Chapter 3

For some reason, food deliveries I never ordered kept showing up at my door.

Sometimes it was groceries, fruits, veggies, fish, meat, eggs, and milk.

Sometimes it was desserts and cakes.

Sometimes it was coffee.

Sometimes it was full-on feasts, sushi platters, gourmet burgers with truffle fries, Neapolitan pizza, or a full rack of barbecue ribs.

None of it was anything expensive, but it was all stuff I genuinely liked.

If Vincent didn't text me every single time to say he'd ordered it, I'd honestly think someone was out to poison me.

I figured he was just trying to thank me for giving him that money.

So I just happily took it every time.

Whenever I enjoyed the food, I'd pat my belly and mutter to myself.

"Hey baby, this is daddy's treat.

"What? Not tasty enough for you?

"Don't be picky, daddy can only afford this right now.

"Just make do for now, tomorrow, mommy's taking you out for Michelin."

But whenever I actually sat down in a Michelin-starred restaurant, enjoying the chef's carefully crafted dishes.

I'd picture Vincent sitting across from me, dressed to the nines in a bespoke suit, pulling out a velvet box like it was the most precious thing in the world, and handing me that ruby necklace.

When we first got together, I already knew Vincent had an unforgettable first love he just couldn't let go of.

The girl he worshipped back in college, Selena Jones.

But he never ended up with her.

So he threw himself into his career instead.

And in the end, it was a ruby necklace that got me.

I always thought my fear of being poor had gotten deep into my bones.

I came from a remote mountain village so hidden even GPS gave up, and when I finally made it to the city, I almost got trafficked into some shady club.

Job hunting was brutal. I hit wall after wall, got a crash course in how complicated people can be, met some genuinely good folks, and some total creeps.

So when Vincent opened that velvet box and said, "Lynn, stay by my side."

I didn't even hesitate.

When I found that old photo of Selena tucked away in his desk drawer, I just stared at it for a moment.

Honestly, it didn't really bother me.

Selena and I didn't look much alike, and our features were pretty different.

We were just the same type, that's all.

What did I even lose, really?

Not much, honestly. At least I still had money, designer bags, and a closet full of gorgeous clothes.

He was handsome, rich, and outrageously generous, spoiling me like this, what more could I possibly want?

So when I heard Selena was coming back into Vincent's life, I didn't even blink.

I took the one million dollars and walked away, cool as a breeze.

Sometimes, you just have to know when to quit while you're ahead.

I'd already gotten things I never even dared to dream about in the first twenty-four years of my life.

As for true love? That's someone else's problem now.

Sniffling and stuffing pricey foie gras into my mouth, I called out to the chef shaving truffles, "Don't stop."

Just as I finished, my phone rang.