristan Calloway, but his gaze was less dark and more fired up with youthful swagger.

The embossed names stood out, almost harshly, and the date on the certificate was from six years ago.

But the woman standing next to Tristan wasn't her. It was someone else.

'He's married? Is that really Tristan?' Calista wondered.

Calista froze, her mind flashing back to every memory with Tristan, scrambling to piece together anything she might've missed.

Benjamin's icy voice ripped apart every excuse she'd tried to come up with.

"He's Tristan Calloway, the second son of the Calloway family from Wrenburg," Benjamin said.

Benjamin sneered, "Three years ago, he got pissed about how the family business was split up and thought his folks were playing favorites with his big brother, so he packed up and bailed to Clayland.

"Mason Calloway just told everyone Tristan was off studying abroad, and the two of them have been feuding ever since. Mason was so mad he cut Tristan off completely, and all this time, you've been busting your ass just so he could get by..."

Benjamin paused, a flicker of pity crossing his eyes.

"Mason couldn't win against his son, so he finally gave in and redid the whole inheritance deal just the way Tristan wanted. That's when Tristan decided to come back home.

"When he ran off, he was already married to Beatrice Rayne, and their son was already a year old," Benjamin said, his voice cold and unforgiving.

"Calista, don't tell me you actually thought you were saving him from the streets when you picked him up at that bar? Mason only caved because he wanted his grandson to grow up with a family.

"Tristan's never been honest with you, not once! A guy like that, who can't even take responsibility for his own life, have you ever really seen him for who he is?" Benjamin's voice was sharp.

Benjamin reached out, wanting to ruffle her hair, but she ducked out of reach.

His hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before he balled it into a fist and let it drop to his side.

"Calista, did you really think that cruise invite was some kind of company perk? I set this whole thing up just so you'd finally give up!" Benjamin shot back.

Benjamin seized Calista's arm and hauled her straight to the main banquet hall on the top deck.

At the entrance, a sign for their sixth anniversary, their sugar anniversary, displayed the wedding photos he'd once promised her, the ones he'd described in vivid detail.

But the bride in those photos wasn't Calista.

Calista stood by herself in the shadows, watching Tristan in his sharp suit, working the room with that easy charm.

Just last week, Tristan had gone out of his way to tell her he was heading to Verdland to catch up with an old friend.

And now she realized that the "old friend" was the woman he was really married to.

Her thoughts were at war with each other, fighting between denial and reality.

He'd told her he'd been in a car accident and couldn't remember who his parents were, but somehow he could still talk about the unique flavor of a dish from a restaurant back in Clayland.

Not long after, he said his memory was starting to come back, but he still couldn't remember how to contact his family. All he could remember was maybe having a brother.

Later, he said he'd borrowed some money from a friend, just enough for them to move into a better place. She felt sorry for him, owing favors he could never pay back, so she started working another job on the side.

In the end, he said he wanted to find his family before the wedding, so they kept postponing the date, month after month.

Calista was in shock. 'If I walked up to him right now and asked, 'Are you really Tristan?' would he even own up to it?' she wondered, her mind racing.

'But what claim do I have to question him?' she thought, feeling completely lost.

A little boy leapt into Tristan's arms. Tristan crouched down, scooped him up, and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"Daddy, I hope you and Mommy are happy together forever and grow old side by side!" the little boy chirped.

Beatrice stood nearby, smiling as she straightened the boy's shirt, then affectionately tapped his nose, her eyes full of warmth.